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Providing Content in Canada's Official Languages

Please note that the Official Languages Act requires that government publications be available in both official languages.

In order to meet some of the requirements under this Act, the Commission's transcripts will therefore be bilingual as to their covers, the listing of CRTC members and staff attending the hearings, and the table of contents.

However, the aforementioned publication is the recorded verbatim transcript and, as such, is transcribed in either of the official languages, depending on the language spoken by the participant at the hearing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS BEFORE

      THE CANADIAN RADIO‑TELEVISION AND

TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

 

 

 

 

TRANSCRIPTION DES AUDIENCES AVANT

  CONSEIL DE LA RADIODIFFUSION

   ET DES TÉLÉCOMMUNICATIONS CANADIENNES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUBJECT:

 

 

 

VARIOUS BROADCAST APPLICATIONS /

PLUSIEURS DEMANDES EN RADIODIFFUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HELD AT:             TENUE À:

 

Metropolitan Conference             Centre de conférence

Centre             Métropolitain

333 Fourth Avenue South West                333, Fourth Avenue Sud‑Ouest

Calgary, Alberta                Calgary (Alberta)

 

February 24, 2006          Le 24 février 2006

 


 

 

 

 

Transcripts

 

In order to meet the requirements of the Official Languages

Act, transcripts of proceedings before the Commission will be

bilingual as to their covers, the listing of the CRTC members

and staff attending the public hearings, and the Table of

Contents.

 

However, the aforementioned publication is the recorded

verbatim transcript and, as such, is taped and transcribed in

either of the official languages, depending on the language

spoken by the participant at the public hearing.

 

 

 

 

Transcription

 

Afin de rencontrer les exigences de la Loi sur les langues

officielles, les procès‑verbaux pour le Conseil seront

bilingues en ce qui a trait à la page couverture, la liste des

membres et du personnel du CRTC participant à l'audience

publique ainsi que la table des matières.

 

Toutefois, la publication susmentionnée est un compte rendu

textuel des délibérations et, en tant que tel, est enregistrée

et transcrite dans l'une ou l'autre des deux langues

officielles, compte tenu de la langue utilisée par le

participant à l'audience publique.


Canadian Radio‑television and

Telecommunications Commission

 

  Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des

télécommunications canadiennes

 

 

Transcript / Transcription

 

 

 

 

        

  VARIOUS BROADCAST APPLICATIONS /

PLUSIEURS DEMANDES EN RADIODIFFUSION

        

 

 

 

 

BEFORE / DEVANT:

 

Michel Arpin          Chairperson / Président

Helen del Val          Commissioner / Conseillère

Elizabeth Duncan          Commissioner / Conseillère

Ronald Williams          Commissioner / Conseillier

Stuart Langford          Commissioner / Conseillier

 

 

 

ALSO PRESENT / AUSSI PRÉSENTS:

 

Chantal Boulet     Secretary / Secrétaire

Leanne Bennett          Legal Counsel /

Conseillère juridique

Steve Parker          Hearing Manager /

Gérant de l'audience

 

 

 

HELD AT:          TENUE À:

 

Metropolitan Conference          Centre de conférence

Centre          Métropolitain

333 Fourth Avenue South West             333, Fourth Avenue Sud‑Ouest

Calgary, Alberta             Calgary (Alberta)

 

February 24, 2006             Le 24 février 2006

 

 


TABLE DES MATIÈRES / TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

   PAGE / PARA

 

PHASE II

 

 

INTERVENTION BY / INTERVENTION PAR:

 

Evanov Radio Group Inc. 1074 / 6943

 

 

 

PHASE III

 

 

INTERVENTION BY / INTERVENTION PAR:

 

Aboriginal Voices Radio 1079 / 6992

RGB Productions 1103 / 7127

Asian Heritage Foundation of Southern Alberta   1107 / 7153

Priti Obhrai‑Martin 1112 / 7178

Stride Management  1126 / 7257

Mount Royal College   1133 / 7299

Lari Carter   1145 / 7375

Blaskin & Lane Tires 1151 / 7411

CADME 1158 / 7460

Keystone Music 1163 / 7492

The Beach Audio 1169 / 7526

Canadian Rocky Mountain Festival   1175 / 7577

Alberta International Band Festivals   1185 / 7648

EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts   1191 / 7679

CKUA Radio Network   1196 / 7711

Fairchild Radio Group Ltd. 1220 / 7849

Neeraj Paul 1233 / 7926

Nimma Khaira   1235 / 7940

Hardeep Dhillon   1238 / 7956

Ukranian Canadian Congress   1240 / 7967

Josh Marantz   1252 / 8036

Calgary Folk Music Festival   1256 / 8053

John Campbell   1259 / 8067

Rob Ursel   1262 / 8083

Lin Elder   1264 / 8094

Tammy Schuiling   1273 / 8144

Megatunes   1276 / 8160

The Union Ltd. 1280 / 8174

Blayne Crowchild   1289 / 8206

Ashley-Rae Snape   1291 / 8216

Town of Cochrane   1304 / 8293

Jim Hughes   1311 / 8334

Stu Bradley   1317 / 8364


TABLE DES MATIÈRES / TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

   PAGE / PARA

 

PHASE IV

 

 

REPLY BY / RÉPLIQUE PAR:

 

Nawcap Inc. 1337 / 8479

 

Tiessen Media Inc. 1342 / 8504

 

Rawlco Radio Ltd. 1343 / 8514

 

Yadwinder S. Sivia (OBCI)   1344 / 8519

 

Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Ltd. 1354 / 8587

 

Calgary Independent Radio Broadcasters Inc.   1358 / 8606

 

1182743 Alberta Ltd. 1360 / 8621

 

CHUM Limited   1365 / 8647

 

Touch Canada Broadcasting 1372 / 8688

 

 


Calgary, Alberta / Calgary (Alberta)

‑‑‑ Upon resuming on Friday, February 24, 2006

    at 0830 / L'audience reprend le vendredi

    24 février 2006 à 0830

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \r 69356935     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Order, please.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6936     We will now start with part two of this public hearing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6937     Madam Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6938     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6939     Phase II of the proceedings is where applicants will appear in the same order to intervene on competing applications, if they wish.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6940     The following applicants have indicated that they will not appear in Phase II:  Touch Canada; CHUM Limited; 1182743 Alberta Ltd.; Calgary Independent Radio Broadcasters; Jim Pattison Broadcast Group; Rawlco Radio Ltd.; Harvard Broadcasting; Newcap Inc., for both applications; Tiessen Media; and Golden West Broadcasting.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6941     I would now call on Evanov Radio Group to intervene on the competing applications.  You have ten minutes to do so.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6942     Mr. Evanov.

INTERVENTION


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6943     MR. W. EVANOV:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6944     Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, bonjour.  I am Bill Evanov, President of the Evanov Radio Group.  Seated to my right is Carmela Laurignano, Vice‑President of our Radio Group.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6945     We appear in the second phase because there are four matters which we believe should be brought to the Commission's attention to set the record straight.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6946     The first:  On Tuesday, when the second applicant was before you, it was stated by the Commission that the Pattison application promised the highest revenues for the seven years of all the applicants in Calgary and that CHUM was the second highest.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6947     For the record, a review of our records shows that Harvard actually promised the highest amount of revenues over that period, and our own application for the Evanov Radio Group promised the second highest, CHUM the third highest and Pattison the fourth highest.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6948     Second, on Wednesday when the Commission was hearing the Pattison application the applicant was understood to say that all we could afford was to hire 20‑year‑olds to tell adult Calgarians what was going on in town.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6949     For the record, all our on‑air talent are mature adults and experienced broadcasters, and an analysis of our application will show that we promised to spend the most dollars in the area of programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6950     Third, again on Wednesday the Pattison application described our proposed format as being niche.  The fact is that The Jewel, today's new easy listening format, blends more music styles for more eras than any other applicant targeting the older demo.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6951     Obviously this wide appeal translates into a larger audience and will result in higher shares than the other applicants.  This is also a matter of record.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6952     Finally, fourth, while the Commission was hearing the Rawlco application, our format was being described as background music.  It is not.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6953     It differs significantly from the old easy listening of decades ago.  Today's new easy listening format is uplifting.  It is fresh.  It is definitely foreground.  It is music that endures.  It evokes passion and it is exciting.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6954     In terms of vocals, it offers lyrics that will be meaningful and touch something within a listener relating to their life experience.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6955     Since we began testing our signal in Ottawa this past week, we have been inundated with over a thousand phone calls and e‑mails from new listeners expressing a deep appreciation for the music selections we are playing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6956     This is not background.  This is not Muzak.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6957     That's all we have to say there.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6958     I would like Carmela to add something.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6959     MS LAURIGNANO:  I will be very brief.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6960     I would like to thank the Commission for this opportunity.  We feel it has been a great hearing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6961     We would also like to congratulate all the other broadcasters and applicants for their excellent proposals.  We know your task won't be easy.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6962     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6963     For you to know, on your first point we agree.  The table that we have here shows exactly what you just said.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6964     MR. W. EVANOV:  Thank you.  We hope on 2, 3 and 4 you will agree too.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6965     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  I would only add to that that we have had these sorts of discussions before.  We have had the Evanov Group in front of us.  We are very accustomed here to making our own decisions on what is elevator music and what isn't and who comes first.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6966     Almost every one of us here can add and subtract, and we have our own records and we are able to use our own calculators.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6967     I think you should rest assured that we will be looking very hard at your application and not losing a whole lot of sleep about other characterizations.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6968     MR. W. EVANOV:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6969     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Mrs. del Val.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6970     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6971     I think the point about the second highest, I think it was a point that I had made.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6972     I did not mean to say that it was the second highest in generation of revenue.  What I had said was that the average annual growth rate in revenue, year‑to‑year, the average was the second highest.  I think it was like 22 percent and Jim Pattison was 29 percent.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6973     If that is what I said, it was not what I meant to say: that it was the second highest in generating revenues.  It was the average annual growth rate.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6974     MS LAURIGNANO:  That is great.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6975     Just for the transcript and all that kind of stuff, it's a good thing we are in the communications business.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6976     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  It is.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6977     MS LAURIGNANO:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6978     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6979     Madam Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6980     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6981     The applicant Yadwinder S. Sivia has informed me that they will not be appearing in Phase II.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6982     Therefore, this completes Phases II of the proceedings for Items 1 to 13.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6983     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6984     We will now move to the third phase of this proceeding.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6985     Madam Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6986     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6987     Phase III of the proceeding is where other parties appear in the order set out in the agenda to present their intervention.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6988     I would now call on, as a panel, the following intervenors to come to the front to present their intervention.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6989     We will first start with the Board of Directors of Aboriginal Voices Radio Inc. to come to the front.

‑‑‑ Pause

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6990     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Mr. Hill, whenever you are ready.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6991     THE SECRETARY:  You will have ten minutes for your presentation.  Thank you.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6992     MR. HILL:  Good morning, Mr. Chairman, Members of the Commission, Commission staff and ladies and gentlemen.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6993     My name is Jamie Hill, and I am the President of the AVR Board of Directors.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6994     One of the customs of aboriginal people is that we recognize the aboriginal territory that we are in.  We would like to thank the Territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy for allowing us to speak before you today.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6995     We are very excited to be in front of you today to speak to our intervention in support of the application by CHUM Limited for a new radio service in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6996     Before we begin, I would like to introduce the members of our AVR team.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6997     Lewis Cardinal is the Vice‑President of AVR.  Louis is a Woodland Cree from northern Alberta.  He works as a consultant to the city of Edmonton on aboriginal issues.  He currently serves as the Co‑Chair of the Global Indigenous Dialogue.  He is also the founder and President of the Indigenous Media Institute.  He is also the former Chair of the Edmonton Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6998     Bob Wood, AVR's management consultant.  Bob has spent over 30 years in radio, including 17 years with CHUM as National Program Director, and later as General Manager of CHUM and CHUM‑FM.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6999     Tanya Kappo is from the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation.  She began with AVR as our board representative from Winnipeg, but she now lives in Edmonton.  At present she is the Communications and Consultation Manager for the Treaty 8 First Nations in Alberta.  She is also a member of the National Executive of the Liberal Party of Canada as the Co‑Chair of the Aboriginal Peoples Commission.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7000     Russ McLeod is Sekani from Central B.C. and is our member of the board from Calgary.  He is currently the Aboriginal Development Co‑ordinator for an aboriginal pipeline company based here in Alberta.  He spent 26 years on the air with CHUM Limited stations in Vancouver and Toronto.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7001     We apologize that due to an unexpected personal matter AVR's General Manager, Roy Hennessey, could not be with us today.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7002     Mr. Hennessey has served as general manager of stations in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.  He is the past President of FACTOR and was recognized for his contribution to the broadcasting industry as the recipient of the first annual President's Award by the Ontario Association of Broadcasters.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7003     As for myself, I am Mohawk from Six Nations in Ontario.  In addition to serving as the President of AVR, I am a co‑founder of Knapp Media Inc. with my wife Millie Knapp.  Knapp Media holds contracts for the managing editor, advertising, printing and distribution of the Smithsonian's American Indian Magazine.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7004     I am Editor‑in‑Chief and co‑publisher of the Sage Magazine in Ontario.  Previously I served as communications and information systems analyst for the Chiefs of Ontario, and I worked as director of economic development for the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7005     We are now ready to commence our presentation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7006     I would ask Lewis Cardinal to speak next.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7007     MR. CARDINAL:  Thank you, Jamie.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7008     Before we get to the reasons for our support of the CHUM application, we would like to spend a few minutes to give you some background about AVR and to update you on the status of our development to date.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7009     AVR was founded in 1998 to facilitate the development of a national not‑for‑profit radio service known as Aboriginal Voices Radio Network.  AVR's mission was then, and is now, to address the need for service in large urban centres where the majority of aboriginal people now live.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7010     Thanks to you and many of your predecessors, the CRTC granted us licences to operate a national satellite radio network, a flagship station in Toronto ‑‑ now on the air ‑‑ and rebroadcast stations in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Kitchener and Montreal.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7011     When we originally won the licence to establish a new radio service in Toronto, it was the board's intention at the time to establish the financial viability of the Toronto service before applying for licences anywhere.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7012     When the Commission began to issue calls for applications in other cities, our engineers advised us that the supply of frequencies in major cities was running out and that if we did not apply now, the dream of establishing a national network would be lost.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7013     So apply we did.  And thanks to the Commission, we were granted licences in six major urban centres in rapid succession.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7014     In an attempt to address the financing challenge that this licensing opportunity presented, AVR immediately began pursuing funding from various sources to launch the stations that are not yet on the air.  While we have raised over $5 million to date, we have needed all of these funds to keep our Toronto station on the air and pursue the constantly licensing processes required to secure licences in other markets.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7015     While we regret to inform you that we did not yet have all the funding required to complete the national expansion, we feel strongly that things have never been better in shape for AVR.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7016     In the past year a new core group of committed board members, that have been identified, would be required to complete AVR's expansion.  AVR then called upon McCarthy Tétrault to carry out a complete governance review and to help us untangle a number of complicated governance issues that have now stabilized and strengthened AVR from a governance standpoint.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7017     In addition, AVR commissioned KPMG to carry out a long overdue audit, bring our financial affairs up to date and to help us establish financial transparency.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7018     With the help of the Canadian Executive Services Organization, AVR engaged the services of Michael Jarvis as AVR's chief financial advisor.  Mr. Jarvis is now semi‑retired, but he previously served as controller of Ultramar, one of Canada's largest petroleum companies, and as Chief Financial Officer of the York Region Hospital.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7019     Mr. Jarvis has helped us to organize our accounting systems, maintain tight control of our cash flow and given us the credibility needed to enhance our fund raising efforts.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7020     From a technical standpoint, AVR engaged the services of Paul Furminger, the former VP Engineering for Maclean Hunter.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7021     Mr. Furminger has helped us to get things moving with respect to the launch of our various stations.  We are confident that our new emphasis on fund raising and sound financial management practices places us in a position to successfully complete the expansion of the networks across Canada.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7022     MS KAPPO:  We would like to provide you with a bit of background about the need for AVR that will help you to understand why we think this network is so special and why we are also committed to seeing it succeed.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7023     No other community in Canada is dealing with the social disaster that our community is dealing with and no other community needs your and our help more.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7024     As well, aboriginal populations in cities continue to grow in record numbers.  Today over half of the 1.5 million people with aboriginal ancestry live in major urban centres.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7025     Unfortunately, apart from Friendship Centres, there are very few institutions aboriginal people can call their own to serve them and help them cope with the difficult situations they face.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7026     Aboriginal people are not well served by existing radio.  There are no programs on the CBC's main network in the south, virtually no programs on private sector commercial stations and only a limited patchwork of programs, usually in non‑prime time, on campus and community stations.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7027     Now I would like to highlight AVR's role in adjusting these circumstances.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7028     When fully up to steam, AVR will provide hourly news and information reports, public affairs programs, a national telephone call‑in show, and other spoken word features that will address the needs and interests of Canada's increasingly urban aboriginal population.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7029     AVR will be unique in that it will be the only aboriginal station in Canada that offers 100 percent aboriginal music and spoken word programming on a 24‑hour dedicated basis.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7030     AVR will do more than just fill a gap in service in major urban centres.  AVR's programming will be made available free of charge by satellite and internet to more than 200 low power aboriginal stations located on Reserves in rural and remote regions in Canada.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7031     The entire AVR schedule will be available day or night to enable stations to downlink AVR, to extend hours of operation, carry national news or upgrade the quality of their service with enriched public affairs and other spoken word programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7032     As a result, by helping us you are helping all aboriginal stations in Canada and in a sense helping us to build the infrastructure for an effective aboriginal broadcast system in Canada.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7033     AVR will provide a home for Canadian aboriginal artists and musicians who have difficulty achieving airplay on radio because aboriginal and non‑aboriginal stations feature a diet of predominantly mainstream Pop, Rock and Country.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7034     These are just some of the ways AVR will help aboriginal peoples achieve their social, political, cultural, economic and health‑related aspirations.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7035     MR. McLEOD:  We are pleased to provide our full and unqualified support for CHUM's application to establish a new radio station in Calgary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7036     We consider the establishment of a corporate partnership with one of Canada's largest and most respected broadcasters as a tipping point that will enable us to complete our mission to establish the world's first national aboriginal radio service.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7037     CHUM has already provided us with a wealth of engineering, business, financial, legal, promotional and lobbying support that has contributed enormously to the development of Aboriginal Voices Radio.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7038     The partnership with CHUM has given us new found credibility that is helping us to open doors in our quest to secure government and corporate funding, instil confidence in our stakeholders that AVR is going to survive and provide a shot in the arm for our staff and management.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7039     We are of course delighted to extend our support to CHUM, in part because of the $4.5 million commitment paid over seven years that will enable us to finally launch our stations.  We note that your faith in us is shared by many others who have written letters of support of the CHUM application because of the funding that we will receive if CHUM is granted a licence.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7040     Aboriginal Voices Radio is grateful for letters submitted by the following people:  Phil Fontaine, the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations; Jason Goodstriker, the Alberta Regional Chief; George Erasmus, Co‑Chair of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People; Beverly Jacobs, President of the National Women's Association of Canada; and Vera Pawis Tobobondung, President of National Association of Friendship Centres.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7041     CHUM has offered to contribute the first year instalment of its $4.5 million in funding within 90 days of the Commission's decision.  If the CHUM application is approved, therefore, AVR intends to use the money to complete its expansion.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7042     Once the expansion has been completed, some of the funding will be used to improve the programming, strengthening the sales effort and take the first steps toward implementation of local services in Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton and elsewhere.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7043     By licensing CHUM you will be helping Aboriginal Voices Radio to complete the expansion of AVR.  Also, you will be helping AVR to create a national aboriginal broadcasting infrastructure and programming source that hundreds of existing aboriginal stations can access at no charge to augment, extend and enrich the service they provide to their communities.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7044     You will also be helping AVR to provide training and employment opportunities for aboriginal youth that will help to increase the presence of aboriginal people in media in general and lead to improvements in the way aboriginal people are portrayed in the media.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7045     MR. HILL:  Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen of the Commission, I would like to add a couple of final points.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7046     Section 3(1)(d)(3) of the Act states that:

