ARCHIVED -  Decision CRTC 98-121

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Decision

Ottawa, 9 April 1998

Decision CRTC 98-121

Télé Inter-Rives ltée

Rivière-du-Loup, Trois-Pistoles, Baie-Saint-Paul, Saint-Urbain, Quebec; Edmundston, New Brunswick - 199713839

Licence renewal for CIMT-TV and its transmitters

1. Following a Public Hearing in Québec beginning on 27 January 1998, the Commission renews the broadcasting licence for CIMT-TV (TVA) Rivière-du-Loup and its transmitters CIMT-TV-1 Edmundston, CIMT-TV-2 Trois-Pistoles, CIMT-TV-4 Baie-Saint-Paul and CIMT-TV-5 Saint-Urbain, from 1 September 1998 to 31 August 2002, subject to the conditions in effect under the current licence, as well as to those conditions specified in this decision and in the licence to be issued.

2. The Commission notes that the licensee has not yet increased the effective radiated power from 24,900 watts to 172,200 watts. Consequently, the Commission reiterates the approval for this increase that was granted in Decision CRTC 97-355 dated 16 July 1997.

3. In Decision CRTC 92-554 dated 13 August 1992 which last renewed this licence, the Commission outlined the licensee's commitment to produce and broadcast, on a yearly basis, a minimum weekly average of 2 hours and 22 minutes of local news programming. The licensee did not honour this commitment in 1993-94. The four-year term granted herein will enable the Commission to assess at an early date the licensee's adherence to the commitments made for the new licence term.

4. The Commission expects the licensee to honour its commitment to broadcast, on an annual basis, a minimum weekly average of 2 hours and 24 minutes of local news programming.

5. In Decision 92-554, the Commission set out the expectation that the licensee would increase the amount of local news programming broadcast as soon as its financial situation had improved. The licensee did not meet this commitment despite an increase in its level of profitability. The Commission expects the licensee to increase the amount of local news programming broadcast and will re-examine this at the time of CIMT-TV's next licence renewal.

6. The Commission expects the licensee to reflect, in its local programming, the cultural, economic, political and social reality of the region, taking into account the requirements set out in the Policy for Local Television Programming (Public Notice CRTC 1991-22).

7. In its renewal application, the licensee outlined a commitment to provide captioning (open or closed) or signing for its local news headlines as of I January 1998. The Commission requires the licensee to submit a report, by no later than 31 December 1998, outlining its progress towards meeting this expectation. The Commission encourages the licensee to make yearly progress in the area of captioning.

8. In addition to the 12 minutes of advertising material permitted by subsection 11(1) of the Television Broadcasting Regulations, 1987, the licensee may, by condition of licence, broadcast infomercials as defined in Public Notice CRTC 1994-139 and in accordance with the criteria contained in that public notice, as amended.

9. It is a condition of licence that the licensee 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.

10. It is also a condition of licence that the licensee 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.

11. It is a condition of licence that the licensee 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 Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.

12. 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. The Commission notes that the licensee did not indicate in its application that it has put in place any measures in this regard. The Commission considers that the licensee should increase its efforts in this area.

This decision is to be appended to the licence.

Laura M. Talbot-Allan
Secretary General

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