ARCHIVED -  Decision CRTC 98-457

Decision

Ottawa, 28 September 1998

Decision CRTC 98-457

La Maison des Jeunes de St-Rémi inc.

Saint-Rémi, Quebec - 199800793

New community radio programming undertaking

1.  Following a Public Hearing in the National Capital Region held on 20 July 1998, the Commission approves the application for a broadcasting licence for a French-language FM community radio programming undertaking at Saint-Rémi, on the frequency 104.9 MHz (channel 285LP), with an effective radiated power of 0.8 watt.

2.  The Department of Industry has advised that the undertaking will have an effective radiated power of 0.8 watt rather than 1 watt, as indicated in Notice of Public Hearing CRTC 1998-3 dated 14 May 1998.

3.  Consistent with Public Notice CRTC 1992-38 dated 29 May 1992 entitled Policies for Community and Campus Radio and subject to the requirements of this decision, the Commission will issue a licence for a Type B community radio station. This licence will expire on 31 August 2005, and will be subject to the conditions specified in this decision and in the licence to be issued.

4.  The Commission expects community radio to develop innovative and alternative forms of community-oriented programming that contribute to the diversity and variety of radio services within a community. It also expects community radio to focus on all aspects of the community, by offering programming which examines issues affecting all of its members, as well as programs which deal with matters of interest to specific elements within it, such as neighbourhoods, surrounding towns, villages, and specific interest groups.

5.  In this regard, the Commission notes that the station will broadcast a minimum of 15 hours of local programming per broadcast week. The station will produce 15-minute local newscasts dealing with current issues and community events, for broadcast at noon and at 6 p.m.

6.  It is a condition of licence that a minimum of 40 % of the programs consist of spoken work programming.

7.  It is a condition of licence that the station devote 10% or more of its overall musical programming to material from content category 3 (Traditional and Special Interest).

8.  It is also a condition of licence that the licensee broadcast no more than 4 minutes of advertising for every hour of broadcast up to a total of 120 minutes of advertising per broadcast week.

9.  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. It considers that campus and community radio stations should be particularly sensitive to this issue in order to reflect fully the communities they serve. It encourages the licensee to consider employment equity issues in its hiring practices and in all other aspects of its management of human resources.

10.  This authority will only be effective and the licence will only be issued at such time as the construction of the undertaking is completed and it is prepared to commence operation. If the construction is not completed within twelve months of the date of this decision or, where the applicant applies to the Commission within this period and satisfies the Commission that it cannot complete construction and commence operation before the expiry of this period, and that an extension of time is in the public interest, within such further periods of time as are approved in writing by the Commission, the licence will not be issued. The applicant is required to advise the Commission (before the expiry of the twelve-month period or any extension thereof) in writing, once it has completed construction and is prepared to commence operation.

This decision is to be appended to the licence.

Laura M. Talbot-Allan
Secretary General

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