"The Canadian broadcasting system should reflect the special place of aboriginal people within Canadian society."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7047     Section 3(1)(0) of the Act states that:

"Programming that reflects the aboriginal cultures of Canada should be provided within the Canadian broadcasting system as resources become available for the purpose."


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7048     By licensing CHUM, two of the fundamental principles and objectives of the Act can be met to help our community find its rightful place on Canadian airwaves.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7049     I would like to say that AVR has a new talented board management team in order to expand our national network.  This new team is the team who are going to get the job done.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7050     The outcome of these CRTC hearings will have an enormous impact on the future of AVR, regardless of the decision made.  However, we will remain hopeful that a favourable decision is rendered so that AVR can move forward without any more delay.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7051     Finally, we would like to respectfully request expeditious consideration of the CHUM licence so that AVR can move forward.  Quite simply put, AVR has much to lose and even less time to do so.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7052     We thank you for the opportunity to present our intervention in support of the CHUM application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7053     This concludes our presentation.  We would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7054     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Mr. Langford.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7055     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7056     Thank you for your presentation.  It is very clear and echoed, of course, what was in your written submission and in a number of submissions we have heard in licensing applications from AVR over the last few years.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7057     I want to try to speak as directly, and yet I hope non‑threateningly, as I can.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7058     I understand fully what you are telling us here today, and I understand how important funding is to AVR and its hopes and aspirations.  But I have a lot of trouble, speaking personally now, trying to figure out how much weight I should give your dreams when I am trying to figure out who has the best application in Calgary for scarce resources.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7059     Let me go on, if you don't mind, because I want to make sure you understand where I am coming from.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7060     All of us in this room I think would celebrate if somebody just came along and gave you folks a lot of money and solved your problems.  We have listened to your licence applications.  We have granted them across the country.  But we don't have money.  We are not a money‑granting organization.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7061     So we would all be happy.  We would all say, "Good, that problem is solved."


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7062     But how much weight do I give to the fact, how much weight in the sense of a competitive application for scarce radio frequencies in Calgary ‑‑ you already have yours.  You are okay, at least at that element.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7063     But all these other applicants have their dreams too, and their business plans and their aspirations.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7064     Does somehow the fact that CHUM can give you $4.5 million make their station, their application, a better application than the other ones here?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7065     How much weight do we give it?  Can you help me with that?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7066     MR. HILL:  Mr. Commissioner, you can appreciate that I am probably biased in this regard.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7067     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  I should hope you are.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7068     MR. HILL:  And I do believe that CHUM has the best application, just in the information that I am aware of.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7069     Of course, my awareness is not anywhere near what all of yours is.  But from what I have been informed, they have a very good solid application.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7070     I appreciate the fact that there are scarce resources.  This is everyone's dilemma continually.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7071     I would have to ‑‑ without I guess getting into how you make the decision, because I can't take all of that into account.  I don't really know everything that is involved in how you come to this decision.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7072     I would have to say as far as the aboriginal portion of the application, I would like to assert that the aboriginal community in Canada historically, and probably right up until today, is the most challenged community in the country.  The impact that a national radio service would have on the aboriginal community in the country, I just think is tremendously large in terms of the positive benefits and I guess the positive benefits into the community in order to turn around the historical situation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7073     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  You see, we agree with that and that's why we have given so many licences.  We are 100 percent on side with that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7074     It is then taking the next step.  If we could vote for you to get money, we would all vote for it, I'm pretty sure.  I haven't canvassed my colleagues, but I'm pretty sure everybody at this table would.  They can speak for themselves.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7075     So that part is okay.  It is just why should we think more of CHUM's application as an application for a station because they are doing this?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7076     We think a lot of CHUM because they are doing it, as a philanthropic organization.  And everyone in this room would probably say the same thing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7077     But they want the same frequency that the Evanovs want or Harvard, at least the same right to use the frequency.  Usually we look at what kind of programming will they give to the people, the same way we assessed your applications.  What is their business plan like?  What will they do for talent development?  And all the normal things that we lay out in our public notices when we say come and apply for licences.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7078     Now they have added an extra element.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7079     I think I put the question to the CHUM team earlier.  There were so many questions, forgive me if I didn't.  What if someone came here and said:  Hey, we are going to give $4.5 million to the fight against breast cancer?  That would be nice for the people who were trying to stop breast cancer and for every woman in the country.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7080     So how do we weigh this?


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7081     When I see Mr. McLeod read to us the list of these very important and influential people who support this application, does Phil Fontaine really support CHUM Adult Contemporary Radio in Calgary or does Phil Fontaine support the notion of Aboriginal Voices getting a leg up and getting started and getting going?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7082     I think we all know the answer to that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7083     I have met Phil Fontaine.  I have a huge respect for Phil Fontaine, but I bet you he couldn't tell me two things about the CHUM application.  He would say it was radio and they know how to run a radio station, probably.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7084     So how do we weigh this in the terms of all the other applicants here who have the same dream as CHUM?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7085     MR. HILL:  Commissioner, if I could, I would like to ask Mr. Bob Wood to talk further on your question.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7086     MR. WOOD:  Commissioner Langford, Phil Fontaine does know one thing about the application presented by CHUM, and that is that they will contribute $4.5 million to AVR.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7087     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  That's precisely my point.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7088     MR. WOOD:  Exactly.  So that's number one.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7089     Second, to go to your question about why this benefit, what is the point of all of this, I think that goes to the question of why have benefits at all in a licensing process, if that's a question.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7090     The third point to answer your question, it goes back to the Broadcasting Act.  The Broadcasting Act clearly states that the Canadian broadcasting system should reflect the needs and interests of the aboriginal community when funds become available.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7091     So that is what makes this particular initiative, if you will, unique and special and necessary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7092     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Is it the kind of precedent ‑‑ and I'm familiar with the Broadcasting Act.  I think you will agree that what you have just quoted to me is only one aspect of it.  There are a lot of other directions in section 3, as well.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7093     They don't take away from that one.  I agree with you.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7094     What happens if we follow this to a logical extreme?  Is it only people who have millions of dollars to give away?  Do they get a better chance at a licence than a local group who has worked and scraped, the same as you have?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7095     There are applicants here who don't have much money.  If you were here yesterday, you heard from some of them.  They have dreams and they have aspirations.  They have experience.  They have business backers.  They have plans.  But they don't have $4.5 million to give to anyone.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7096     It is difficult for me to understand.  As much as we have already shown our support for AVR by giving out lots of licences in areas where there are scarce frequencies, Calgary included, it is difficult for me to understand how you can lift that direction from broadcasting, attach it to a kind of ‑‑ and I say this in the kindest way because all aspects of applications are self‑serving; attach it to a self‑serving part of an application ‑‑ and that is not a criticism.  That is how people structure applications.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7097     How do we do that?  If we set a precedent like that, how do we go forward?  How do we control it?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7098     We may end up like the United States where essentially we are setting up an auction, a bidding process for licences.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7099     MR. HILL:  Commissioner, can I respond about maybe, I don't want to say marketplace rationales but the rationales as far as the benefits on Canadian society.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7100     I know, I can appreciate how many different factors you have to take into account when you make these decisions because I know the decision can be quite complicated.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7101     I would imagine, not being in your position, that one of the things you take into account is the quality of the service that will be delivered into Canadian society, and I would think that would weigh heavily when you consider an applicant like CHUM who has a long track record of delivering extremely high quality service.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7102     I think that speaks to maybe the reason why CHUM has been successful.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7103     So I think there is always a mix, and this is of course the challenge of the Commission:  How do you divide up the mix between maybe let's say an older, more experienced applicant like CHUM as opposed to maybe a newer and smaller applicant for a licence?


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7104     I can't give you all of the things that one would consider, but I would think as far as CHUM is concerned you would want to consider that it would be the highest quality of service.  And that, as far as Canadian society is concerned, certainly the Calgary population, is a very important consideration.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7105     As I think about the application, the benefits package is one part of it.  I know that you do look at again how strong is the benefits package and how much will it impact the people that it is meant to.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7106     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  You have spoken very eloquently and I think you have summed up our dilemma.  You have also summed up in a sense one of your greatest strengths.  CHUM is a very professional operator and they would, if licensed ‑‑ nobody in this room would doubt it ‑‑ provide a very good service for the people of Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7107     You have spoken eloquently and you have given us some help in trying to figure out how to balance that with the obvious benefits to AVR.  No one would deny them.  And your obvious need, no one would deny that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7108     As well, I hope I have given you a bit of an understanding of what we are struggling with here.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7109     If it was just simply a matter of me saying "three cheers for AVR; this will help", I think everyone in the room would say go.  But it is not that.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7110     We also have a whole licensing structure here that we somehow have to keep focused on what the licensing process is generally focused on.  That is how you won your licences, so you don't want it to fall apart.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7111     MR. HILL:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7112     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  If you are successful, you will be back for more licences.  There are areas of this country where you haven't got licences yet.  You don't want it to fall apart because someone finds a better needy outfit to give benefits to and all of a sudden you can't compete.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7113     In a sense, I hope you understand.  I think you do from your last comments.  I hope you understand our problem.  We want to support AVR, but we very much want to keep our licensing process clean and fair to all the people who come before us.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7114     Those are my questions and comments.  I'm sorry to have gone on so long, but it is something that I am struggling with personally.  It is a difficult part of this decision.  It is a new element in a licensing framework for us.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7115     I am finding it difficult to struggle with, and I thank you very much for your assistance.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7116     Those are my comments, Mr. Chair.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7117     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Langford.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7118     For the record, CHUM filed yesterday afternoon a copy of the July 26, 2005 letter regarding the commitment that they have made with AVR regarding the financial contribution.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7119     That was not part of the record, but it is now part of the record.  For anyone who wants to consult the document, it is available at the examination room.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7120     Thank you very much, Mr. Hill.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7121     MR. HILL:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7122     THE CHAIRPERSON:  We will move to the next intervenor.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7123     THE SECRETARY:  Mr. Chairman, for the record, I would like to indicate that the intervenor Solange McAlister will not be appearing this morning.  She is intervention No. 680.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7124     I will now call on the next three intervenors to come up to the front:  RGB Productions Ltd., Ms Lucy Henry; The Asian Heritage Foundation of Southern Alberta; and Priti Obhrai‑Martin.

