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ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2004-56

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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2004-56

  Ottawa, 30 January 2004
  Coopérative de solidarité radio communautaire Nicolet-Yamaska/Bécancour
Bécancour and Nicolet, Quebec
  Application 2003-0592-1
Public Hearing in the National Capital Region
17 November 2003
 

Community radio station in Bécancour and Nicolet

  In this decision, the Commission approves the application by the Coopérative de solidarité radio communautaire Nicolet-Yamaska/Bécancour to operate a French-language FM Type B communityradio programming undertaking in Bécancour and Nicolet.
 

The application

1.

The Commission received an application by the Coopérative de solidarité radio communautaire Nicolet-Yamaska/Bécancour (the Coopérative) for a broadcasting licence to operate a French-language FM Type B community radio programming undertaking in Bécancour and Nicolet, Quebec, at 90.5 MHz.
 

The programming

2.

The station would broadcast 126 hours of programming in each broadcast week. At least 116 hours of this programming would be produced by the station. The station would acquire up to 10 hours of programming weekly relating to the rural and agricultural community.

3.

The station's programming would reflect the needs and interests of the regional county municipalities of Bécancour and Nicolet/Yamaska and the Odanak and Wôlinak Indian reserves. The programming would consist of local and regional news aired daily from Monday to Sunday. The station would cover community events and activities, and provide an outlet for community organizations to broadcast information about their activities and services.

4.

The applicant stated that the station would be an indispensable tool for providing communications related to major events and emergencies.
 
Volunteer participation

5.

The station plans to advertise in the local media to recruit at least 20 volunteers from the community to be researchers, reporters, hosts and technicians.

6.

The programming manager would be responsible for training volunteers. A thorough training program covering both theory and practice has already been put in place.

7.

The volunteers would be supervised by the programming manager and full-time hosts. They would evaluate the volunteers' performance on a regular basis. Experienced consultants would also coach the volunteers.
 

Development of local talent

8.

With respect to the promotion of local talent, the applicant stated that it would promote shows held in entertainment facilities in both municipalities and on the two Indian reserves. The station would also broadcast shows produced by young artists.

9.

The applicant further proposed to hold an annual competition for young musicians. These competitions would encourage, motivate, stimulate and promote local talent. The music of local young artists would be aired in feature segments during prime time and throughout the broadcast day.
 

Interventions

10.

The Commission received 16 interventions that supported the application, and one that opposed it.

11.

Radio Ville-Marie, the licensee of CIRA-FM Montréal, opposed the applicant's proposal to use 90.5 MHz. The intervener claimed that there was a potentially high risk of interference with the signal from its Trois-Rivières transmitter, CIRA-FM-2, due to the fact that the new station's antenna would not be erected on the same site as CIRA-FM-2. In addition, the intervener alleged that the applicant's proposal does not comply with the Department of Industry's (the Department's) rules and procedures for channels spaced at 600 kHz intervals (third adjacent channel relationship).

12.

In response, the Coopérative stated that it is convinced that CIRA-FM-2 Trois-Rivières would not experience significant interference because digital display capability makes today's receivers more selective. The applicant added that it made a commitment to the Department to resolve any reasonable complaint regarding interference within the proposed station's 100 dBu to 115 dBu contours. With respect to the location of the antenna, the Coopérative made a proposal to Radio Ville-Marie suggesting that the proposed station use CIRA-FM-2's tower and premises for the new station's antenna and transmitter. As a result, both stations would be located at the same site, thereby minimizing the possibility of interference.
 

The Commission's analysis and determination

13.

The Commission notes that the Department analyzed the application and found that it was conditionally technically acceptable. In its comments, the Department stated that the applicant would be responsible for remedying any interference problem within its 100 dBu contour experienced by CIRA-FM-2's transmitter between its 80 dBu and 54 dBu contours. The Commission notes that, under the Department's new rules and procedures, the use of a third adjacent channel within the same market is now allowed in certain circumstances.

14.

In light of the foregoing and taking into consideration the commitments made by the applicant, the Commission is of the view that the Radio Ville-Marie's CIRA-FM-2 Trois-Rivières transmitter has the necessary protection from interference. Accordingly, the Commission approves the application by the Coopérative de solidarité radio communautaire Nicolet-Yamaska/Bécancour for a broadcasting licence to operate a French-language FM Type B community radio programming undertaking in Bécancour and Nicolet.

15.

The station will be operated at 90.5 MHz (channel 213C1) with effective radiated power of 34,000 watts.

16.

The licence for this community station will be granted to a not-for-profit organization whose structure provides for membership, management, operation and programming primarily by members of the community at large. The Board of Directors will bear ultimate responsibility for controlling the undertaking, and for complying with the Radio Regulations, 1986 and the station's conditions of licence.

17.

The Commission notes that the applicant is in the process of enacting a by-law confirming that at least 80% of the Coopérative's members will be Canadian citizens, pursuant to the Directive to the CRTC (Ineligibility of non-Canadians), and that the Coopérative's Board of Directors will be 100% Canadian. The Commission directs the licensee to submit a duly executed copy of the by-law within 90 days of the date of this decision.
 

Issuance of the licence

18.

The licence will expire 31 August 2010 and will be subject to the conditions set out in New licence form for community radio stations, Public Notice CRTC 2000-157, 16 November 2000.

19.

The Department has notified the Commission that this application is conditionally technically acceptable, but that it will issue a broadcasting certificate only after it has determined that the proposed technical parameters will not create any unacceptable interference with aeronautical NAV/COM services.

20.

The Commission reminds the applicant 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.

21.

The licence for this undertaking will be issued once the applicant 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 not more than 24 months from the date of this decision, unless a request for an extension is approved by the Commission before 30 January 2006. In order to ensure that such a request is processed in a timely manner, it should be filed at least 60 days before this date.
 

Employment equity

22.

The Commission considers that community radio stations should be particularly sensitive to employment equity issues in order to reflect fully the communities they serve. It encourages the licensee to consider these issues in its hiring practices and in all other aspects of its management of human resources.
  Secretary General
  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: http://www.crtc.gc.ca 

Date Modified: 2004-01-30

Date modified: