ARCHIVED -  Public Notice CRTC 1992-72

Public Notice

Ottawa, 2 November 1992

Public Notice CRTC 1992-72

A Review of the CRTC's Regulations and Policies for Radio

A. Background

In March 1992, in response to a request by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), the Minister of Communications established the Radio Action Plan Consultative Group. The group's mandate was to report within three months on its recommendations addressing the short-term economic plight of private radio and on its assessment of the longer-term future of the entire radio industry.The consultative group issued its report on 17 June 1992. The report, entitled Today's Crisis In The Private Radio Industry and Tomorrow's Opportunities For Canadian Radio, included a number of recommendations for changes to the Commission's radio regulations and policies.On the same date, the Commission announced the creation of an internal task force led by its Vice-Chairman of Broadcasting, Fernand Bélisle. The purpose of the task force was to conduct a ninety-day review of the various CRTC regulations, policies and procedures governing radio, taking into account the recommendations of the consultative group, but excluding five matters that were deemed to fall outside the review, since they were already the subject of separate public processes. These matters were:* review of religious broadcasting policy * criteria for exempting certain radio operators from the requirement that they hold broadcasting licences
* review of the MAPL system used to qualify recordings as "Canadian"
* development of a general policy for low-power radio
* review of the benefits test used to assess applications for authority to purchase existing broadcasting undertakingsAs part of its review, the task force consulted a number of organizations involved in the radio and music industries. These included the CAB, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, The National Campus and Community Radio Association, l'Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada, l'Association des radiodiffuseurs communautaires du Québec, MUSICACTION, l'Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo, the Canadian Independent Record Production Association, the Canadian Recording Industry Association, La Société professionnelle des auteurs et des compositeurs du Québec, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, and l'Union des artistes.This notice describes those recommendations of the task force that have now been adopted and put into place by the Commission pursuant to the review. In general, these changes are those that the Commission and the radio industry have agreed will assist the industry overcome its current problems, without compromising the Commission's fundamental policy objectives. The notice also touches on various areas where no changes were recommended or adopted, either because of concerns regarding the impact of such change on policy objectives or because no changes were sought by the industry. In addition, the notice contains a discussion of certain other areas of proposed policy or regulatory change which, in the Commission's view require further public discussion.

B. Guiding Principles

The Commission reviewed its regulations, policies and procedures for radio taking into account the policy objectives set out in the Broadcasting Act, in particular the following principle goals:* Radio programming should be predominantly Canadian
* Radio should provide a varied and comprehensive menu of services from which listeners may choose
* Radio programming should be of high standard
* Radio should continue to provide a strong, vibrant service to local communities.In its review, the Commission also took into account several other key considerations. The first of these is the concern regarding the financial difficulties faced by many in the radio industry. As noted in the consultative group's report, private radio experienced an unprecedented after-tax loss of $41 million in 1991. Moreover, the report estimated that almost 60% of private radio stations were unprofitable in that year. The Commission has attempted to develop a regulatory structure that will allow broadcasters as much flexibility as possible in responding to the financial difficulties they now face, insofar as these difficulties relate to regulation.The Commission also examined measures to consolidate and streamline its policies and regulations without compromising either the objectives of the Broadcasting Act or the principle enunciated in An FM Policy for the Nineties (Public Notice CRTC 1990-111), that certain elements of diversity can best be achieved through competition and market forces. The overall strategy has been to develop a simplified, efficient regulatory structure that responds to the requirements of the Broadcasting Act without unduly hindering licensees in their operations.

C. New Regulatory and Policy Initiatives

Understandably, despite the broad mandate of the task force, representatives of the radio and music industries who were consulted during the review tended to focus their comments on those areas of policy and regulation that they perceived as having the greatest impact on their respective industries. A discussion of these areas of concern, and the Commission's determination with respect to each, is set out below.1. Commercial RadioThe measures described in this section apply principally to private commercial radio stations. Specific measures relating to community and campus radio follow.a) Diversity of VoicesTo ensure that a diversity of broadcast voices is available in each community, the Commission's ownership policy generally precludes an individual licensee from owning more than one AM and one FM station per market in the same official language. The CAB requested that this restriction be reviewed, arguing that ownership of multiple AM and FM stations in a market could permit stations to operate more efficiently and allow some marginal operations to survive.As a general rule, the Commission is not convinced that the economic and administrative efficiencies of multiple ownership outweigh the associated disadvantages of reduced diversity of voices, particularly in the area of local news and information programming.Thus, other than in exceptional circumstances considered on a case-by-case basis, the Commission will maintain its general policy of allowing an individual licensee to own no more than one AM and one FM station in the same official language in a market.b) Musical Diversityi) HitsThere was general agreement among the parties consulted that the current policy applied to English-language FM stations which restricts the use of hits to less than 50% of all musical selections broadcast each week should not be changed at this time. The Commission agrees that this is an important mechanism for furthering diversity, and that it helps provide exposure for new artists and offers a measure of protection to music-oriented AM stations whose program formats are based on playing "hits".The Commission will therefore maintain its policy of requiring that the level of hits broadcast by commercial English-language FM stations be less than 50% of all musical selections broadcast each week.However, in accordance with its policy document entitled Guidelines for Assessing Applications For Programming Flexibility From Licensees of Radio Stations in Border Markets and Small Markets (Public Notice CRTC 1992-3), the Commission will continue to consider applications for flexibility regarding the level of hits from stations in markets meeting the stated criteria.ii) FormatsDuring the consultations, no concerns were expressed about the current format structure: Group I (Pop, Rock and Dance), Group II (Country) and Group III (Specialty). The Commission considers that these three formats serve to ensure that a variety of radio services is available to listeners.The Commission will therefore maintain its current format system for commercial FM stations.iii) Vocal/Instrumental RatioAs part of the 1990 FM review, the Commission indicated that it would be willing to approve applications by licensees of Easy Listening stations to reduce their level of instrumentals to 35%, provided that they programmed a Canadian content level of at least 20%. Licensees with commitments to an instrumental level of at least 50% were allowed a minimum Canadian content level of 15%.The Commission's 1990 policy decision to permit a reduction in the level of instrumentals to 35% was taken, in part, in recognition of the limited availability of instrumental selections of a type generally called Easy Listening. The Commission assumed, however, that Easy Listening stations would continue to present a blend of instrumental selections and complementary vocal selections so that a reasonably consistent Easy Listening sound would be maintained throughout the broadcast day.The Commission is concerned that a few Easy Listening stations with commitments to broadcast instrumental levels of between 35% and 50% have begun to broadcast the vast majority of their instrumental selections in the evening hours, with the result that the musical sound of these stations during the daytime hours is very similar to the sound of full-time rock-oriented stations. The Commission considers that this practice reduces the availability of musical diversity during prime listening periods and is unfair to listeners seeking a station with consistent Easy Listening programming.The Commission therefore adopts a policy whereby instrumental selections on Easy Listening stations (those with instrumental levels of 35% or more) must be reasonably distributed throughout the broadcast day and week.The criteria used to determine reasonable distribution by stations with instrumental levels between 35% and 50% will be the same as those used for Canadian content. They are as follows: * at least 25% of musical selections broadcast between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday must be instrumentals* the Commission will expect a reasonably even distribution of instrumental selections throughout these dayparts and throughout the broadcast week
* the Commission will expect a significant presence of instrumental selections in high audience periods -- these traditionally being the morning and afternoon drive periods.The Commission will monitor the distribution of instrumentals by these Easy Listening stations to ensure that these criteria are being observed.iv) Maximum Repeat Factor and Distinct SelectionsThe CAB asked the Commission to remove its policy limitation respecting the number of times a non-Canadian musical selection may be repeated (currently 18 times per week), as well as its requirement that FM stations ensure that a minimum of 850 distinct musical selections is played each week. These requirements apply to English-language FM stations only. Representatives of the music and recording industries consulted expressed no objection to these changes.The Commission has considered the CAB's request and is satisfied that this proposal regarding the maximum repeat factor and the number of distinct selections will provide FM stations an extra measure of flexibility in adjusting their programming. The Commission also notes that a distinction in music programming on AM and FM stations will be maintained through the continued limitation on the use of hits by FM stations. The Commission therefore removes the present policy requirements with respect to the number of repeats and distinct musical selections broadcast by commercial English-language FM stations. Licensees wishing to delete their current Promise of Performance commitments may apply to do so in accordance with the process set out in Section D of this document.v) French-language Vocal MusicDuring the consultations, no changes were suggested to the policy stipulating that at least 65% of the category 2 vocal music selections broadcast by French-language stations be in the French language. The Commission, however, considers it appropriate that this important requirement, which applies to all French-language stations, should be incorporated in the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the regulations) rather than applied at the level of the Promise of Performance.The Commission will therefore move to amend the regulations to include the requirement that stations operating in the French language ensure that at least 65% of category 2 vocal selections broadcast each week be in the French language. The proposed amendment will be the subject of a subsequent public notice.c) Advertising, News, Spoken Word and Local ProgrammingThe amount of advertising broadcast on FM stations is limited to a maximum of 15% of the broadcast week. The Commission notes that, when limits on advertising on AM stations were removed in 1986, the amount of advertising did not increase to unacceptable levels.The Commission therefore considers that the same flexibility might reasonably be extended to FM stations. The Commission, however, will withhold its final decision on this aspect of its policy pending resolution of the issues discussed below relating to local programming on FM stations. Although there are no minimum regulatory requirements for local programming on FM stations, licensees do specify minimum commitments for such programming in their Promises of Performance. Under the current regulations, FM stations must ensure that at least 15% of all programming broadcast each week is spoken word. As part of this 15%, FM stations must also ensure, through their Promises of Performance, that at least three hours of news is broadcast each week.The CAB requested that FM licensees be allowed to program the levels of news and spoken word that they consider appropriate. The CAB also proposed that there be no limits on the use of network or syndicated programming by radio stations.The Commission has given careful consideration to the CAB's proposals in this area. The Commission accepts that the level of spoken word and news might vary depending on a station's format, and that additional flexibility in these two areas may thus be warranted. At the same time, the Commission's primary concern is to ensure that radio stations, in their programming, continue to provide an effective local service to their communities. The Commission notes in this regard that the result of the CAB's proposals, unless modified, would effectively be to free FM licensees from their individual commitments to local programming and allow them to broadcast nothing but network or syndicated material.In light of the above, the Commission requests comments on the proposal to replace the current regulation with respect to the amount of spoken word programming, and its policy regarding the amount of news, with a single condition of licence requiring that each station (AM and FM) devote at least 1/3 of the broadcast week to local programming. It is proposed that stations not providing this level of local programming would not be permitted to solicit or accept local advertising. This requirement for local programming would not be applied to a station that is providing the only private commercial radio service in a market, since such markets tend to be very small communities capable of supporting the production of only limited amounts of local programming.The Commission proposes to define local programming as follows: Local programming includes programming that originates with the station or is produced separately and exclusively for the station. It does not include programming received or rebroadcast from another station either simultaneously or at a later time, or network or syndicated programs that are five minutes or longer in length unless these programs are produced in the local community by arrangement with the station. In their local programming, stations must include spoken word material of direct and particular relevance to the communities they serve, such as local news, weather and sports, and the promotion of local events and activities.The definitions of a network program and a syndicated program would remain as set out in the Commission's Glossary of Radio Terms. These definitions are as follows: Network Program -- A network program is characterized by the presence of at least one of the following criteria:
 i) Reserved Time Agreement -- A program is a network program if the broadcaster, as a condition of the acquisition of the program, is required to broadcast the program at a specified time or within specified time frames. The agreement to schedule the program may be a formal, written agreement or an informal, unwritten agreement. Reserved time may exist whether the programming is distributed live, by tape, or is taped-delayed.  