‑‑‑ Pause

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7125     THE SECRETARY:  I would now call on Ms Lucy Henry for RGB Productions to present her intervention.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7126     You have ten minutes to do so.  Thank you.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7127     MS HENRY:  Good morning.  My name is Lucy Henry and I am the Event Co‑ordinator for RGB Productions.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7128     RGB has been promoting independent Alberta bands for over five years.  RGB's premier event is Alberta's Own Independent Music Festival.  This annual event features up to 50 of Alberta's top indie bands featuring a wide variety of musical genres, including Pop, Hot AC, Hard Rock, Rock, Funk, Punk, Folk, Blues, Jazz and Christian.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7129     The purpose of Alberta's Own is to showcase independent artists, helping them gain experience and exposure.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7130     I would like to thank the CRTC for taking the time to consider CHUM Limited's application for a new FM radio station here in Calgary and providing me with the opportunity to highlight what we feel are the most important points of our intervention.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7131     CHUM's application for Energy 104.5 will not only provide Calgarians with a great new radio station but will initiate needed support for the development of new Canadian talent with their proposed Indie Artists Initiative.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7132     The greatest challenge for independent artists is to gain momentum from local star to regional star, regional star to national star, and national star to international star.  There is nothing greater than community support to develop awareness of new emerging artists.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7133     CHUM's Indie Artist Initiative has three key components to promote emerging independent artists.  These include airplay, marketing and promotion and the emerging indie CD series.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7134     CHUM has proposed to add one track from an emerging independent Canadian artist to their playlist from coast to coast each month.  CHUM has ten stations which will play the artist of the month track a minimum of 15 times per week for a month.  This will result in the emerging artist's music reaching an audience of over 2 million Canadians.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7135     This recognition will encourage other programmers to take a chance on a new song, hence increasing the awareness of this emerging artist even more.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7136     CHUM will also be partnering with a major retailer to stock, display and promote the artist of the month.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7137     In addition, CHUM will create a 30‑second produced commercial campaign promoting the artist of the month and participating stations will air that commercial free of charge.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7138     This exposure will give the retailers a much needed incentive to stock and showcase material from Canadian artists.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7139     In addition, CHUM Radio Calgary will air a new music special called "Demo Depot".  This will be an hour show highlighting independent music from the Calgary region.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7140     We are seeing a trend where the public wants to be involved in the making of stars.  This is where the demo depot comes in.  Each week listeners will be encouraged to vote on line rating the music.  Along with playing independent music, they will offer interviews with upcoming artists and promote the venues to see live music.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7141     This is a true community initiative which will also work closely with Alberta's Own in both promoting and the programming of our event.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7142     CHUM will also host a summer Cafe series in Calgary for ten weeks, during June, July and August.  The Cafe series will stage live lunch‑time concerts in several downtown locations featuring emerging Canadian artists from both indie and major label rosters.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7143     The intent of these shows is to build awareness and appreciation for new Canadian talent.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7144     Many people hear the word "indie" or "emerging artist" and they have the perception of a basement band not good enough for mainstream.  CHUM's Indie Artist Initiative will put these perceptions to bed.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7145     CHUM's vision of developing regional, national and international stars will initiate more awareness in both the public and business sectors.  This recognition will build stronger communities by supporting local businesses and teaching kids to believe in their dreams.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7146     CHUM's application for Energy 104.5 proves their belief in strengthening communities, not only with their indie initiatives but also with their support for FACTOR, the Radio Starmaker Fund, CARS Music Education Program and Aboriginal Voices Radio.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7147     RGB Productions feel that CHUM is the right company to serve Calgarians and the greater community.  Dreams can be a reality.  We strongly recommend the Commission approve CHUM's application so we can help emerging Canadian talent move from regional stars to international stars.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7148     Again, thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7149     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7150     We will hear the three presentations.  Then we may have some questions.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7151     THE SECRETARY:  Then I would call on the intervention of The Asian Heritage Foundation of Southern Alberta.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7152     You have ten minutes for your presentation.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7153     MS WOO‑PAW:  I am Teresa Woo‑Paw and I am the Chair of The Asian Heritage Foundation of Southern Alberta, as well as the Chair of the Ethnocultural Council of Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7154     The Asian Heritage Foundation has been a driving force for Calgary's Asian Heritage Month Celebration since we first introduced the festivity to Calgary in 2001.  Our Asian events have received strong support from Calgarians and recognized by all levels of government.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7155     Our main objective is to foster appreciation for the participation and contribution of Asian Canadians through cultural and educational activities.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7156     Our focus is the mainstream Asian Canadian issues arts and culture.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7157     The Foundation benefits from a network of over 20 community organizations, as well as program partners such as the public library, booksellers, Calgary's Philharmonic Orchestra, Film Board and various levels of government.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7158     The Ethnocultural Council of Calgary is formed with a mandate to act as the collective voice of visible minority communities in order to influence social, economic and political change through collaborative actions.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7159     Our membership includes over 45 major organizations in Calgary's Chinese, African communities, Filipino communities, South Asian communities and various South American communities, as well as individuals.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7160     With promoting the interests and meaningful participation of members of visible minority communities in all aspects of Canadian life and providing a forum for Calgary's visible minority communities to discuss and address issues and concerns that impact on the communities as our key objective, we have organized community forums on consultation, community based action research, as well as public education activities over the past few years.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7161     The Council has established extensive linkages and networks with Calgary's varied communities and institutions throughout initiatives and membership.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7162     Given the stated objectives and mandates of both the Ethnocultural Council and Asian Heritage Foundation of Southern Alberta, we share CHUM Radio's interest in providing a station in our city that includes providing programs for young Calgarians, celebrating Calgary's diversity and supporting Calgary's civic‑minded community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7163     The growing minority communities would greatly benefit from a mainstream media element that is committed to including their voices and providing them the space to celebrate and entertain with diverse formats and sources, as well as to inform and debate issues that are important to the targeted population.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7164     Youth who participated in a Council focus group on civic participation and participation in both the community and broader society told us they prefer cross cultures rather than ethno‑specific settings, programs and venues.  They believe that kind of setting would create greater networks and strengths.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7165     They said they need programs and activities that cater specifically to youth interests and needs.  People should let the youth decide what they like to do.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7166     They also told us that they should have free flowing discussions, forums.  They feel that they have to feel safe so that they can participate freely.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7167     Youth who participated in a Calgary system evaluation on immigrant youth services in Calgary in 2005 said they don't feel they are understood by the adults and by institutions and service organizations.  Their issues are not heard and they need a stronger voice.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7168     As a long‑term member of the former Calgary Diversity Leadership Council and Chair of the Council and the Foundation, I believe we need to explore and support different approaches and venues, engage young Calgarians on issues such as active citizenship and community engagement in ways that are effective to the targeted population.  We have a need to create an environment that is secure and accepting for these populations to explore and express their diverse views, beliefs and perspectives.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7169     Calgary is a socially, culturally and economically dynamic, energetic and rapidly growing city with a younger than national average population.  We offer the fourth most racially diverse city in the country.  Various city initiative infrastructures such as the Centre for Arts Authority are indicative of our keen interest and commitments in enhancing the cultural vibrancy of our city of opportunities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7170     In order to have programs that are authentically inclusive of cultural and racial diversity, it must be congruent with and be driven by a set of organizational beliefs and practices that embrace, and breathe and live diversity.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7171     We believe CHUM's corporate values of inclusion, reflection, quality, relevance, accessibility, understanding and respect, their best practices used as a reference by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters to draw up the industry guidelines on cultural diversity, will not only give Calgary's growing minority communities the much needed assurance and hope for the mainstreaming of diversity in media, it will also serve as a prime model for inclusive organizations.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7172     CHUM will help raise the bar for the industry, as well as a city taking strides to respond to this growing diversity.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7173     We share strongly with the CRTC's belief that the broadcasting system should be a mirror in which all Canadians can see themselves and all broadcasters contribute to a system that accurately reflects the presence in Canada of cultural, ethnic and racial minorities and aboriginal peoples.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7174     If mainstream media is to reflect the true diversity of Canadian society, it must take into account the racial and multicultural make‑up of these markets.  CHUM's policies, best practices and current operations in other major cities in Canada are strong evidence of their living commitment to inclusion and cultural diversity in Canada.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7175     We would like to extend our strong support for CHUM's application and we urge you to grant the licence to CHUM Limited for operation in Calgary, as we look forward to CHUM's participation and contributions in our diverse and dynamic city.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7176     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7177     THE SECRETARY:  We now call on Mrs. Priti Obhrai‑Martin to make her presentation.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7178     MS OBHRAI‑MARTIN:  Thank you.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7179     Mr. Vice‑Chair, Members of the Commission, good morning.  My name is Priti Obhrai‑Martin and I am the publisher and President of cuemagazine.ca, Calgary's first and only cross‑culturally based e‑read and the inspiration for the "CUE Review".

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7180     This is one of CHUM's innovative local programs for Energy FM.  This is a one‑hour weekly talk show which will feature local cultural news, a weekly review of Calgary cuisine, called "Planetary Palette", club news, music reviews and coverage of local events, as well as in‑depth interviews with representatives from various cultural groups and top musical artists.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7181     I am here not only to support CHUM in their application for this radio but also to convey to you the nature of our partnership and our commitment to this application, the importance and impact of our audience demographic on the vibrancy and the true identity of Calgary, and most importantly why we chose to partner up with CHUM for this project.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7182     So who and what is CUE?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7183     As mentioned, we are Calgary's first and only cross‑cultural on‑line magazine.  We cater to Calgary's young urban professionals who straddle more than one cultural identity: the cross‑cultural community.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7184     Cultural Urban Essence ‑‑ also known as CUE ‑‑ examines mainstream issues from diverse perspectives by exploring various subjects that impact the metropolitan culture of Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7185     Our mission is to be informative, entertaining and inspiring while covering the many facts of life and technology, to travel, to personalities to personal growth.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7186     Our online magazine is dedicated to showcasing the true diversity of Calgary's urban mosaic through insightful commentary, cultural depiction and through supporting arts and community events.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7187     CUE supports the many talents hidden in our midst by ways of film festivals, community events and so much more.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7188     I am proud to say that our readership in the last two years has grown from 200 subscribers to over 3,000 subscribers, and this is through word of mouth alone.  We average 150,000 hits a month.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7189     It is important to understand how this tiny but fast‑growing magazine came to be in Calgary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7190     A few years ago I had the privilege of learning about CHUM Limited and their media outlets in other cities, mostly by watching them as I travelled and worked across Canada.  What I noticed was that in these cities I was being reflected.  My interests were being showcased, and I felt as though for the first time I was considered part of mainstream Canada.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7191     This happened in Ottawa, Victoria, Vancouver and Toronto.  What I wondered was why did it not occur here in Calgary?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7192     After my travels I finished my schooling in public relations with a minor in journalism and set up myself as being one of Calgary's few media relations advisors for the cultural communities here in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7193     This happened mostly because there was a need for the cultural communities to be included in Calgary's media coverage, yet this bridge was difficult to build, mostly because none of Calgary's media outlets were willing to hear their voices.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7194     I have to tell you that I struggled in Calgary to get our mainstream media to see these communities as anything but festivals, food and clothing.  There was no cross‑cultural reflection, no coverage of social and economic events, and no solicitation of their perspective on local and national events.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7195     I worked with many different organizations to reach out to the media community, to try to show them ways to be inclusive.  To my frustration, many of them did not listen and kept telling that there was no audience for this here in Calgary.  And more importantly there was no money to be made if they were to be included.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7196     Well, I'm here to tell you that CUE was developed to show them that they were wrong.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7197     I am proud to say that we were successful in this endeavour by not only proving that there was an audience for this, but they were also advertising hungry for this audience.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7198     In two short years CUE has grown from my personal website to a full‑fledged interactive and informative website in which many Calgarians submit articles that reflect and share their perspectives, cultural practices, life experiences, community businesses and so much more.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7199     There is a serious lack of cross‑cultural inclusion in Calgary's media, and because of this there is little if any choice for our business communities to spend their advertising dollars.  In Calgary our media outlets pretty much chase the same advertisers, thus making it seem as though there is little room for opportunities in Calgary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7200     I ask you to challenge our media community to become more inclusive in their coverage, and you will see that they will automatically attract businesses from the ethnic community, from young entrepreneurs, from corporate Calgary, small businesses and major advertising firms.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7201     How do I know this?  Because these are the kinds of advertisers that are constantly approaching us, a grassroots online cross‑cultural magazine to do write‑ups, promotions and advertisements for them.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7202     From our experience, having a mandated diversity, a broadening of the demographic scope and a realistic look at the fastest growing demographic in Calgary, the 20‑35 age group, opens up these advertising opportunities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7203     This is the group that most advertisers want: the intelligent consumer with a high disposable income and a willingness to explore their world.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7204     Once again, how do I know this?  Because this is our demographic and this is the target audience Energy FM will be tuning into when they listen to our radio show.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7205     As a media outlet ourselves with a specific mandate, it is important for us to line up any partnerships that we have with companies that have a reputation for inclusion and diverse content and coverage.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7206     As mentioned previously, I first became acquainted with CHUM through their television station and was amazed by their simple and not forced cross‑cultural inclusion.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7207     I then had the privilege of becoming a key supporter and community champion for their previous attempts to bringing a CityTV station to Calgary.  Through this endeavour I learned more about CHUM's corporate culture and policies and was honestly blown away by their mandate to be cross‑culturally inclusive, not only in their hiring process but in their reflections of the communities that they serve.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7208     I could see that this was a media company that not only preached diversity but practised it.  They got it.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7209     It is because of this and the fact that they are a media company with a reputation of building community relationships, fulfilling their community promises and developing unique content and style to deliver to their audience that we agreed to partner up with CHUM on its innovative and unique programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7210     Furthermore, as you can see by the support letters, our readers are excited about the possibility of finally having a mainstream radio station that will reflect their music and social needs.  The cultural communities are also excited about having a media vehicle that will promote and support them in reaching out and finally becoming part of Calgary's mainstream identity.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7211     In closing, I would like to ask for your help in making a dream come true for this Calgarian.  You see, I know my city is vibrant.  I know my city is diverse.  And I know my city is unique.  But I don't see this reflected anywhere in our city's media.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7212     As a result, everyone thinks that there is no diversity here, that there is no vibrancy, and that this city is extremely boring.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7213     I ask that you give us a chance to show Calgarians, Canadians and the world Calgary's true identity.  I also ask that you see this as an opportunity to shape a city that is growing rapidly, not only in its economic position but with a new breed of Canadians: the young, cross‑cultural urban professionals.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7214     This new demographic is the heart and soul of Calgary and Canada, and because they straddle more than one culture they are the ones that will show us how to be tolerant, peaceful and civic‑minded.  But in order to do so, they must be included and reflected in our media.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7215     As a member of this demographic, I sit here before you asking to be reflected and included on Calgary's airwaves.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7216     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7217     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7218     I have Mrs. del Val.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7219     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  Thank you very much for your interventions and your presentations today.  You also elaborated on your letters and gave me a lot of answers to questions that I had.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7220     So thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7221     Ms Woo‑Paw, I believe I get the message on why you throw your support behind CHUM.  I am wondering whether you are comfortable in commenting on say why not ‑‑ in terms of the youth group and the needs of the youth, there are at least two other applications, Harvard and Newcap, who also target the younger demographic.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7222     Then in terms of the ethnic needs, there is also an application for an ethnic station.  I understand that Fairchild, an existing station, also serves some needs here.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7223     Are you comfortable on commenting on why those are not sufficient or why your support is behind CHUM rather than any of those existing services or services that the applicants are applying for?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7224     MS WOO‑PAW:  I will try to answer to the best of my ability.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7225     I have to admit that I am not aware of the other applications, nor have those applicants approached the organizations that I represent, that I am a part of.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7226     As an active member of Calgary's Chinese community and the minority community, I am aware of some of the awareness raised by some of the other media institutions.  However, I think that the ‑‑ I have been doing this community work for 30 years, and my background is social work.  I truly believe that what we need in Canada now, in terms of diversity development, is to have organizations that truly are culturally competent, from its governance to its programs and to its human resource practices.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7227     CHUM is one of those organizations.  That is why we have thrown our support behind CHUM.  They approached us.  They did not meet only with myself; they met with people from the Filipino community, the youth from the Filipino community, the Vietnamese youth group in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7228     So I am actually a messenger from many community groups who actually are very excited about this opportunity.  They want to have their voices included and reflected in a mainstream station that is cross‑cultural, and they want to have their voices heard by other Calgarians, not just by the ethnic community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7229     That is why I am here.  The youth and the communities, they want this opportunity to be included and reflected in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7230     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  Thank you.  That is a good answer.  Thank you for your time.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7231     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Mr. Ron Williams.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7232     COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS:  Good morning.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7233     My question is for Ms Obhrai‑Martin.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7234     You talked about the reflection and participation of minorities and aboriginal peoples in Canada's broadcasting system.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7235     Should our Broadcasting Act, as Commissioner Langford suggested, contain provisions for funding, I think he said needy groups, breast cancer or other lofty initiatives, or should we make our decisions on licensing matters by confining our thinking process to the Broadcasting Act and to the presentations that are before us?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7236     I would be interested to hear your thoughts on that matter.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7237     MS OBHRAI‑MARTIN:  Absolutely.  I'm glad you asked that, because my experience working in Calgary with these communities, as well as my government relations experience, leads me to believe that first and foremost the CRTC needs to see the needs of the city when they are giving out the licence.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7238     I don't think it should be about who needs the most money, what lobby group is coming up to you.  What is required, first of all, is that lobby group actually addressing a need?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7239     For example, here in Calgary for the aboriginals and the minorities, and the cross‑cultural community, there is no reflection.  There is no place for us to feel as though we are included, our perspectives are included.  Therefore, there is a need for it.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7240     I think that is the most important thing to understand.  Calgary is growing and it no longer is the same city that it was 10, 15 years ago.  It is growing and it is growing into a new direction.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7241     We are the fastest growing city.  We are the fourth city for immigration.  We are also highly educated, post secondary.  When you look at this demographic, you look at who makes it up.  It is everybody.  It is the aboriginals.  It is the minorities.  It is mainstream Canadians.  Yet at the same time there is no inclusion of everybody's perspective being reflected in media in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7242     To me, it is kind of ‑‑ I don't think it is whoever gets the most money.  That is not important.  What is important is who is making the effort to have those communities being included into their application and who is doing it in a way that is effective, that is creative, that is innovative and that is actually meeting a market niche.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7243     At the end of the day one of the things that the CRTC will be looking at is if there are dollars that can help sustain this particular application.  I am telling you, I know from experience in working with media in Calgary that they all keep telling me there is only so many dollars that are available for advertisers.  I am like, well, how is it possible that I can go out there and sell the same things to different advertisers in Calgary and broaden my advertising scope by just broadening who my demographics are and by being inclusive?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7244     Does that answer your question?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7245     COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS:  I think I get the impression that, from your opinion, there is a lot of work to be done yet in the Broadcasting Act before we take on the tremendous challenges of cancer and widespread economic development or those types of issues.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7246     MS OBHRAI‑MARTIN:  Absolutely.  I think it is important to see that, but I also think it is important to see that there is a community that can support it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7247     There is no point in giving money to cancer in a place where there is hardly anybody that can help give money back, support the cause, be part of the marathons.  Here in Calgary we do have the population.  We do have the need for that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7248     It is very important to see what the application is and what the end result is going to be.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7249     COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7250     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7251     Your three presentations were very comprehensive and will help us in our deliberations.  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7252     Madam Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7253     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7254     I would now call on the next two intervenors to come to the front.  It is the intervention of Sean Libin from Stride Management, and Mr. Chikinda from Mount Royal College.

