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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2022-24

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Reference: Part 1 application posted on 23 November 2021

Ottawa, 2 February 2022

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Sept-Îles and Aguanish, Quebec

Public record for this application: 2021-0789-6

CBSI-FM Sept-Îles – New transmitter in Aguanish

  1. The Commission has the authority, pursuant to subsection 9(1) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), to issue licences subject to such conditions related to the circumstances of the licensee as the Commission deems appropriate for the implementation of the broadcasting policy set out in subsection 3(1) of the Act, as well as to amend those conditions on application of the licensee.
  2. Consistent with this authority, the Commission approves the application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to amend the broadcasting licence for the French-language radio programming undertaking CBSI-FM Sept-Îles, Quebec, in order to operate a new transmitter in Aguanish, Quebec, to rebroadcast the programming of its national network service ICI Radio-Canada Première (ICI Première). The Commission did not receive any interventions in regard to this application.
  3. The new transmitter will operate at 105.9 MHz (channel 290A) with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 146 watts (directional antenna with a maximum ERP of 294 watts and an effective height of the antenna above average terrain of 2.9 metres).
  4. When requesting technical changes, licensees are generally required to demonstrate a technical or economic need. The CBC stated that the proposed change is intended to provide an FM service to improve the quality of ICI Première’s signal in Aguanish. As such, the new transmitter, CBSI-FM-14, will replace the current low-power AM rebroadcasting transmitter in Aguanish, CBSI-14. The CBC specified that the FM antenna will be installed on a new tower on the current AM transmission site. The Commission is satisfied that the licensee has demonstrated a technical need for the requested technical changes.
  5. Pursuant to subsection 22(1) of the Act, this authority will only be effective when the Department of Industry notifies the Commission that its technical requirements have been met and that a broadcasting certificate will be issued.
  6. The transmitter must be in operation by no later than 2 February 2024. To request an extension, the licensee must submit a written request to the Commission at least 60 days before that date, using the form available on the Commission’s website.
  7. As set out in section 16 of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations), licensees have obligations relating to the broadcast of emergency alert messages received from the National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System. In regard to the changes to CBSI-FM-14’s authorized contours resulting from the implementation of the technical changes approved in this decision, the Commission reminds the licensee that continued compliance with section 16 of the Regulations may require that any alert broadcast decoders (e.g., ENDEC) used for the purposes of broadcasting emergency alert messages on CBSI-FM, or on any rebroadcasting transmitters that may appear on the broadcasting licence for that station, be reprogrammed to properly account for the new authorized contours. During the transition period from AM to FM, the area served by the distribution of alerts must include the entire secondary contour of the AM transmitter as well as the new FM transmitter.

Secretary General

This decision is to be appended to the licence.

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