ii) Simultaneous Distribution of Live Programs -- A program is a network program if the program involves the presentation of a live event, such as a sports event or a live concert, which is received and broadcast by the station simultaneously. In cases of tape delay, a program is considered to be live unless the time delay is equal to the duration of the actual program or one hour, whichever is less. A program is not considered to be a network program if the station and the program producer/distributor are owned by the same licensee. Syndicated program -- An acquired program is considered to be a syndicated program when it is produced by an entity other than the station but there is no requirement for the broadcaster to schedule it at a specified time or within a specified time frame and when the program does not involve the simultaneous reception and broadcast of a live event.d) SimulcastingUnder the regulations, simulcasting between commonly owned AM and FM stations in the same market is generally limited to the time period between midnight and 6 a.m. The CAB argued that elimination of limits on simulcasting could produce economies that would enable some marginal stations to survive. The Commission, however, is not convinced that increased simulcasting is an effective use of publicly-owned frequencies and wishes to discourage such simulcasting from becoming a common industry practice.The Commission has therefore decided to retain the current regulation with respect to simulcasting. It will, however, remain willing to consider applications for limited simulcasting on a case-by-case basis.e) Canadian Creative and Other Resourcesi) Canadian ContentDuring the consultations, no concerns were expressed regarding the levels of Canadian music required of AM and FM stations. The Commission notes that the Canadian content levels were raised significantly in 1990 for most FM stations.The Commission has therefore decided to maintain the required amounts of Canadian music in categories 2 and 3 at the currently-regulated levels.ii) Canadian Talent DevelopmentDuring the consultations, the issue of Canadian talent development was discussed extensively. The CAB's point of view can be summarized as follows:* all private stations serving radio markets that, overall, have experienced negative profitability over the preceding two-year period should be exempt from the requirement to make direct contributions* the list of acceptable Canadian talent development initiatives, in so far as direct dollar expenditures are concerned, should be expanded to encompass initiatives relating to the development of station staff, including salaries for new employees and students, and the costs of personnel training.Music industry representatives considered that support for Canadian talent development must remain in place if new Canadian talent is to continue to be recorded and supported by FACTOR and MUSICACTION. They acknowledged that allowing broadcasters to decrease dollar commitments in return for additional on-air support of Canadian artists could be valuable, but strongly urged that dollar commitments not be completely replaced. The Commission's philosophy behind Canadian talent development initiatives is set out in the 1990 FM policy:The Commission is of the view that the Canadian broadcasting system has an important role to play in the development of Canadian artists, primarily through airplay. It believes that it is equally important to ensure that an adequate supply of Canadian material is available to offer Canadian listeners a diversity of high quality Canadian content on each station and in various musical as well as spoken word categories. While broadcasters are not solely responsible for seeking out and developing Canadian creative talent, it is clearly in their interest to take an active role in this process to ensure that there is a sufficiently large pool of Canadian recorded music as well as other types of Canadian creative material available for broadcast.The Commission reaffirms its commitment to the objectives underlying its policy with respect to Canadian talent development initiatives. There have been increasing questions, however, regarding what types of initiatives best fulfil the objectives of this policy, as well as the extent to which these initiatives should be of a financial nature. Accordingly, the Commission considers it timely to undertake a review of Canadian talent development, in an attempt to simplify the process and to focus efforts on those types of projects that would be the most effective.Without limiting discussion on this matter, the Commission therefore requests public comment on the following questions with regard to Canadian talent development:1. What criteria should be followed in establishing the appropriate level of support for Canadian talent development by each station?2. What specific initiatives should the Commission accept as valid, effective Canadian talent initiatives? Should the Commission continue to expect both direct cash commitments and indirect on-air commitments?3. What would be an appropriate balance between direct cash commitments and indirect on-air commitments?Examples of on-air initiatives having little or no direct cost, but which may constitute valuable contributions to the development of Canadian talent, might be commitments to broadcast greater amounts of programming than might normally be expected, in the following areas:* music by new uncharted Canadian artists (those whose selections have not entered the Top 40 of a major trade magazine during the past five years). This music would be over and above the 30% Canadian content level required by regulation* Canadian category 3 music* live or tape-delayed station-produced concerts of local or regional artists. Canadian music in these programs would be over and above the 30% level of Canadian category 2 music required by regulation* interview programming featuring local and regional artists and their music. Again, Canadian music in this programming would be over and above the 30% minimum required by regulation * station-produced programming showcasing spoken word material such as drama, poetry and comedy featuring Canadian artists* Canadian syndicated or network programs featuring Canadian artists and music, or spoken word programming such as drama, poetry and comedy featuring Canadian artists.4. Under what circumstances and to what extent should licensees be allowed to vary the balance between direct cash commitments to Canadian talent development and on-air initiatives?5. What different types or categories of direct cash commitments should be accepted?6. What indirect on-air initiatives would promote the development of Canadian talent and should be added to the list included under question 3 above?7. What equivalent dollar value would be appropriate for each on-air initiative? If to replace direct cash commitments, should a dollar value be established for each such initiative? How should that value be established?8. Should the value of each on-air initiative vary with a station's revenues? The Commission notes in this regard that stations with higher revenues, usually serve larger markets and have more listeners.A summary of the average financial commitments of radio stations within various revenue ranges is attached as an appendix to this notice in order to provide a focus for