‑‑‑ Pause

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7255     THE SECRETARY:  We would first ask Mr. Libin from Stride Management to start their intervention.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7256     You will have ten minutes for your presentation.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7257     MR. LIBIN:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7258     Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, CRTC staff, good morning.  My name is Sean Libin.  I am appearing today in support of 1182743 Alberta Ltd. in their application for The Lounge 92.9 FM.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7259     Specifically, I would like to address the need for this radio station that proposes to serve the 45‑plus audience from an advertising and marketing perspective, from where I come from.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7260     I would first like to give you a little background on my experience and qualifications to speak to this topic.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7261     Over the past 18 years I have held several senior marketing positions in the Calgary market, including media buying and media director roles.  And for several years I held the position of Director of Marketing for Corus Entertainment's Country Music Television Specialty Channel.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7262     Today I am the Vice‑President of Marketing with Stride, a full service marketing and advertising agency with offices in Calgary as our head office and branch offices in Edmonton, with a staff of 40 and annual billings in excess of $10 million.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7263     In the case of radio in Calgary, Stride works regularly with all radio stations, including Rogers, Standard and Corus properties, as well as independent stations such as Newcap's California 103.1.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7264     I am very intrigued and encouraged with the proposed Lounge FM radio station.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7265     While I was approached to intervene in support of more than one licence being considered here this week, I only agreed to speak on behalf of The Lounge application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7266     Why?  First and foremost, I feel there is a void in the Calgary FM radio landscape in two areas.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7267     The first is in easy listening content and the second is the delivery of news content.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7268     In broader terms, I would argue that generally speaking, there is a lack of FM radio services catering to the 45‑plus audience.  I know this because we have several clients that specifically target this demographic, and we often find ourselves struggling to develop effective radio campaigns for them.  We often end up having to buy three and even four stations deep in an effort to find the efficiencies we seek and require for a specific campaign.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7269     The 45‑plus market is the fastest growing segment of the Calgary population, and there is no question that there is ample audience to support The Lounge FM as a viable radio station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7270     I am certainly not a research expert, nor a statistician, but I recently pulled some of the numbers to determine if my gut instinct was actually valid or just heartburn.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7271     According to the 2004 City of Calgary Municipal Census, the 45‑plus population in Calgary now totals just over 304,000 people, meaning that one in three Calgarians is over the age of 45.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7272     In terms of radio listening habits, when I am buying radio against the 45‑plus demo and I refer to the BBM S4 survey, or what we used to call the Fall Book, total market share of adults 45‑plus is only 74 percent, leaving me to ask the question:  If a station caters specifically to the 45‑plus Calgarian, would listenership increase?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7273     I believe it would.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7274     While arguably all stations have some degree of 45‑plus listenership, no FM station specifically caters to this important demographic.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7275     If we steer away from age demographics for a moment and specifically look toward genres or programming, one can make the point that there is certainly no FM station serving Calgary providing a strong news focus.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7276     The Lounge FM proposes to fill this void with hourly newscasts throughout the day and three dedicated news reporters.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7277     One can make the point that there is currently no FM station serving Calgary providing an easy listening format, particularly in light of Breeze 103.1 FM's recent format change to California 103.1 and with Lite 96's brightening of their music mix.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7278     The Lounge FM proposes to fill this void with a uniquely programmed modern nostalgic mix of music that will certainly and obviously appeal to the 45‑plus crowd, while also remaining inviting to younger listeners.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7279     As a person who just entered his forties, I must say on a personal note that I happen to also enjoy the distinct format being proposed with The Lounge.  It is a station that I know I would tune into personally and therefore I am confident that of the 304,000 other older Calgarians, I would not be alone.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7280     That said, it is one thing to make the case that there is a void, which I hope I have, but it is another matter to determine whether the demographic not being served even needs to be.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7281     How important is the 45‑plus demographic to our society?


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7282     According to Boomers Marketing, people over 45 are responsible for more expenditures than any other group in Canada, some $35 billion a year.  Canadians over 45 control about three‑quarters of our nation's wealth.  They enjoy a median net worth that is about double the average and are forecast to inherit about $1 trillion dollars between now and 2015.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7283     Canadians over 45 are active and vibrant.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7284     When I recently celebrated my big 4‑0 this past December, I for the first time became a little age conscious.  I was recently at a corporate function just about a week ago with a lot of 20‑year‑old business women there, and one of them told me that 40 is the new 20.  So I was quite excited to hear that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7285     I am very fortunate to live in what many are calling the most vibrant city in Canada.  Calgary's economy, as you have already heard, is strong.  Our population is growing faster than we can manage it, with an influx of fresh new faces.  And our future is certainly bright.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7286     The time is right to grant new FM licences within Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7287     There are currently FM stations stumbling over each other with similar programming and equally, as I have pointed out, there are holes in the fabric of FM radio in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7288     Obviously the Commission needs to carefully consider how to best fill these holes.  I know that you will.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7289     I strongly suggest that now is the right time for the Commission to license an FM station that specifically targets adults 45‑plus in Calgary.  Now is the right time to license an FM station dedicated to providing news content, and now is the right time to license an FM station that will provide a unique forum of modern nostalgic music programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7290     I heard you ask a previous intervenor why this application versus another similar one.  I am confident that The Lounge 92.9 FM's application is the best choice to provide these services.  The applicant has clearly researched and understands the potential audience and has created a dynamic radio format that will fill these existing voids.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7291     Perhaps even more importantly, though, as a Calgarian, as a person who actually grew up in Central Alberta where you learned to support your own, I also look positively to the fact that The Lounge FM will be a Calgary radio station owned and operated by Calgarians, whereas all other stations in this market are part of larger media corporations with eastern‑based management who have, in my opinion, on too many occasions proved that they are not necessarily in touch with Calgary's unique personality.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7292     I have had the pleasure of working alongside Mr. Larsen when we both worked for Corus Properties, and I can say unequivocally that Mr. Larsen and his Lounge FM management team, some of whom I also know, have demonstrated extensive experience, creativity and capability in radio broadcasting, including extensive experience right here in the Calgary market.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7293     I would respectfully request that the Commission seriously consider licensing 1182743 Alberta Ltd. and The Lounge 92.9 FM.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7294     I would be pleased to take any questions you may have.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7295     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7296     We will hear from the next intervenor.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7297     THE SECRETARY:  Mr. Chairman, it is Mr. Chikinda from Mount Royal College.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7298     Please go ahead.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7299     MR. CHIKINDA:  Bienvenue.  Welcome, Mr. Vice‑Chairman, Members of the Commission, to our city.  I hope that the legendary hospitality and warmth of the hospitality of this city will in some way complement in the best possible sense your stay here.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7300     My name is Marc Chikinda.  I am an instructor of broadcast journalism at Mount Royal College here in the city of Calgary.  I am also the acting Chair of the broadcasting program at that institution.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7301     As others have said to you ‑‑ and I am sure this morning was an example of that, and I am sure it occurred at other points throughout the presentations before you ‑‑ my little city of 160,000 people when I was born has grown to virtually almost one million, certainly one million before the year 2010.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7302     It is changing.  It has an insatiable demand, in my view, for public information, for news, for current affairs.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7303     Calgary, I think second only to our nation's capital, Ottawa, is the most wired community in Canada in terms of the internet.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7304     We are reaching out constantly for information in Calgary.  As Members of the Commission will remember, we had just last month, in January, political events in our nation.  Governments come and governments go, prime ministers come and prime ministers go.  It may be that the putative centre of the universe of our country, which formerly may have been considered to be east of here, might be resident in the city of Calgary for a while at least.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7305     Be that as it may, Calgarians love information.  They need it.  They even lust for it, Members of the Commission.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7306     What is inherent in this, and is at its very core, it seems to me, is a promise of performance in that the largest FM radio newsroom would be established in our city with this application before you.  And that is not an insignificant undertaking.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7307     We have heard earlier people reference the need for diversity and I echo those needs, those demands for change.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7308     I have been involved in the news area for mostly 25 years, I would suggest, both as a reporter, as a news anchor and now as an instructor of broadcast journalism.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7309     I have seen the literal face of news change.  Diversity is here within my city but it needs to be accommodated in newsrooms.  It seems to me, Members of the Commission, that the way to do that is to staff a newsroom so that people can go out and encounter the diversity that is exists on the streets of this city.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7310     News does not come to reporters.  Reporters must seek it out.  Therefore, Members of the Commission, there have to be resources in place and a healthy vibrant newsroom is the way to get that done.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7311     I applaud this application for its undertaking to do exactly that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7312     I understand, as well, that there is an undertaking to provide an unparalleled, in my view and in my experience, partnership with broadcast education in this application before you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7313     Of course, I welcome that.  The idea of hiring fresh from colleges, and not just my institution but other institutions, young graduates of broadcast education to be news reporters, to be on‑air, to be involved in production, is something I have never encountered.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7314     While I have intervened on paper before, I did not and have not until now asked for permission to appear in front of you.  I do so because I feel very strongly about this promise of performance, this undertaking.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7315     I wish to urge Members of the Commission to know this:  that even if that promise were not there, if there were no mention whatsoever of a potential partnership, I would still be before you today in support of this application because it offers the best hope for increased public information, news and spoken word programming in our city.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7316     We need to know more about each other as Canadians.  For Heaven's sake, in my province, Calgarians and Edmontonians rarely speak to each other, except on the playing field.  We lack communication.  The way to increase communication is to understand and know more about each other.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7317     With a large healthy FM radio newsroom, I suggest to you, Members of the Commission, that becomes more possible.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7318     I began my career in this city by working for CBC.  A very serendipitous alignment of the planets allowed me to graduate from the institution I now teach at and to work in current affairs, radio current affairs and news at CBC.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7319     On the first day on the job my news supervisor said, "Of course, you will want to change your name."  And I said, "Of course, I will not change my name.  It was good enough for my father to carry into the Second World War in defence of this country.  I will keep my name.  Thank you very much."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7320     I am very proud to say that things have changed dramatically in Calgary and yes, even in Alberta.  Nobody asks that people change their names any more.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7321     I want to extend to the FM community, to the FM listening audiences of this city, a radio news service that provides diversity, provides tolerance, provides respect, and above all provides information that I believe Calgarians desperately need, not just from the drive‑in period of 6:00 to 9:00, but also not just from 4:00 to 6:00 when they drive home; all throughout the day.  And, moreover, an hour each day at noon to provide that information in a way that currently isn't happening on the FM dial.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7322     So I am very proud to lend my name in support of this application.  I know that your task is not easy.  How can it be easy?  You have a lot of conflicting criteria, demands placed upon you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7323     I urge you, as I am sure you do, to think not only of the demands and needs of the Calgary audience of today but also the Calgary audience ten years from now.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7324     I strongly support this application, and I thank you very much for your time.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7325     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Chikinda.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7326     I will ask Mr. Langford to ask his questions.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7327     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7328     When I worked for CBC, they wanted me to change my voice.

‑‑‑ Laughter

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7329     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  I wasn't prepared to undergo the required operation, so I went into another line of work.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7330     My question actually is to you, Mr. Libin.  Is that right?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7331     MR. LIBIN:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7332     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  You don't have to change your name.  I just have to learn how to pronounce it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7333     I am interested in picking your sort of unique perspective on what we are doing here.  I don't want you to pick any other winners for us, or losers, but I would like you to kind of give me an idea of where there are other market holes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7334     You are saying there is a big demographic that needs to be served by advertisers over 45 and I certainly got that message.  Are there any other holes there?


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7335     We are hearing from the applicants before us, and certainly from the economic surveys that we have done, it looks like Calgary can absorb more than one licensee.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7336     Let's assume for a moment that you get your wish and that, if not specifically what you are asking for but the wish in the sense of the demographic you want served is getting served.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7337     Is there another demographic that is highly underserved in this area?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7338     MR. LIBIN:  I think we have addressed the two biggest ones, which is news content on the FM dial.  Right now in this market, QR77, which is an AM property of course, really has the lock on that market.  Whether you like Mr. Rutherford in the mornings or not, you don't have a lot of choice.  You get what they give you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7339     I think that spoken word, from an advertising standpoint ‑‑ you have spoken about CBC.  If I could buy advertising on CBC, I would do that in a heartbeat.  But that is a discussion for another day.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7340     So spoken word is certainly the biggest one.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7341     That upper age limit, I think if you wanted to extend that demographic 45 and even go 65‑plus, there is certainly a void there.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7342     One of our largest clients is the Royal Canadian Legion, which obviously skews to an older demographic.  I think there is a real big void.  The further up the age spectrum you go, I think the void continues to grow there.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7343     Equally, if you wanted to argue ‑‑ although from an advertising standpoint we haven't been tasked with it yet, but that is simply because we haven't gone after that business.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7344     If you went to the opposite end of the spectrum, whereas on TV, for example, you have properties like Treehouse and YTV that are catering to that very younger demographic kids programming, whether it was a discovery type of a format or kids programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7345     So I think it is those outer brackets where there really is a void.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7346     I think if you take the sort of catch‑all demographic of 25‑54, there is lots of stuff there.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7347     Then when you get into diversity types of issues, which I know you are hearing currently, as the previous intervenor said, our market is becoming more and more and more diverse daily.  The more we can mirror that ethnic and cultural diversity ‑‑ and diversity comes in so many different forms.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7348     The more we can mirror the make‑up of our population base as it evolves very quickly and we are struggling to keep up with it, the better off you will be.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7349     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Thank you very much.  That is a very complete answer, and I am grateful for it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7350     MR. LIBIN:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7351     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Those are my questions, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7352     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7353     Mrs. del Val.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7354     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7355     Mr. Chikinda, I don't know whether you were in the room and whether you had the chance to hear the exchange between Mr. Langford and the AVR group.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7356     MR. CHIKINDA:  This morning, yes, I was here.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7357     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  I was wondering, since you are an academic ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7358     MR. CHIKINDA:  It is alleged.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7359     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  I was interested in hearing your views on the whole issue of assessing the application, the merits of the application, and then the benefits package, and the role that the benefits package should play in the final decision.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7360     Are you comfortable sharing your views on that?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7361     MR. CHIKINDA:  That's a delicious question and you are asking me to walk into the hypothetical.  And I will not comment on other interventions, either for or against.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7362     I know that the factors that this body has to consider are many, splendoured and varied and some will necessarily carry more weight than others.  So any answer I would give you might be considered to be political in the sense that I might be trying to find the area that you are probing for that would give the greatest strength to this application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7363     Rather than do that, I would say this.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7364     I think you need very much to take into consideration ‑‑ and pardon the arrogance of me telling you what your job should be.  But take into consideration, if you please, the incredible change that we have in this city in terms of its population, its dynamism ‑‑ perhaps you have experienced that since you have been here throughout the week, despite the weather ‑‑ that it has a need for information that certainly, in my view, on the FM dial is not being met; that what are the best ways of providing increased access to a diverse group of individuals, peoples, cultural associations through the airwaves.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7365     Is it to undertake hope and trust or is it to look to real partnerships that provide people in situ, in place, to provide news and information to go out to those communities?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7366     Which application will serve this community the best, I think needs to be considered in terms of which application seeks to go out to those communities and seeks to put in place the resources in order for that to happen.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7367     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7368     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Libin.  Thank you, Chikinda.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7369     Madam Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7370     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7371     I would like to indicate for the record that the two following intervenors that were to appear will not be here this morning.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7372     It is intervention No. 485, Leah Chevalier, and Marion Schroeder, which is the next one, intervention 486.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7373     I would now call on Lari Carter and Michele McDonald to come to the front, please.

