ARCHIVED -  Decision CRTC 95-110

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Decision

Ottawa, 24 March 1995
Decision CRTC 95-110
Mega Communications Ltd.
Dawson Creek, Hudson Hope and Bullhead Mountain, British Columbia - 941093700
Licence renewal for CJDC-TV Dawson Creek and its transmitters
Following a Public Hearing in Vancouver beginning on 1 November 1994, the Commission renews the broadcasting licence for the television programming undertaking consisting of CJDC-TV Dawson Creek and its transmitters CJDC-TV-1 Hudson Hope and CJDC-TV-2 Bullhead Mountain, from 1 September 1995 to 31 August 2002, subject to the conditions in effect under the current licence and to those conditions specified in the appendix to this decision and in the licence to be issued.
CJDC-TV is affiliated with the CBC English-language television network.
Local reflection
(i) Local news
In Public Notice CRTC 1995-48 of today's date introducing the decisions renewing this and other privately-owned English-language television stations, the Commission reiterated the importance of the principle of local reflection and reminded television licensees that they have a special responsibility to serve the public within the particular geographic area they are licensed to serve.
The Commission expects the licensee to adhere to the commitment made in its licence renewal application to broadcast a minimum weekly average of 8 hours and 15 minutes of original local news during the new licence term.
Expenditures on Canadian programming
In Public Notice CRTC 1989-27 dated 6 April 1989, the Commission stated that licensees of private, English-language television stations earning $10 million or less in total advertising revenues and network payments annually would be expected to adhere to their projected first-year expenditures for Canadian programming, at a minimum, and adjust such expenditures in subsequent years in accordance with the prescribed formula linked to the station's advertising revenues.
As stated today in Public Notice CRTC 1995-48, the Commission shall continue to expect such licensees to expend on Canadian programming in accordance with the formula. The Commission will continue to apply this expectation in a seamless fashion moving from the current into the new licence term. All policies pertaining to the formula as set out in Public Notices CRTC 1989-27, 1992-28, 1992-89, 1993-93 and 1993-174 will continue to apply, with the clarification that licensees will not be permitted to credit any overexpenditure made in the previous licence term towards Canadian programming expenditures in any year or years of the upcoming licence term.
Accordingly, inasmuch as the licensee's advertising revenues and network payments in the broadcast year ending 31 August 1994 were less than $10 million, the Commission expects the licensee to expend, in the first year of the new licence term, at a minimum, the amount it was expected to expend in the 1994-1995 broadcast year, before consideration of any overexpenditures or underexpenditures from prior years, increased or decreased in accordance with the prescribed formula linked to the station's advertising revenues and network payments. In each subsequent year of the licence term, the Commission expects the licensee's Canadian programming expenditures to be adjusted in accordance with the Commission's prescribed formula.
The Commission notes that the licensee has elected to average the percentage increase in total advertising revenues and network payments over a period of three years. In accordance with the provisions contained in Public Notice CRTC 1995-48, the Commission expects the licensee to adhere to this same three-year averaging mechanism throughout the new licence term.
Program development
The Commission reminds the licensee of the Commission's expectations set out in Public Notice CRTC 1989-27 dated 6 April and entitled "Overview: Local Television for the 1990s" regarding the important role that local television stations play in program development.
Service to the deaf and hard of hearing
The Commission notes that the licensee has fulfilled its commitment to provide a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD) to its deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.
Consistent with the approach set out in Public Notice 1995-48, the Commission encourages CJDC-TV, by the end of the licence term, to caption all local news programming, including live segments, using either real-time captioning or another method capable of captioning live programming.
The Commission also encourages the licensee to close caption at least 90% of all programming during the broadcast day by the end of the licence term.
Employment equity
In Public Notice CRTC 1992-59 dated 1 September 1992 and entitled "Implementation of an Employment Equity Policy", the Commission announced that the employment equity practices of broadcasters would be subject to examination by the Commission. In this regard, the Commission encourages the licensee to consider employment equity issues in its hiring practices and in all other aspects of its management of human resources.
The Commission acknowledges the interventions submitted regarding CJDC-TV's licence renewal application.
Allan J. Darling
Secretary General
APPENDIX / ANNEXE
Conditions of licence for CJDC-TV Dawson Creek and its transmitters CJDC-TV-1 Hudson Hope and CJDC-TV-2 Bullhead Mountain
1. The licensee shall operate this undertaking as an affiliate of the English-language television network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
2. The licensee shall adhere to the guidelines on gender portrayal set out in the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' (CAB) "Sex-Role Portrayal Code for Television and Radio Programming", as amended from time to time and accepted by the Commission. The application of the foregoing condition of licence will be suspended as long as the licensee remains a member in good standing of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC).
3. The licensee shall adhere to the guidelines on the depiction of violence in television programming set out in the CAB's "Voluntary Code Regarding Violence in Television Programming", as amended from time to time and accepted by the Commission. The application of the foregoing condition of licence will be suspended as long as the licensee remains a member in good standing of the CBSC.
4. The licensee shall adhere to the provisions of the CAB's "Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children", as amended from time to time and accepted by the Commission.

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