discussion. In light of the economic situation of radio at this time, the Commission would be prepared, at the time of licence renewal, to consider proposals by the licensees of unprofitable stations that they meet their obligations through indirect on-air initiatives. The profitability of a station will be measured primarily in terms of its operating income which, in turn, will be defined as income calculated after deduction for depreciation and before deduction for interest, amortization of goodwill and income taxes. Such stations will, however, be expected to maintain a strong commitment to Canadian talent development through indirect on-air initiatives.The Commission reminds licensees that until completion of this review, it will expect them to adhere to their existing Promise of Performance commitments, and will continue to assess proposals for Canadian talent development using the existing guidelines set out in Public Notice CRTC 1990-111.f) Radio Market CriteriaIn its Radio Market Policy (Public Notice CRTC 1991-74), the Commission stated that it was generally unwilling to introduce new radio stations into unprofitable markets, or markets where a radio station has been in operation for less than a year. The Commission considers that this policy is essential to ensure a healthy radio industry. It notes that none of those consulted by the task force was of the view that this policy should be changed.The Commission will therefore maintain its radio market policy set out in Public Notice CRTC 1991-74. g) Licensing ProcessThe Commission, aware of the need for timely decisions, routinely monitors the length of time taken to process applications and strives to avoid delays. The task force review has identified two areas in which the processing of applications can be greatly expedited or eliminated. These are discussed below.i) Transfers of Control (Shares)Over the years, broadcasters have frequently stressed that it is essential that the Commission process applications for transfers of ownership or control of undertakings in the shortest time possible. Such transfers generally occur either through the transfer of assets or the transfer of shares.Transfers of control of undertakings through purchases of assets entail the issuance of new licences. The Broadcasting Act requires that applications for new licences be considered at public hearings, with a full opportunity for the public to comment. Those applications for authority to transfer control through the transfer of shares do not necessitate the issuance of new licences.Until now, the Commission has generally ruled on the latter applications following their gazetting as part of public notices or as items on the agendas of public hearings. The Commission notes that many of these share transfer applications do not raise any issues requiring further discussion and could easily be approved administratively. In the majority of cases, very few interventions are received and these are rarely in opposition. In light of the non-contentious nature of most of these applications and the limited public interventions they generate, the Commission considers that such applications could be processed administratively. In general, the Commission will therefore use the administrative process to deal with applications for authority to transfer control of radio undertakings through share transfers in cases where the application:
* entails no unresolved areas of concern;
* includes no matters in need of further discussion; and
* involves a purchase price per radio station or network of under $7 million
In the case of each such transfer of control, the Commission will inform the public of its administrative approval by issuing a public notice.ii) Applications To Change Antenna Site and Studio LocationCurrently, the Commission routinely approves most applications by radio stations to change their studio location or antenna site. The Commission is no longer convinced that prior approval for a change in studio location within the authorized service area should be necessary in most instances; in those cases where a concern exists that a change in studio location could impinge upon a licensee's ability to provide programming of particular relevance to the community it has been licensed to serve, the Commission will require, by condition of licence, that studios be maintained in specific communities.Similarly, in the Commission's view, there is little or no purpose served by requiring licensees to submit applications to change transmitter site. Any concerns arising from such an amendment relate solely to the changes it may create in the size of the area covered by the station's signal; these concerns are, and will continue to be addressed, by the Commission through its consideration of applications to change technical contours. In cases where the proposed changes in technical contours are minor in nature and raise no concerns, the Commission will generally be prepared to process such applications administratively.In general, the Commission will therefore be prepared to eliminate the requirement for approval of changes to antenna sites and studio locations. Licensees wishing to take advantage of this change may apply using the procedure outlined in Section D of this document. Consideration will be given to amending other licences at licence renewal time, upon application.The Commission reminds licensees that they must still obtain the prior approval of the Department of Communications for amendments to their Broadcasting Certificates. This will ensure that the protection criteria regarding interference to other stations are respected and, in the case of FM stations, that there is no unacceptable interference with aeronautical NAV/COM services.2. Community RadioDuring the consultations, representatives of community radio raised, as a primary concern, the 25% spoken word target that the Commission has set for Type B community stations. While agreeing that community stations should do more spoken word than commercial stations, they noted that the 25% level is difficult to achieve, given that most programming broadcast in the evening hours is produced by volunteers. The Commission considers that requiring a 25% level of spoken word between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. only, would respond to the concerns of community broadcasters, while continuing to ensure that these stations