‑‑‑ Pause

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7374     THE SECRETARY:  I would ask you to please identify yourselves.  You will then have ten minutes for your presentation.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7375     MR. CARTER:  My name is Lari Carter.  I have spent 23 years working in the Canadian radio industry, the last 21 years working right here in the Calgary market.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7376     First, I would like to thank the Commission for their tireless dedication and promotion of this vital component of Canadian culture and for their focus indeed this week in the hearings for the CRTC to assess a new radio licence for the city of Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7377     I appear before the Commission today on behalf of the Evanov Radio Group and for their application for the FM commercial radio station to be known as The Jewel 92.9.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7378     If I may, I would like to indulge the Commission with a little personal background and observation from my 21 years of working in the Calgary market in radio and things I have learned about the dynamic of the city.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7379     In January of 1981 I began working at CHSC and CHRE in St. Catherines, Ontario.  In June of that year I graduated from a three‑year radio‑television communication arts program at Niagara College of Applied Arts in Welland, Ontario.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7380     A year later, in October of 1982, I was asked to be a part of the company's newly licensed FM station in Calgary at the time.  Redmond Communications was getting a licence for an FM Country music station in Calgary and I was asked to come out.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7381     Since I had gotten into the business to perhaps see the best part of the country, I thought this was a great opportunity to check out the western frontier.  So I jumped at the opportunity.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7382     I was asked on a Thursday morning and I was on board a plane Saturday morning, so I didn't have time to check out the who, what, where, when and why of what was all ahead.  But I did get a couple of common threads from some people who seemingly had some advice about western Canada.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7383     I was told to make sure that I had some thermal underwear because it's cold all the time, and to tread carefully with the people in Calgary at the time because there was a state of somewhat manic depression.  They were going through somewhat of an economic downturn at the time.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7384     So I took that with a grain of salt, but they were both dismissed rather quickly once I had spent some time in the city.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7385     I had signed off an 11 o'clock newscast on a Thursday evening about a week before Christmas.  It was minus 27 degrees.  By the time I had cleaned up the newsroom and found my way back to my hotel and ordered my late night pizza, it was plus 13 degrees ‑‑ a change of 40 degrees inside a couple of hours.  I had no idea what was going on.  I thought I was getting sick.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7386     When I inquired what was going on, the person at the front desk merely shrugged and said "chinook", that wonderful energy of Calgary that blows over the Rockie mountains:  another source of energy that this city is built on.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7387     That was my first lesson about the expanse of the unique energy in the city, things that I learned very quickly about what to expect in Calgary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7388     And despite that crushing impact from the National Energy Program at the time, there was a source of personal energy that I had not witnessed anywhere else.  There was a positive flow of forward thinking, entrepreneurial spirit that was at least 50 percent higher than in good times in other places in Canada that I had experienced.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7389     The oil patch service companies were liquidating at the time.  The oil and gas industry was shutting down and gearing down business to a great degree.  But as quickly as the oil patch was falling, Calgary's other natural resource was souring at the time:  that progressive entrepreneurial spirit.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7390     What affectionately became known at the time as Calgary's native bird, the construction crane, was busy taking over.  They were refurbishing and expanding Calgary's skyline in this economic downturn.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7391     At the same time there were three Calgary licences that were finding their way and riding the new wave of economic building in the city again.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7392     Calgary's population in 1982 was just over 500,000 and before we exit the 2006 calendar year we will top one million people in this city.  Recent Statistics Canada figures show that four of the ten fastest growing communities in Canada are around Calgary's border right now.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7393     Those three new radio stations at the time flourished and became industry leaders all within their own individual timeframe, so the airwaves were buzzing and building along with Calgary's reviving economic growth again.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7394     With lessons learned from Calgary's oil patch, it was still the economic engine of the time.  But they had now supplemented the much more diverse economy, fuelled by a young progressive population, a population that I believe is pretty well served by the current variety of radio formatting in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7395     But that earlier generation, the builders of this city, of the economic and that impressive business, social and cultural model that they built in Calgary, is not being served.  There is very little choice and variety for the 45‑plus demographic in this city.  What I believe the city needs is to reflect that quiet confidence of success of the past and that pioneering generation that builds and continues to support this vibrant city.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7396     A radio format for the 45‑plus demographic is long overdue.  The deficiency is going to be addressed by the Evanov Radio Group.  That is their plan.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7397     Is The Jewel FM an adult contemporary, easy listening music with class format, indeed programming for an easy living demographic in our city?  In my humble opinion, The Jewel promises to be a breath of fresh air for this radio market.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7398     A radio format that will not only entertain the 45‑plus demographic, it will inform and enhance the lifestyle of the long forgotten portion of the population.  But even more important, a format that will allow a listener to engage The Jewel without constantly punching the dial and without looking for some alternative, that something disturbing just came on the dial; a new sense of being able to listen to your radio at home for extended periods of time as most program formatting in the market right now is geared toward that 15‑minute hook only.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7399     In my brief association, I have discovered that the Evanov Radio Group displays a type of determination and passion that will allow them to become a solid leading corporate citizen, especially given their mandate to support local talent.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7400     There is a lot of local talent that is not getting addressed, especially in this demographic in this part of the country.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7401     Community endeavours as well and charitable agencies will be addressed in their application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7402     I look forward in the very near future to the shining new Jewel on Calgary's frontier.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7403     I would like to thank the Commission again for their leadership in addressing the community needs when considering their new licence and again thank them for their time today.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7404     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much, Mr. Carter.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7405     Madam Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7406     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7407     We would now call as a panel the following four intervenors: CADME, Mr. Kevin Willms from CADME; Keystone Music; Blaskin & Lane Tires; and The Beach Audio.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7408     Could you please come to the front.

‑‑‑ Pause

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7409     THE SECRETARY:  I would now call on Mr. Blaskin to begin his presentation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7410     You will have ten minutes for your presentation.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7411     MR. BLASKIN:  Thank you.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7412     Good morning, Mr. Chairman, Commissioners.  I feel a little out of place.  There is a lot of expert radio people in this room today.  I am coming from a little different side.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7413     I am a retailer.  We buy airtime versus trying to sell it, so a little bit of background about myself.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7414     I basically spent 16 years in the corporation and decided I wanted to be an entrepreneur.  I then spent 25 years in that market.  We have some retail tire stores and wholesale tire stores.  I also have some restaurants.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7415     So we do buy a lot of airtime.  Probably the radio at this point in time in our budget is certainly largely on radio.  That is more or less what I will be speaking about today in support of obviously Star‑FM here in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7416     I have enjoyed the corporate structure when I was working in it, but I felt that I wanted to get into an entrepreneurial position.  I did that because I had that desire to be that way, as well this city is definitely created for that marketplace.  It is a very vital city and it enjoys working in an entrepreneurial atmosphere.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7417     I would also like to talk about three of the principals of Star‑FM:  Rick Meaney, Vince Tripathy, Jim Bagshaw.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7418     I have known those gentlemen for approximately 20 years in my business career.  I find these businessmen to be morally and ethically correct, good businessmen, supportive to my business as well.  They have always been very supportive in regard to helping us do our business, enlightening us as to what is going on in the marketplace, even to the point of what our competition is doing and what we should be doing to help and move forward in our business in our marketplace.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7419     So I speak very highly of these three gentlemen.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7420     I know there are other principals in the company.  I don't know them as well.  But my experience with those three has been very helpful for myself and my business in the past.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7421     We always challenge our people that come into our business to find out what they know about our business, and that is something that we have challenged any radio people or newspaper people that come to our place of business to see what they can do to help us.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7422     Again, I just want to emphasize the importance of what we do.  What we need is an entrepreneur to have people come in and give us new ideas and be more creative.  We would get creative meetings from these gentlemen in the past to help us find a better way of marketing our product.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7423     As an entrepreneur in this city, there is a lot of involvement in the charity community.  We do a great deal of that ourselves.  We also turn to our suppliers ‑‑ i.e., the radio marketplace.  And again we have had great support in this marketplace from these gentlemen.  I am looking forward to getting even more support from them with a new station coming on.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7424     We have always enjoyed working with the entrepreneurial radio stations because we find them to be more flexible, more willing to work with us, give us more of their time.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7425     We also find that it is more helpful, being a small entrepreneur in the marketplace, that we are not competing as much with the nationals that are buying up prime airtime.  We find it is much more flexible to allow us to get better exposure on their station as well.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7426     Again, I would like to speak in favour of the supporting of an independent radio station in this marketplace for the independent entrepreneurs in this market.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7427     I will keep my speech short.  I think that's about it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7428     I certainly welcome any questions, and I thank you for the opportunity to be here.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7429     I do apologize.  I do have to leave shortly.  I have another session I have to go to as well.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7430     Thank you very much for allowing me to speak to you today.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7431     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Blaskin.  I have one question.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7432     You are in the retail business, and you are buying airtime for your various organizations, restaurants, you said, and retail stores selling tires.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7433     When you are buying advertising, what are you aiming at?  Are you aiming at a certain demographic?  Are you aiming at a certain type of service or a certain music format?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7434     What has been your experience?


