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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2003-363
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Ottawa, 7 August 2003
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Radio Communautaire Tête-à-la-Baleine
Tête-à-la-Baleine, Quebec
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Application 2002-0811-7
Public Hearing in the National Capital Region
26 May 2003
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Community FM radio station in Tête-à-la-Baleine
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1.
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The Commission approves the application by Radio Communautaire Tête-à-la-Baleine for a broadcasting licence to operate a Type A community French-language FM radio programming undertaking in Tête-à-la-Baleine, Quebec.
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2.
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The applicant stated that the station will broadcast 37.5 hours of programming in each broadcast week, of which approximately 20 hours will be produced by the station. Spoken word programming will account for at least 6 hours of programming in each broadcast week, according to the following schedule: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Wednesday, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. These programs will include local and regional news, quizzes, features (weather and tides, horoscopes, health) and weekly bingo.
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3.
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The Commission generally expects Type A stations to devote, during each broadcast week, at least 15% of their programming to community-oriented spoken word programming. In its application, the applicant agreed to devote at least 30% of its programming every broadcast week to spoken word programming (content category 1) including news (content subcategory 11), and to other spoken word programming (content subcategory 12), as set out in Revised content categories and subcategories for radio, Public Notice CRTC 2000-14, 28 January 2000.
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4.
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The applicant also stated that after regular programming hours, from Monday to Friday between 12 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., it will broadcast programming from CFTH-FM Harrington Harbour, an English-language community radio station located near Tête-à-la-Baleine. The applicant believes that the 17.5 hours of weekly programming from this station will provide the inhabitants of Tête-à-la-Baleine with news - mainly weather, snowmobile trail conditions, and air and marine transportation - from Basse-Côte-Nord.
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5.
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The Commission notes that the community of Tête-à-la-Baleine is currently served by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) only, through a CBSI-FM Sept-Îles transmitter. The Commission expects the new station to provide programming differing in style and substance from that provided by other elements of the broadcasting system, particularly the CBC.
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6.
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The station will operate at 93.1 MHz (channel 226LP) with an effective radiated power of 49 watts.1
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7.
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The Commission received one intervention in support of the application and one in opposition.
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8.
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In the interest of opening a new dialogue on cultural diversity, Amos and Alfons Adetuyi, on behalf of Inner City Films, opposed most of the applications submitted at the hearing. The interveners recommended that the Commission review and revise the existing mechanisms for evaluating cultural diversity in the broadcasting system. The Commission notes that the interveners appeared at the public hearing of 26 May 2003 to discuss their concerns.
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9.
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In accordance with the definition set out in the Community Radio Policy, Public Notice CRTC 2000-13, 28 January 2000 (Public Notice 2000-13), a community radio station must be owned and controlled by a not-for-profit organization which provides for membership, management, operation and programming primarily by members of the community at large. Consistent with Public Notice 2000-13, the Commission expects the licensee's board of directors to be representative of the community that would be served by the proposed station.
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10.
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The Commission notes that Radio Communautaire Tête-à-la-Baleine is a not-for-profit body incorporated in the Province of Quebec, and all its directors are Canadian. The applicant stated that the board of directors, along with a resource person who is not a board member, will control the station. The applicant also confirmed that the station's volunteers will be members of the local community, and it will ensure they receive sufficient training.
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11.
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The licence will expire 31 August 2009 and will be subject to the conditions specified in New licence form for community stations, Public Notice CRTC 2000-157, 16 November 2000.
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12.
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The Department of Industry (the Department) has advised the Commission that, while this application is conditionally technically acceptable, it will only issue a broadcasting certificate when it has determined that the proposed technical parameters will not create any unacceptable interference with aeronautical NAV/COM services.
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13.
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The Commission reminds the licensee that, pursuant to section 22(1) of the Broadcasting Act, no licence may be issued until the Department notifies the Commission that its technical requirements have been met, and that a broadcasting certificate will be issued.
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14.
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Given that the technical parameters approved in this decision are for a low-power unprotected FM service, the Commission also reminds the licensee that it will have to select another frequency if the Department so requires.
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15.
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Furthermore, the licence for this undertaking will be issued once the licensee has informed the Commission in writing that it is prepared to commence operations. The undertaking must be operational at the earliest possible date, and in any event no later than 24 months from the date of this decision, unless a request for an extension of time is approved by the Commission before 7 August 2005. In order to ensure that such a request is processed in a timely manner, it should be submitted at least 60 days before this date.
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Secretary General
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This decision is to be appended to the licence. It is available in alternative format upon request, and may also be examined at the following Internet site: www.crtc.gc.ca
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Footnote:
The Department of Industry has indicated that the undertaking will have an effective radiated power of 49 watts, and not 40 watts as was stated in the Broadcasting Notice of Public Hearing CRTC 2003-3 of 21 March 2003.
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Date Modified: 2003-08-07