broadcast an adequate level of spoken word programming.The Commission therefore amends its community radio policy by stipulating that, henceforth, the 25% target for spoken word programming will apply to the time periods of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. only. The Commission notes that very few licence amendments will be necessary to implement this change.3. Campus RadioRepresentatives of campus stations raised two areas of concern during the consultations, these being the advertising restrictions currently applied by the Commission to campus radio, and the role prescribed for campus/community stations in the Commission's policy. These matters are discussed below.a) Advertising RestrictionsCurrently, campus stations may broadcast up to 4 minutes per hour of restricted advertising. The definition of restricted advertising refers to simple statements of sponsorship and generally restricts such announcements to informational material about program sponsors -- no comparative or competitive references may be included.Campus station representatives noted that the average campus/community station obtains only $23,000 in advertising revenues per year and that the sector is experiencing financial difficulties. The issue is particularly critical at this time because some interest has been expressed in the placement of limited amounts of national advertising on campus stations for events such as university sports. The current restrictions make this virtually impossible.On the other hand, the Commission has a long-standing concern that the introduction of extensive conventional advertising on campus stations could cause them to depart from the alternative programming they now broadcast and move toward programming aimed at attracting larger audiences. There was also a concern that student governments and organizations might cut back on funding, thus obliging campus stations to sell more advertising. In light of these concerns, the Commission considers that a cautious approach continues to be warranted. At the same time, it believes that some additional flexibility may be possible.The Commission therefore calls for public comment on the advisability of revising its advertising policy for campus stations as follows:
Campus stations will be permitted to broadcast a maximum of 504 minutes of advertising per week with a maximum of four minutes in any one hour.
 A maximum of 126 minutes of advertising per week may be broadcast without any restrictions on the content of the messages beyond those established in the Broadcasting Act, radio regulations, conditions of licence and other applicable legislation.The remainder of advertising broadcast must conform to the following definition:The Commission will permit simple statements of sponsorship that identify the sponsors of a program or of the station. Such statements may incorporate the names of the sponsor, the business address, hours of business and a brief general description of the types of services or products that the sponsor provides, including the price, name and brand name of the product. Such statements must not contain references to convenience, durability or desirability or contain other comparative or competitive references.Campus stations will be expected to identify on their program logs which advertising messages have been exempted from restrictions on content, and which meet the definition of restricted advertising set out above.b) Role of Campus/Community StationsRepresentatives of campus/community stations requested that the mandate for campus/community stations set out in the Commission's policy be amended to mention specifically "programming serving the needs of socially, culturally, politically and economically disadvantaged groups within the community" as a type of alternative programming that such stations may provide. They argued that this change would serve to recognize the cultural contribution campus stations make. The Commission is aware that many campus/community stations provide such programming and agrees that it represents a valuable component in the programming schedules of such stations.Accordingly, the statement concerning the role of campus/community stations, as set out on page 28 in the Policy for Community and Campus Radio (Public Notice CRTC 1992-38) is hereby amended to read as follows:Campus/community: The primary role of these stations is to provide alternative programming such as music, especially Canadian music, not generally heard on commercial stations (including traditional and special-interest music as well as styles of popular music seldom broadcast), in-depth spoken word programming, programming targeted to specialized groups within the community, and programming serving the needs of socially, culturally, politically and economically disadvantaged groups within the community. Although students play an important role in programming, campus/community stations may also provide access to members of the community at large. Such stations also provide training in radio production to volunteers.D. Implementation of Changes to Conditions of Licence and Promises of PerformanceA number of changes set out in this document require applications to amend Promises of Performance or conditions of licence. These include deletion of the requirement to apply for changes to transmitter site or studio location, as well as elimination of requirements for commercial FM stations with respect to maximum repeat factor and distinct musical selections. The Commission recognizes that some stations may wish to take advantage of these changes as soon as possible.To facilitate this process, the Commission has attached to this notice a form indicating the various types of changes set out above. Licensees wishing to apply to amend their licences to take advantage of the changes are asked to complete the attached form and return it to the Commission by 30 November 1992.This will allow the Commission to gazette all completed applications together and thus expedite the process of dealing with the amendments.E. Call For CommentsThe Commission invites comments from interested parties on its proposals with respect to Canadian talent development, local programming and advertising on campus stations as outlined earlier in this notice. Comments should be submitted on or before 8 January 1993 and addressed to the Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2.