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7435     MR. BLASKIN:  Fortunately, in some respects we are very fortunate that we have the opportunity to service most people over the age of 18, and even some of the younger ones as well.  But basically anybody that drives a vehicle or eats out is our client, which makes it sometimes advantageous and sometimes a disadvantage.  It is a very wide market and perhaps to reach everybody, it is difficult to do that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7436     We will sometimes focus on a particular station who works with us, as I said earlier, in a creative way of going to market and allowing us to have opportunities so we can get there with maybe less cost to what we might be spending on larger stations, et cetera.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7437     We find the independent stations are more willing to work with us on putting promotions together, whether it be on added value through the station itself or helping us support community charities in the marketplace.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7438     So we look for something outside the box in regard to what they can do for us.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7439     The audience, yes, our demographics we like to go from 18 to 55, but we are open to the younger generation as well.  We understand that that is the growth of our company, so if we can work with the younger people who eventually will be coming into the marketplace, buying tires or eating at restaurants.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7440     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Star‑FM, as you are aware, is aiming at an older demographic, which is 45‑plus.  With the type of service they are looking at, they will really be delivering to that type of an audience.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7441     Are there still opportunities for you in that population segment?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7442     MR. BLASKIN:  Absolutely.  There is a lot of us ‑‑ and I am certainly over that age group.  I still do a lot of driving and eating out a lot, but it is also that we do a lot of branding.  That is certainly one of the ways we go to market very aggressively.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7443     The fact that we can have the older generation, one, coming to us and then referring their experience to their sons, daughters, nephews, family members, of who and what we are.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7444     So it is a branding.  We do a lot of branding as well as traffic‑driven, but mostly branding.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7445     So we will focus more so on we believe everybody out there is our audience.  We just need to find a way to get to them as an entrepreneur, as reasonably priced as we possibly can.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7446     That is what we find is a real asset to us as well, and we find independents are much flexible for us to do that.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7447     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much, Mr. Blaskin.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7448     Mrs. del Val.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7449     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  Mr. Blaskin, would you advertise in Airdrie?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7450     MR. BLASKIN:  Would I advertise in Airdrie?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7451     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7452     MR. BLASKIN:  Absolutely.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7453     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7454     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7455     MR. BLASKIN:  Thank you very much, and I apologize that I have to leave early.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7456     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Madam Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7457     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7458     I would now call on Mr. Willms of CADME to make his presentation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7459     You will have ten minutes for your presentation.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7460     MR. WILLMS:  Good morning and thank you for this opportunity.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7461     I will be speaking on behalf of the strength of the Canadian Talent Development component of this application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7462     A little bit of background about myself.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7463     I am a high school music teacher.  I teach in a large high school music program in the city of Calgary, a vibrant performance‑based program.  I am also the Vice‑President of the Alberta International Band Festival.  I am also the artistic director for a community music organization called Westwinds and I am the President of CADME.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7464     So what is CADME?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7465     CADME is a not‑for‑profit society, registered under the Societies Act in the province of Alberta.  Our charity status with the federal government is pending, but the papers have been filed.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7466     This organization was created three years ago by a collective of junior and senior high school music teachers with the express purpose of supporting school music programs in a number of ways.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7467     As per the Societies Act, our entire board of seven are elected annually by our members, most of whom are music teachers in the Calgary region.  When I say "Calgary region", we are basically Olds to High River and Cochrane to Strathmore is where most of our members come from.  So it is not exclusively the city of Calgary; it is the Calgary area.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7468     Our board members are elected and none of us receive any kind of remuneration for this work.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7469     We support or music programs in a number of ways.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7470     We provide a mentoring program for young teachers.  We advocate for school music programs and important relevant issues that affect them.  We work on projects and partnerships with other organizations, such as the Alberta Band Association, Alberta Choral Federation.  We are in partnership with the Cantos Music Foundation in Calgary, and numerous others.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7471     We operate currently a program called The Jazz in Schools Program with support from California 103, formerly The Breeze operated by Newcap in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7472     Over the last number of years CADME has established itself as a leader in music education in Calgary.  A great example is the Jazz in Schools Program we spoke of, which really has had a profound impact in almost all the high schools in the city, literally transforming a number of these programs.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7473     It has been our intent, in conjunction with Star‑FM, to create a new program which would be specific to the support of our concert band and choir programs in schools within the city of Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7474     Star‑FM will be committing about a quarter of a million dollars over the next seven years to this endeavour.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7475     With our experience we have developed a process in order to maximize the effective use of those funds.  It is basically on how we run the Jazz in Schools Program.  Through that process we do have an application component that allows for teachers to identify needs very specific to their program and apply for project funding to assist in meeting those needs.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7476     We have criteria for applicants to define what is acceptable and what is not.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7477     We have developed an objective method for deciding which applications to approve and which to deny.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7478     We have a system in place to assist teachers who need help in preparing their applications and also in executing their plans.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7479     We have a monitoring and reporting process that ensures that all funds are spent responsibly and in accordance with the approved project.  And we maintain those records permanently.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7480     Our structure as an organization from its inception has required us to direct 100 percent of any funds received from either corporate, private or any other kind of donor sponsor to the direct benefit of music programs and the students enrolled in them.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7481     Any and all administrative costs that we incur as a society are covered through our membership fees.  In fact, those fees also generate extra funds that we put into our programming and to support of schools.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7482     In order to make maximum use of funds that are available, we regularly partner with other organizations in collaborative ventures.  We work, as I said before, with the ABA.  We have worked with the Calgary Jazz Society and a number of others in order to make the dollars that we have access to go furthest.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7483     Included in that, some of our criteria for funding include incentives and encouragement for collaborative efforts between multiple schools and programs, as well as funding from other sources.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7484     In addition to the obvious benefit to the school programs of another program to support their in‑class endeavours, the format of this station also includes a Sunday kids' program that will also be a great venue to showcase what is going on in our school programs and to raise the profile of those programs through better awareness in our community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7485     For those reasons, I fully support the application for Star‑FM.  And that's it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7486     Thank you very much.  I appreciate your time.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7487     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7488     Madam Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7489     THE SECRETARY:  I would now call on the next intervenor, which is Keystone Music.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7490     Could you please identify yourself and spell your name for the court reporter so that we have your proper name on the transcript.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7491     Thank you.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7492     MR. ROVERS:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7493     Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Commissioners.  My name is Mark Rovers, M‑a‑r‑k R‑o‑v‑e‑r‑s.  I am the Director of Finance of Keystone Music.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7494     This is Mr. Bryan Taylor, B‑r‑y‑a‑n T‑a‑y‑l‑o‑r.  He is the Director of Events and Programming for Keystone Music.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7495     I will give a very brief overview as to who and what we are and then I will turn the floor over to Bryan to outline why we support the Star‑FM application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7496     Very briefly, Keystone Music is a Calgary‑based, Calgary‑owned concert promotion company.  We promote live music events primarily in Calgary, more secondarily in Alberta, western Canada, and nationally.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7497     Calgary is our core market and in that core market we offer different types of concerts, primarily to an age 30‑and‑over crowd.  We have an acoustic series, which is run in a downtown based church that seats about 800 people, and again very tailored to a Soft Rock type format or soft listener type format.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7498     We have a dance party series, which is essentially large dinner‑dance type environments seating up to 1,600 people.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7499     We run a series of concerts at the major concert venues, the 2,500‑seat venues.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7500     We do a multitude of corporate events, private corporate events and outdoor events.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7501     In addition, many of our events are linked to the charity component.  For instance, we have a very large dance party happening next month here in Calgary and a couple of dollars from each ticket is being donated to music therapy.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7502     We are strong believers in being obviously financially viable, as we are a private corporation, in providing entertainment value to our customers and in giving back to the community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7503     These are values you see very strongly associated with Star‑FM as well.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7504     As far as artists, we promote a lot of Canadian talent.  Canadian talent ranges from small local bands that we would use as openers in our larger concerts to larger Canadian names such as Colin Linden and k.d.lang.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7505     We also have a lot of other popular artists, such as Lyle Lovett, and we do a fair amount of ethnic programming as well.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7506     That is a very brief overview as to who we are.  Obviously as concert promoters, we partner extensively with various media, including the radio stations.  We do a lot of advertising and try to really find and create unique types of events, to really be a difference to attract the consumer's spending dollar.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7507     With that very brief overview, I am going to turn the floor over to Bryan Taylor to explain why we support this particular application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7508     MR. TAYLOR:  Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Commissioners.  Welcome to Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7509     As Mark said, we are a Calgary‑based company.  We are the biggest promoter of original music performed by solo artists and musical groups in the Calgary market and the Alberta market.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7510     We focus a major part of our efforts on Alberta and Canadian talent, and quite frankly our type of music is underserved as far as the radio format to work with in the Alberta market, and especially Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7511     We do k.d.lang shows.   We have been working with her for years.  We will be doing her next tour.  Right now in the Calgary market, if I was to walk out and call all the radio stations in Calgary, I can't find a station in this market that plays her regularly and significantly.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7512     She has a new album coming out in April and the next tour will be in the fall.  So as a promoter we are already trying to figure out ways to publicize this wonderful Canadian artist without dollars at radio, because right now there isn't a format that plays her on a regular basis.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7513     As music promoters and part of my background is in artist management.  I lived in Nashville for five years and managed Emmylou Harris.  One of the most exciting parts of what I see with this Star‑FM application are the funds and the commitments they are looking to make to local and Canadian talent.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7514     I find it very exciting that they are actually going to spend hard dollars to help develop talent.  It is a part of our industry that always needs help and support.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7515     I look at this list of what they are spending money on.  The Aboriginal Scholarship Program to me is very exciting as one of the artists I managed in years past was an Aboriginal artist named Laura Vinson.  I can tell you again from experience there is not a commercial radio station in Alberta that consistently plays aboriginal music.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7516     It is a large part of our culture.  You have the Aboriginal Achievement Awards that I believe CBC broadcasts every year.  And I find it rather odd and unfortunate that no commercial radio station in this market significantly plays aboriginal artists.  It is something that should be happening.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7517     I also find it very exciting that Star‑FM is going to be writing actual cheques to artists to come and perform Calgary‑based events and festivals.  That way the money goes right into the artist's pocket.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7518     I am so tied to artists, and have been all my career, that seeing the money go directly to artists so that they can use that money to develop their careers to me is very significant.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7519     To me a very important part of what the Star‑FM application is, as well, is all of these gentlemen live in the market.  As a promoter I get to see many music chains or radio chains operate in this market.  Quite frankly, a lot of the decisions are made in other areas of the country on what they do.  I find them very slow and not very responsive to local marketing and programming needs.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7520     In conclusion, I would just like to say that from what I have heard here today so far and from what my research has led me to believe and understand from all these other applications, the Star‑FM far and away has the strongest commitment to local and Canadian‑based talent in terms of programming and in terms of hard dollars.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7521     Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7522     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7523     Madam Secretary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7524     THE SECRETARY:  I would now call on Mr. Williamson to present his intervention.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7525     You have ten minutes for your presentation.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7526     MR. WILLIAMSON:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7527     My name is Lanny Williamson.  I am an old time radio guy and now I'm a crusty old music guy.  I am here to support the talent part, which to me is really important.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7528     I started out in radio in the late 1950s at CHUC Radio in Cobourg, moved on to CHUM in Toronto, then to CHFI.  After that I spent a few years in London, England, working with EMI, Phillips, places like that.  I opened up my own studio in Toronto, called Chelsea Sound.  In 1972 I moved to the United States, working in New York, Nashville, Miami and 14 years in Los Angeles building a studio called CanAm Recorders.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7529     Some of my clients were Burt Reynolds, Clint Eastwood, Toto, Fleetwood Mac.  I worked on "Apocalypse Now" for two and a half years; Oscar Peterson, Black Sabbath.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7530     That's the crusty part.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7531     I guess the real reason I am here is because of the fact that Star has really gone the distance in allowing somebody from the industry to decide or to create a method of spending the $2 million that they have, and that is the big difference.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7532     In my experience over the years, most radio stations have had a lot of money to spend on Canadian talent and promotion and it tended to go into promoting and marketing the station as opposed to going into the artists themselves.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7533     Battle of the Bands contests only made the stations look better.  The guy that won the free guitar from winning the Battle of the Bands might never be in the business.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7534     We are seeing a whole different approach from Star‑FM to administrating this money and being sure that it goes the right way to the right people.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7535     Vince brought me onboard because his vision for the station really was very strong.  The music style has been totally abandoned in this marketplace and the way that they are going to be handling putting the money back into the market is so much more intelligent.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7536     The radio industry feeds on the talent but seldom replenishes that feeding frenzy.  This station is going to be the one that actually does something with the return to the industry.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7537     If we can through the next seven years find another k.d.lang or Phil Collins or somebody in the marketplace that would be bringing back more focus to us, that would be a winning situation for all of us.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7538     I would be glad to take questions from anybody.  This is my expertise.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7539     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Mr. Langford.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7540     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  I do have a question for you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7541     I wonder ‑‑ and I think we have played with this issue over the last few days.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7542     Depending on how you look at the market, there is either an opportunity or a bad history and maybe you can help us with it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7543     Obviously if you just walk in and you look at it out of context, you say to yourself there is an opportunity here.  There is this whole demographic you have just been speaking about and they are not being served.  They have lots of money and they've got needs.  So let's serve them.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7544     The other side of the coin may be why did all these people abandon this demographic?  Maybe you just can't make a buck at it.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7545     Can you give me some guidance as to how we should be looking at the phenomena of all this format change in Calgary?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7546     MR. WILLIAMSON:  I don't think it is much different than my side of the business when we are working with various other recording acts.  It seems to be more sensible to run after the most popular thing at the time.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7547     In the case of music, it's Hip Hop and it's Rock and Roll and it's Heavy Metal.  Those are the things that people kind of screen towards.  In the meantime, there has been a huge precedent set.  There is 50, 60 years of music that has a strong foundation and that music is kind of pushed aside over this time.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7548     Unfortunately, our music, the music that has been so successful in the past, is not at the forefront.  And developing new artists like Diana Krall and Michael Buble might seem to be not a big deal, but they sell a lot of records.  They entertain a lot of people and they make a lot of people happy.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7549     I don't think there is anything wrong with working with a market that isn't so popular.  It's big.  It's appreciated.  And it has tremendous merit.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7550     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  So the opportunity is there.  It is just that somebody has to mine it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7551     MR. WILLIAMSON:  Nobody does it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7552     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7553     Can I ask a question ‑‑ and I've lost total control of the agenda here ‑‑ to the two gentlemen in the middle who do event planning.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7554     Give me a name.  Taylor, isn't it?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7555     What about the market for Folk music here in Calgary?  You have this huge Folk Festival.  We have a number of applicants who seem to be nibbling.  Some want to take a big bite and some want to take small bites.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7556     There seems to be interest in Folk.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7557     From your experience as event planners, I guess I could categorize you ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7558     MR. TAYLOR:  Concert promoters.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7559     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7560     Is that market there or is it just a kind of market that kind of exists underground with a kind of happy bunch of fans and kind of goes under its own steam?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7561     MR. TAYLOR:  It's a very good market.  It might be a bit of a narrow market, but the fans are very committed.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7562     The concert series that Mr. Rovers referred to we run at Knox United Church, which is just a couple of blocks from here, is geared right at the Folk market.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7563     A large segment of the Folk music audience are females over 30, 35 years old, which I believe is the target market for this application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7564     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7565     Those are my questions, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7566     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Gentlemen, thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7567     We will take a 15‑minute break.  So we will be back at a quarter to 11:00.

‑‑‑ Upon recessing at 1030 / Suspension à 1030

‑‑‑ Upon resuming at 1100 / Reprise à 1100

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7568     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Order, please.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7569     Madam Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7570     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7571     We would now call on the next three appearing intervenors.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7572     For the record, I would like to indicate that Mr. Eric Friedenberg, which is intervention 741, will not be appearing.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7573     Therefore, I would call on Mr. Willie Connell, Dave Jones and Colin Jackson.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7574     Starting with Mr. Willie Connell, you will have ten minutes for your presentation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7575     MR. NIKEL:  David Jones is not here.  It is John Nikel.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7576     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7577     MR. CONNELL:  Good morning.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7578     Mr. Chairman, Members of the Commission, thank you for allowing me to speak before you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7579     My name is Willie Connell.  I am the Executive Director of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Festival.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7580     I have been in music and music education all my life.  I am a third generation music teacher.  I taught for 12 years at the high school music level and I was a music supervisor for five years.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7581     During my education tenure, I was seconded by the Department of Education in Manitoba to help implement and develop the new music curriculum for the junior high and high school music programs.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7582     I have been involved in the retail music industry.  I have been involved in the wholesale music industry.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7583     I am here to support the Pattison application for an FM licence.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7584     I would like to start on a personal note, and that is that I support the Soft Vocal format.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7585     Although I don't live right in the city of Calgary any more, I do listen to the Calgary radio stations.  As I have sat here and I have listened to comments about the stats and all that of radio, I'm sorry, I know nothing about radio other than listening to it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7586     I would love to turn on my radio ‑‑ I think this microphone is causing problems, is it not?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7587     Maybe I will stay back a little further.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7588     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  You could certainly move over to another chair, if you like.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7589     MR. CONNELL:  All right.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7590     I would love to be able to turn on my radio and hear melodies that I could sing along to.  I would love to be able to turn on my radio and hear lyrics that I understood and that made sense.  I would love to turn on my radio and hear music, not just rhythm.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7591     I support this format because I think that is the kind of music that people my age want to hear, and I would strongly suggest that people in Calgary ‑‑ because we are a large part of the demographics of this city, people around my age ‑‑ this is the kind of music we want to hear on the radio.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7592     Although I support this format, the main reason for my appearance before you this morning is to emphasize the importance of the Save the Music Foundation, which is an integral part of this application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7593     Let us be quite clear.  This is not just a project that satisfies the requirements of this application.  This foundation, which will develop Canadian talent, goes far and beyond that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7594     The Save the Music Foundation has the potential to change music and music education in our provinces.  By supporting music education, you will improve the quality and the volume of Canadian talent.  But as you also hear, improving music programs will do much more.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7595     The purpose of this foundation is not to provide funds to operate music programs.  That is the responsibility of our provincial governments.  Hopefully, they will see fit to increase funding to education in our provinces.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7596     The Save the Music Foundation will enhance and enrich music programs by supporting new initiatives for teachers and students, by developing new learning and performance programs and by instituting new performance opportunities to help develop Canadian talent.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7597     All of these initiatives will of course meet the Commission's criteria for the development of Canadian talent.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7598     The Save the Music Foundation will operate at arm's length from the Pattison Broadcast Group, with a board of directors in conjunction with the Canadian Rocky Mountain Festival.  This board of directors will at all times be cognizant of the Commission's criteria to operate the foundation within the rules of the CRTC.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7599     The Canadian Rocky Mountain Festival, now in its 15th year, takes place annually in Banff.  This festival is one of the most respected and prestigious festivals in Canada.  The festival will be an integral part of the Save the Music Foundation and will give the foundation instant credibility and acceptance by music programs across western Canada.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7600     The foundation will utilize and enhance many of the programs presently offered by the festival, programs such as "TPDP", which is a mentoring program; clinics and performance programs for students; and unique concert opportunities for performing groups.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7601     The financial support of the foundation will enable us to expand these programs right across both provinces, as well as add new initiatives for travel, performance and new programs, such as The Best of the West.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7602     The Canadian Rocky Mountain Festival has a proven track record.  Students who have attended the festival have gone on to a variety of performance careers, from performing with Maynard Ferguson's big band to Stella Salido, who performed on Broadway in the production of "Les Miserables" for two years; from Linda Brown, who is a local permanent member of the Calgary Philharmonic; to Russ Broom, who is Jan Arden's guitar player; from Pat Beliveau touring with the Dorsey Big Band; to the Cherko Brothers touring with Shania Twain.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7603     If you are serious about developing Canadian talent long term, you must get to the grassroots.  You must get to music programs.  You must get to the kids.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7604     The Save the Music Foundation, in conjunction with the Canadian Rocky Mountain Festival, already has a lot of these components in place.  We have the administration. We have the programs.  We have the philosophy.  We have the contacts.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7605     The foundation can hit the road running, so to speak.  Right away we can start helping programs.  We can start to develop Canadian talent right across western Canada.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7606     The point I would like to stress is how encompassing this foundation will be.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7607     The foundation has the potential of working with 300,000 music students.  If you want to develop Canadian talent, I can think of no better way to do it than working with 300,000 music kids.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7608     Also, the foundation will be supporting all forms of music, both vocal and instrumental.  Every genre of music will be affected, from Pop to Rock, from Jazz to Classical, from Folk to Country.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7609     Even though this application is for a Soft Vocal format, the Save the Music Foundation will be supporting all styles of music, which is in fact I think essential to the survival of this industry.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7610     The importance of music education is now well documented.  We know music students achieve higher SAT scores than non‑music students.  We know music students receive more academic awards than non‑music students.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7611     Music students have the lowest use of drugs and alcohol of anyone in the school.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7612     Music students also have more self‑esteem than the majority of other students.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7613     Sixty‑seven percent of music majors in university go into medicine.  This is by far the highest percentage of any faculty in universities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7614     Last week I was reading an article on the Silicon Valley and a sentence just popped right out at me.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7615     I quote:

"The very best engineers and technical designers in the Silicon Valley industry are, nearly without exception, musicians."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7616     By supporting music programs, you will not only develop Canadian talent but you will help to develop a strong society.  These music kids will become the leaders in every area of our future society.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7617     It is no secret why companies like Intel or IBM, Texas Instruments, Microsoft or even Nassau search out kids with a music background.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7618     If some of the most successful companies in North America who have nothing to do with music are seeking out kids with music background, doesn't that tell us something?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7619     I think it does.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7620     The Save the Music Foundation will be a living organization which will adjust and adapt to the needs of young musicians.  We will develop new programs tailored to helping those young superstars.  We will work in partnership with school districts, community and church organizations, parents and students.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7621     With your approval of this foundation and if we do our job, my hope is that this foundation will be around a lot longer than we will be around.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7622     When the Save the Music Foundation starts to really take effect, what you will see is a growth of strong music programs.  As teachers improve, programs will become more successful, which will in turn attract more kids to music.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7623     With the help of the foundation, we may even see 400,000 or 500,000 kids involved in music in our provinces.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7624     As the pool of music students grows, so too will the volume of Canadian talent.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7625     Across North America only 3 percent of music students become professional musicians.  The other 97 percent of music students may not be performers, but they will have a strong influence on this industry.  It is a documented fact that music students listen to music 50 percent more than non‑music students.  Not only do they listen to more music, they listen to a greater variety of music.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7626     It is these music students that will listen to the radio more than anyone else.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7627     With the support of the Save the Music Foundation, not only will you see an increase in Canadian talent but you will also see an increase in your listening public because these music students will be there.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7628     Finally, it is important to note music students listen to music for life.  Music is the engine that drives the radio broadcast industry.  By supporting this Pattison application and the development of this unbelievable Save the Music Foundation, you are in essence guaranteeing your future industry's survival.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7629     I have spoken about improving music programs and developing Canadian talent.  They are one and the same.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7630     The Canadian Rocky Mountain Festival is proud to be involved with this foundation.  We have seen over the last 15 years what happens when music programs are given that extra help.  We have seen the results when talented young Canadians are given the opportunity to perform.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7631     THE SECRETARY:  Excuse me, Mr. Connell.  If you could wrap up, your ten minutes is up.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7632     MR. CONNELL:  Yes, I will.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7633     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7634     MR. CONNELL:  I guess in wrapping up I get a little excited here, and I apologize.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7635     I have been in music all my life.  I have seen initiatives come and go.  I have never seen an initiative like this.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7636     I would like to explain, but I guess I don't have time.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7637     This will work because it has long‑term goals.  It has long‑term programs.  It is supported by a company that truly believes in improving music education and developing Canadian talent.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7638     For the first time in my 35 years that I have been in the business, a serious program has come from a major Canadian company.  Finally, someone has come up to bat.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7639     As the old song says, "I think things are going to get bigger."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7640     I just can't say how much I am excited and how ‑‑ I just don't have the word for it; that the potential is immense for what this program can do.  This has never happened before.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7641     Please don't let this slip by.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7642     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7643     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Connell.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7644     We will hear the next intervention.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7645     THE SECRETARY:  The next intervention would be for Mr. Colin Jackson.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7646     Either Mr. Jackson or Mr. Nikel.  Please identify yourself, whichever one is going to go first.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7647     Mr. Nikel?  Thank you.  You have ten minutes for your presentation.

INTERVENTION


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7648     MR. NIKEL:  My name is John Nikel and I am the President of the Alberta International Band Festivals.  I have brought you a program because presently our festival is running at the University of Calgary, and we have over 8,000 young students participating, high school students and university students.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7649     If you would like to have a look at what music education does, I would gladly take you to the university, if you have time, and to show you what is happening in the trenches.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7650     I have been the Yamaha distributor.  I have been a retailer all my life, but I have been the Yamaha distributor for band instruments in Alberta.  One thing, when I took on the product line 40 years ago, that Yamaha taught me is that if you wish that your customers play your instruments, you must teach them how to use them.  This is the secret and this is, I don't have to tell you, Yamaha's secret around the world:  education comes first.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7651     The festival that I represent has a festival of 7,000 students in Edmonton, so we are over 15,000 to 16,000 of us.  The Edmonton festival will start in the middle of March.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7652     And the participation is still growing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7653     I am speaking in support of application No. 6, the Pattison Broadcast Group, of course.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7654     Why support music education?  Students learn some basic fundamentals.  Really basic has to be understood.  They get together with other band members.  A band starts together and a band finishes together.  They learn discipline.  They watch other players.  They learn how to listen.  And they become usually much better math students, because they have to count.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7655     Those are the basics that have to be understood why the primary music education is so important.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7656     The second part is if we want symphonies, theatres, music productions, concerts and so on to have an audience, you have to educate the audience.  You have to help and we have to.  Then they know why they buy concert tickets and why they go to a concert: because they have learned and they know who the composers are, who the musicians are, who the artists are.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7657     The school boards unfortunately, although we cannot take away, will provide for every school that desires a building, a teacher and some instruments.  But what they don't do is what a music program, every small or large, requires, which is they need performance venues, festivals like this, festivals like the Rocky Mountain Festival.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7658     They have to exchange with other bands.  They have to go from one province to the other and see what is happening in the other provinces.  They have to travel.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7659     And of course some instruments.  But the instruments ‑‑ this is all secondary, because if we do the first thing and start teaching, the parents and everybody else comes in and helps.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7660     We also notice in our festival ‑‑ there is a whole page of it ‑‑ that adults are starting to play more and more.  Adults are buying more instruments and adults come into community bands.  Saturday and Sundays, always our community Sunday, and we have community bands from British Columbia, from the United States.  They sometimes travel hours and hours on a bus just to come to the festival to play because they want a performing venue.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7661     I interject a little story because you might be interested in it.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7662     For three years we had a young lady come to our festival from Consort, Alberta, and her name was Kathy Lang.  She performed right here in Calgary at our festival at least three times.  After the third year, now Senator Tommy Bangs, who was my jazz adjudicator at that time, said, "This will be a star."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7663     He took her under his wings and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts cut her first record.  And today we have a star.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7664     But funds are required to finance these educational activities.  Therefore, I welcome so much the Pattison Broadcast proposal to assist monetary in B.C. and Alberta with the financing of some of the primary musical education.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7665     You see, writing a cheque is not always the issue.  If you as a sponsor and a radio station write a cheque and then you say "that's it, I have done my share", you only have done half of it.  You have to involve your own people.  You have to involve your own staff.  You have to volunteer your announcers for concerts, to be master of ceremonies, and to interact.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7666     I have noticed ‑‑ and there are some limited stations that do it.  I'm not saying that all stations don't.  But it is a very, very small percentage.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7667     I could never understand why the broadcast industry did not support, and today does not support, more that primary music education we are speaking about.  The product that they sell is music, and I as a retailer, that is what I sell.  So the radio station sells music.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7668     Well, how do you think music is being created?  By education and by buying some instruments and having some good instruments played.  Otherwise, nothing happens.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7669     Therefore, I believe that the Save the Music Education is a very, very timely proposal and should be supported.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7670     This proposal will help to produce and play more Canadian music, and we must support the Pattison Group and the proposal for Save the Music Foundation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7671     Furthermore, I believe that the commitment of the Pattison Group is very honest and the group has the finances to back such a program over the next few years.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7672     Many young Canadians will be very grateful to you if you approve the Pattison application, and this could become the formula and example for other broadcasters to join and help Canada's youth.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7673     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7674     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7675     Madam Secretary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7676     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7677     I would now call on Mr. Colin Jackson to make his presentation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7678     You have ten minutes to do so.  Thank you.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7679     MR. JACKSON:  Mr. Chairman and Commissioners, my name is Colin Jackson.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7680     I am the President of the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts here in Calgary, and in that role I am deeply involved and passionate about the development of the creative capacity within all Calgarians, all southern Albertans, all Albertans.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7681     I am not going to comment on the format because Willie pled with you that you give him a format in which there are lyrics along with which he could sing.  It is beyond your power to give me a format with lyrics along with which I could sing.  That would depend upon divine intervention.  I know the Commission is very powerful and very important but, with respect, I would suggest that turning me into a singer is beyond even your capacity.  So I won't go there.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7682     I will go to four points, one of them that has been touched upon ‑‑ not touched upon but spoken to with great eloquence by my colleagues, which is how remarkably thoughtful the community contribution is that the Pattison Group is proposing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7683     They are talking about working in a long horizon with organizations whose passion ‑‑ and my goodness, you can hear the passion.  These guys are just goofy for music and for education, and it's true, I am here to testify.  I am not part of their organization.  I observe their organization and they are true hearts and true spirits.  They've got rhythm and they can sing.  But anyway...

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7684     The thoughtfulness is that they are working with organizations of this kind who are deeply involved in the up in students becoming ever more skilled and those with the capability to be professional, becoming professional.  But they are also interested in the out in getting ever more young people involved in the making of music, in learning that divine gift that everybody has ‑‑ except perhaps me ‑‑ of being able to express themselves through those languages, through rhythm and form.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7685     This notion of out, of casting as broad a net as possible, of encouraging people by cross‑connecting them through festivals, by giving them the kind of expert leadership that can occur in a festival, by giving their teachers the kind of confidence that comes from seeing that they are not the only lonely soul believing in this ‑‑ there is in fact a movement; there is in fact a depth of care about music.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7686     So a very thoughtful, very interesting contribution back to the community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7687     Three other reasons, a little more directly self‑interested.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7688     There is mention in the application of a fulltime arts and culture editor.  That could be a very exciting addition to the Calgary and southern Alberta airwaves.  One would expect that editor would be involved in promotion, and that's good.  But it may be that that editor will also go into analysis and research.  If that is the case, that would be extremely helpful:  another point at which thinking is undertaken and then distributed about the growing and changing nature of arts and culture in our communities.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7689     A third point.  As a western Canadian, I am very appreciative of a notion that this may be a western‑based operation.  And underneath that the notion of diversity of ownership; that this is a corporation that does have some media interest but not in large markets.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7690     Therefore, there is a diversity of ownership within Calgary that would come through this application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7691     And the fourth ‑‑ and this is a little abstract.  But I kind of find it attractive that this application would be into our larger city based upon a network of existing operations in smaller cities; in Medicine Hat and other places.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7692     I don't know the inner workings of the corporation and to what extent that truth would feed this station.  But it is possible that this application would allow a greater inflow of understanding, of world view, of point of view from some of those smaller centres in Alberta who now feel very much that they are the places talked to from the heights of Calgary and Edmonton as opposed to places that are in a conversation with Calgary and Edmonton.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7693     So four reasons.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7694     But to go back to the original, I have great confidence in the Rocky Mountain Music Festival.  I have seen their work.  They are true hearts.  They are true spirits.  And this is a thoughtful way for this corporation to be involved in our community.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7695     Thank you so much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7696     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7697     Mrs. del Val.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7698     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  I just want to thank you for the intervention.  I found it very helpful.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7699     And Mr. Connell, I found that the statistics that you gave were most interesting; very helpful.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7700     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7701     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Gentlemen, thank you very much.  You have made very convincing interventions.  We may not have questions to ask because you said it all.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7702     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7703     MR. JACKSON:  Perfect.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7704     MR. CONNELL:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7705     MR. NIKEL:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7706     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Madam Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7707     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7708     We will now proceed with the next intervenor.  I would call on Mr. Ken Regan of the CKUA Radio Network, if you would please come to the front.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7709     Mr. Regan provided a copy of his presentation earlier.