Allan J. Darling
Secretary General

EXAMINATION OF AVERAGE CANADIAN TALENT DEVELOPMENT CONTRIBUTIONS BASED ON TOTAL REVENUES¹

REVENUE RANGE NUMBER OF STATIONS AVERAGE DIRECT CONTRIBUTIONS

Less than $1,000,000 199 $4,800
Between $1M and $2M 106 $13,900
Between $2M and $4M 42 $28,000
Between $4M and $7M 17 $54,750
More than $9M 8 $103,500

¹The figures presented do not include the contributions by licensees still operating within their first licence term, nor do they include the contributions proposed as benefits in applications to acquire control of radio stations.

²This figure excludes one station, whose disproportionately-large direct cost contribution to Canadian talent development would skew the average contribution made by stations in its revenue range.

APPLICATION FOR AMENDMENTS CONCERNING
A (RADIO) PROGRAMMING UNDERTAKING

LICENSEE'S NAME ______________________________________________________

LICENSEE'S ADDRESS ___________________________________________________

CALL LETTERS _________________LOCATION OF STATION ____________________

NAME OF THE PERSON TO WHOM THE COMMISSION MAY DIRECT ANY QUESTIONS
REGARDING THIS APPLICATION ___________________________________________

ADDRESS __________________________________________POSTAL CODE ________

TELEPHONE ( ) ________________ TELECOPIER ( ) __________________

LOCATION WHERE THE APPLICATION MAY BE INSPECTED BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC

ADDRESS __________________________________________POSTAL CODE ________

TELEPHONE ( ) _______________ TELECOPIER ( ) _________________

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE AND OFFICE HELD _________________________________

DATE _________________________________________________________________

Part 1 - All radio stations

Application to delete the following terms of the licence concerning the antenna site location, as set out in each licensee's particular licence:

"with the broadcasting transmitting antenna(s) located at a site(s) authorized by the Commission."

Application to replace the terms of the licence concerning the contours and particulars contained in the approved application and the studio location, with the following condition of licence:

"It is a condition of licence that the undertaking be operated on the basis of the contours and particulars contained in the approved application, except as otherwise authorized by the Commission in writing."

Part 2 - Commercial FM radio stations

Application to delete the following requirements contained in the Promise of Performance, Part II, to which the licensee must comply as it forms part of its licence:

Section F - Music Categories 2 & 3

F.1 - Weekly music list

The minimum number of distinct musical selections, excluding repeats

F.2 - Maximum Repeat Factor

The maximum number of times a distinct musical selection is broadcast