‑‑‑ Pause

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7710     THE SECRETARY:  Mr. Regan, you will have ten minutes for your presentation.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7711     MR. REGAN:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7712     Mr. Chairman and Commissioners, thank you very much for this opportunity.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7713     Because CKUA has been asked to respond to both of our interventions during this segment, we would like to begin with the intervention to application 2005‑0893‑9 filed by Mr. Yadwinder Sivia.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7714     Before I begin, though, I would like to introduce the gentlemen who accompanied me here.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7715     On my right, your left, is Mr. Kodeep Singh Heer(ph), who is the President of Sur Sangam Radio.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7716     On my left, and your right, is Mr. Gursheran Singh Butar(ph) of Guldasta Broadcasting.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7717     These gentlemen are partners of CKUA Radio in our SCMO operations and this intervention.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7718     For the record, Sur Sangam Radio produces east Asian community programming in Calgary using CKUA's 93.7 FM SCMO frequency.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7719     First, CKUA and our SCMO partners were a bit surprised following the original call for application in CRTC 2005‑49, Appendix A as attached.  We saw that the applicant's application for an ethnic FM licence was to be considered and we were surprised, because the original public notice did not specifically reference any call for an ethnic licence.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7720     That has frequently been the case previously; that there would be a specific all for ethnic licences.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7721     Frankly, we respectfully believe that that should have been the case.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7722     In Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2004‑55, attached there as Appendix B, the Commission issued a call for applications in Vancouver and clearly stated a call for an ethnic licence.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7723     Similarly, in Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2001‑39, Appendix C that you have there, the Commission again issued a call for applications in Toronto and again specifically referenced a call for ethnic licence applicants.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7724     We appreciate the responsibility for each of us to fully understand the nature of public notices from the Commission, but we would hope as well that the Commission can appreciate that had the specificity around calls for ethnic licences not been past practice, Radio Sur Sangam might better have anticipated an application that could have direct or potentially detrimental impact on its own existing services and might at least have considered filing application for such a licence.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7725     As it was, we were admittedly and rightly or wrongly caught somewhat off guard by the consideration of an FM ethnic broadcast licence.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7726     We would suggest that if the Commission believes that additional ethnic services might be warranted in Calgary, it would not be inappropriate to defer consideration of the current ethnic licence application and issue a separate and specific call for ethnic broadcast licences for Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7727     In fairness to the current applicant and to prevent any further expense or inconvenience on their part, we believe they should be given the option to be considered to have already submitted or to resubmit, if they choose.  But at least other interested parties would have a full and clear opportunity to be considered as well.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7728     Having said that, CKUA and our partners in the SCMO undertaking known as Radio Sur Sangam do not believe that there is such a need for additional ethnic services in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7729     Radio Sur Sangam is serving the community well, despite limitations which might exist with SCMO multiplex technology.  Evidence of their service, their exemplary service, and the appreciation of it within Calgary is provided by a sampling of recent letters of support from the community and from visitors and officials who participated with Radio Sur Sangam in its efforts, in Appendix D.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7730     Further evidence of the support for Radio Sur Sangam and its services is seen in the results of Radio Sur Sangam's fund raising efforts on behalf of its community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7731     In the past two years alone, Radio Sur Sangam has raised almost half a million dollars for humanitarian and other community causes.  In five hours in November 2004, Radio Sur Sangam raised $321,000 for Alberta Children's Hospital.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7732     In January 2005, Radio Sur Sangam raised over $50,000 for Canadian Red Cross tsunami relief.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7733     In October of that year, they raised another $50,000 for victims of the Pakistani earthquake and in November of that year raised an additional $10,000 for earthquake relief.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7734     The success of these humanitarian efforts, despite the limitations of SCMO technology, speaks more eloquently than my words to the respect and appreciation which Calgary's ethnic community and its broader community have for Radio Sur Sangam.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7735     The community would not respond to such an extent or in such a manner, no matter how worthy the cause, if they did not have confidence in and respect for this service and those who represent it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7736     In addition to that ‑‑ and I won't belabour the issue here ‑‑ Radio Sur Sangam's ownership and staff are residents of this community.  They live here.  Their children go to school here.  They shop here.  This is their community.  Their interest is driven not by commercial interests solely.  It is driven by community service.  Undoubtedly they are trying to build a commercial success, but in doing so they are doing it in an effort to ensure viability.  They live here and they are committed to this community.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7737     Another example of this is the free airtime that Radio Sur Sangam offers to promote the causes, events and activities of many non‑profit and charitable organizations in Calgary, its outstanding local community support, and is provided again because the owners and the operators of Radio Sur Sangam live in the community and have a stake in making it a better place.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7738     We would submit that, taken together, these facts illustrate the ethnic community of Calgary is being served well by Radio Sur Sangam, and we acknowledge the fine work of other existing ethnic broadcasters in this community as well.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7739     We believe that combined with these other existing services and based on the evidence and arguments presented, there is no overriding need for a commercially licensed ethnic broadcaster in Calgary, at least not at this time.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7740     In our original intervention, CKUA and our partners indicated that entry of a new FM ethnic broadcaster into Calgary would jeopardize existing ethnic services provided through SCMO technology.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7741     In response, representatives from Mr. Sivia, the applicant, pointed out that it has never been the Commission's role to protect unlicensed or unregulated entities from competition.  They referenced instances in Vancouver and Surrey, British Columbia, where the Commission licensed two ethnic services despite the fact the market was being served by SCMO channels.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7742     They referenced a similar decision with respect to services in Montreal and Toronto.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7743     Because the applicant didn't indicate specifically which of the Commission's decisions were being referenced, we can't be sure which decision to respond to.  But we will say this.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7744     In CRTC Decision 2005‑338 concerning an application for an AM ethnic broadcast licence in Vancouver, and in CRTC Decision 2003‑115 concerning an application for an FM ethnic broadcast licence in Toronto, licences were granted to persons who had for years operated SCMO services in those regions and on behalf of their communities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7745     We have reference material there in Appendix F.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7746     We believe it is also noteworthy that in each of the above‑referenced decisions the Commission ultimately chose to award new ethnic licences to SCMO providers.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7747     CKUA firmly believes Calgary's ethnic community is being well served by the services currently in existence.  We don't quarrel with others' opinions to the contrary; we simply differ.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7748     CKUA and our SCMO partners who serve this community believe that in these decisions, as in its past decisions, the Commission wishes to apply equanimity and fairness to the process.  We believe it is possible to do that through the following.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7749     Allow Radio Sur Sangam and other existing ethnic broadcasters in Calgary time to build upon their record with and on behalf of the ethnic community before issuing any call for new ethnic licences.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7750     Second, defer any consideration or any further consideration of application 0893‑9 until a separate and specific call for ethnic broadcast licences is deemed necessary or appropriate.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7751     Mr. Chairman, that is our response on the first intervention.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7752     I hope that I can speak to the second one.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7753     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Yes.  If I may, I don't know if you were here when Newcap appeared.  They did mention that they triggered the call by filing during the year 2004 for the Calgary market.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7754     Obviously when the Commission issued its call for application, they issued a call for commercial radio in the market.  I have to say that the application filed by Yadwinder Sivia came to the Commission in response to that call.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7755     The Commission has also, as you know, received up to 16 ‑‑ not 16, but ten applications altogether.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7756     Your SCMO partners could have had filed at the same time even if there was no mention that it was for ethnic, like any French broadcaster could have done it.  I didn't see any.  But they could have done it on the same occasion.  It is an open process.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7757     We will take into consideration the remarks that you just made, and they will be part of our deliberations.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7758     But the call for applications was as open as it can.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7759     We will now hear you for your second intervention.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7760     MR. REGAN:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7761     With respect to the Rawlco Radio intervention, I have to confess that I am a little conflicted about this, so I hope you will bear with me.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7762     I am conflicted because when CKUA filed our original intervention, we intervened against Rawlco because it seemed to represent the greatest potential threat to CKUA should its licence application be approved.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7763     The Folk and Roots content, the artists' playlist, which mirrors much of CKUA's Folk and Roots playlist, and the somewhat expanded annotation format, are all elements reflective at least of CKUA Radio programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7764     In preparing for this opportunity to speak to you, I again realized that the fact is Rawlco is no more and no less a threat to CKUA than any of the applications before you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7765     The real threat remains a regulatory framework that handicaps community‑based broadcasters like CKUA and really precludes us from competing on an equal footing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7766     Audience fragmentation is a product of competition and it is a reality we all face as broadcasters.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7767     CKUA, like our colleagues in this room, tries to work harder, work smarter, provide a better, more desirable product than our competitors in order to counter the potential erosion of audience that is possible with every new licensee in a market or every new technological innovation that gives consumers an alternative option to radio.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7768     We have to remember that no matter how many different ways we slice the pie and no matter how many different names we give each piece of the pie, there is still only one pie, and we are all trying to get a piece of it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7769     At CKUA we believe absolutely that we have a product that can compete and we are prepared to face any challenge providing the playing field is level.  But it is not and here's why.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7770     At CKUA we face all of the same competitive pressures that each of my colleagues here faces: increased competition, audience fragmentation, technological change, rising costs.  That is not a problem for us.  We must also compete for audience, the same way my colleagues here must do so.  And that is not a problem either.  That's just appropriate.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7771     The problem is that while CKUA has to meet these challenges and while CKUA must compete for the same audiences as each of my colleagues here, we and other community and campus broadcasters have to do so essentially with one hand tied behind our backs.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7772     Unlike my colleagues in private radio, CKUA and other community and campus stations are restricted in how much advertising we can sell.  So even if we wanted to compete head‑to‑head with private broadcasters on that basis, we could not.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7773     And I am not saying that we necessarily want to.  The Commission itself has indicated that more commercial advertising is not the salvation for community broadcasting in Canada.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7774     Moreover, unlike the tax‑funded CBC, CKUA receives no government subsidy of any kind, yet we still have to compete with a CBC that increasingly makes incursions into areas of niche broadcasting that have been the mainstay and forte of community and campus radio.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7775     For example, the recent insertion of music programming into CBC Radio One's prime time daytime schedule.  The programming is not unlike something that might be heard on community or campus radio and is a far cry from the traditional information programming that should be the mandate for the publicly funded but increasingly private operating broadcaster.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7776     Adding severe insult to injury is the fact that CBC now uses its national network, my tax dollars and those of my colleagues here today, as a national platform to promote its American satellite partner, a partner that is in direct competition with CKUA and all other private campus and community broadcasters in Canada.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7777     This is not only patently unfair; it is frankly outrageous.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7778     Worse still, it has the potential to erode further and in particular the audiences for campus and community radio whose niche programming product has been adopted by satellite radio, commercialized and leveraged a hundred‑fold.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7779     I want to say right now that neither I nor CKUA is seeking sympathy.  What we are hoping for is understanding of the reality facing community‑based broadcasters like CKUA and we are seeking constructive change.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7780     The Broadcasting Act itself stipulates that community broadcasting is one of the fundamental components of broadcasting in this country.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7781     I hope you will forgive me for shifting the focus of the discussion a little bit from what you thought it might have been, but as I pointed out earlier the critical issue for CKUA ‑‑ and I think for other community and campus broadcasters ‑‑ is not simply Rawlco.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7782     The point here is that at one time campus and community broadcasters had market potential because they were incorporating, developing and exploiting formats and artists, traditional commercial broadcasters and the CBC astute.  That is no longer the case.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7783     The fact that Rawlco is seeking a second licence to address a niche market potential, the advent of niche‑driven satellite radio, the move by CBC to add niche music programming to its prime time AM radio schedule, are evidence of the targeting of community radio's traditional markets and the further erosion and fragmentation taking place within that market.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7784     The campus and community radio sector is and should be prepared to compete with any other broadcaster in this country, or on this planet for that matter.  If we are diligent, fiscally responsible, innovative and respectful and true to our audiences, we will not only compete, we can thrive.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7785     But we can't continue to be forced to compete while handicapped by the regulatory framework that exists today.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7786     The problem from CKUA's perspective is that much of the erosion today is taking place specifically at our expense.  As we have pointed out to the Commission on numerous occasions, because CKUA survives on voluntary listener donations, not tax subsidy, erosion of audience represents a direct threat to our viability and our sustainability.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7787     So even though we frankly would prefer not to intervene when our friends at Rawlco or other commercial broadcasters ‑‑ for whom we have great respect ‑‑ make these applications, we have little choice because again, unlike the CBC, we receive no direct government subsidy and unlike our friends in private broadcasting, we are restricted as to how much advertising we can sell.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7788     Still, we must compete and we must preserve our audience because in most instances they are our primary source of revenue.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7789     There is a solution.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7790     CKUA would at this time request once again that the Commission give strong consideration and support to CKUA's call for establishment of a community radio fund to support non‑profit broadcasters in this country.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7791     This fund could be financed fully, not by taxpayers, but rather by diverting just some, a portion, of the current surpluses created under Part II licensing fees paid by private broadcasters.  At least in this way some of those monies would be reinvested in a sector of Canada's broadcasting industry that needs it, and ideally, the remaining surpluses should appropriately be returned to the broadcasters themselves.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7792     Alternatively, BDUs (broadcast distribution undertakings) who now distribute radio signals, including CKUA's on Shaw Cable, Star Choice, satellite, now Telus, who distribute these as a value‑added incentive to their customers but pay no fee to the originating broadcaster might be encouraged by the Commission or perhaps even my colleagues here to contribute a portion of their revenues towards supporting community radio in Canada.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7793     At the very least, if American‑owned serious satellite radio is going to be supported and promoted by our public broadcaster on the public airwaves while in direct competition with both private and community broadcasters, the least they could do is support a segment of Canada's broadcast industry, which, as I say, is already disadvantaged.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7794     We are not asking for handouts.  As stated in previous submissions, the community radio fund would only be accessed by non‑profit broadcasters on a matching grant basis if the formula that we propose was adopted, on a matching grant basis equivalent to what the broadcaster earned in donations from its audience.  This system of funding provides for complete accountability and forces community broadcasters to be as relevant and responsible as they can be to their constituents.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7795     We believe that CKUA's proposal is not only a viable solution for the problems outlined above, it is a formula, I believe, for improving and preserving community broadcasting in Canada and I would encourage the Commission to support it because as stated previously the issue here is not Rawlco, it's not Pattison Group and it's not CHUM, the issue here is one of systemic inequity.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7796     That concludes my comments and I thank you very much for your indulgence and the opportunity to speak to you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7797     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Regan.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7798     Mr. Langford.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7799     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Mr. Regan, I have some concerns with what you said, and particularly in your last intervention, but it was clearly said and I appreciate that.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7800     You made much of the fact that you can't compete evenly in the sense of ad sales.  It seems to me that not very long ago we increased the amount of advertising that Canadian Campus Radio could sell.  Have you sold out your inventory?  Do you need more time?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7801     MR. REGAN:  No.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7802     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  No.  I didn't think you would have somehow.  I mean just from ‑‑ it was a good guess, I thought.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7803     MR. REGAN:  Yes.  And to be honest, we are not really interested in selling it out.  We are restricted to 504 minutes, I think, at the moment.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7804     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Mm‑hmm.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7805     MR. REGAN:  And the problem with selling more advertising is that it makes us less distinctive in the market.  Our strength, I think, comes from being distinctive, and to some degree, being non‑commercial, but at the same time, even if we wanted ‑‑ at the moment, if we wanted to take that route, as, for example, CJRT in Toronto has chosen to put their money on the commercial revenue horse as opposed to CKUA where we are putting our money on betting on our audience to support us, but even CJRT is restricted as to what they can do in that regard.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7806     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  But at least we can feel comforted that though you have made much of the point that you are restricted in ads, in fact, there is no restriction on you right now until you get to 540 and then there is nothing to stop you from making an application to the Commission for more.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7807     MR. REGAN:  Fair enough.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7808     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Who owns CKUA?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7809     MR. REGAN:  It is owned and operated by the CKUA Radio Foundation which is a non‑profit foundation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7810     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  And who are the principals behind that?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7811     MR. REGAN:  It is a volunteer board of directors who is responsible for the foundation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7812     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Does CHUM Radio have some sort of interest in CKUA?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7813     MR. REGAN:  No, sir, other than we borrow Kerry David Mulligan, who does a lot of work for CHUM and some of CHUM's enterprises, but he does a program for us.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7814     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  We see a lot of dossiers and it is hard to keep all the pieces together.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7815     Satellite radio.  We heard representatives of CKUA and the overall umbrella organization at the satellite radio hearing, and obviously, you would argue, I would think, that we didn't hear you well enough.  At the same time, I think it is worth remembering that, first of all, to get satellite radio you have to pay $10 or $12 a month, whatever the current amount is, one, and number two, they can't sell any local ads at all.  I mean they are completely restricted from that and I wouldn't think that the six minutes of national ads they could sell would have very much impact on you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7816     So it seems to me that your problem from satellite radio, if there is any problem at all but particularly in these early innings, it must be the fear of losing your niche to something more attractive, albeit more expensive.  But surely, I mean the campus and community radio stations that I have had any firsthand experience with are a pretty nimble crowd.  They know how to tweak a niche and they know how to attract a local audience and how to hold loyal audience members.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7817     When I think of ‑‑ I mean I live in Ottawa and the Carleton Campus station is just terrific.  I mean there is nobody better in town for holding a certain demographic than those folks.  So I mean how threatened are you really?


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7818     MR. REGAN:  It is a fair question but I think the threat is real because, as I mentioned in my comments, I think there is a trend developing toward more niche‑based commercial broadcasting.  Certainly, satellite radio epitomizes that right now.  I think some of the work that Rawlco is doing is very innovative in terms of commercializing a niche component of the market.  All of those things represent a potential erosion of our market.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7819     You referenced, Commissioner Langford, that satellite radio ‑‑ the expense associated with satellite radio but the fact is that CKUA is different from satellite radio in that we can't turn off the service if somebody doesn't support us.  With satellite radio, if you don't pay your monthly fee, you lose the service, but CKUA is in a voluntary support position,  and in fact ‑‑ I don't want to say this too loudly perhaps but in fact people who support us voluntarily often do so at a cost greater than what they could receive satellite radio for.  So ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7820     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  If they are true believers.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7821     MR. REGAN:  They are indeed.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7822     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  There is nothing like faith.  I mean it is the strongest of all moving forces.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7823     MR. REGAN:  But faith can wither on occasion.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7824     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  It is like love dies, you know, but I mean it is up to you to put a little perfume behind your ears and keep it going.

‑‑‑ Laughter / Rires

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7825     MR. REGAN:  We do it every day.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7826     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Finally, on the point of being carried by BDUs without fee, well, I mean you would have a compatriot in Global Television and CTV with that argument, but it seems to me that if you did want to get out and hustle some ads, that would be a bit of a benefit to say that you have got a larger market.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7827     I mean I hear you today but I kind of hear you saying that the sky might fall and help us, and I guess my answer would be ‑‑ and I don't want to sound too hard‑nosed ‑‑ when it starts to fall, give us a call.  I don't feel it is falling yet.  I don't see the threat.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7828     MR. REGAN:  Well, I appreciate your point of view but from where I am sitting, I do, and I am not speaking solely on CKUA's behalf.  I see ‑‑ honestly, I see a threat to the community broadcast sector in this country.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7829     CKUA, as you know, is a strong service.  We are supported mightily by our audience.  But many community broadcasters in this country, as you know, operate on a shoestring, and you are right, we are amongst the more nimble in the group, I think.  It is what fuels us, I think, and inspires us, in fact, from having to maintain some of that edge.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7830     But with each new technological innovation, with each new internet radio service, niche‑formatted internet radio service, with satellite broadcasting, with commercialization of the niche format now by mainstream terrestrial broadcasters, I see a threat.  CKUA is strong today but part of my responsibility to CKUA and our existing audience and part of my obligation to CKUA ‑‑ and I think to some extent I feel an obligation to the community broadcast sector ‑‑ is to preserve CKUA well beyond today and that is my concern.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7831     Most of my effort ‑‑ we have done a good job of making CKUA strong today and I am not too worried even about tomorrow but I am worried about five years down the road and 10 years down the road because I want CKUA to be around forever.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7832     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Well, so do we.  Are you going to bring your message to the Radio Policy Review that is coming?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7833     MR. REGAN:  Absolutely.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7834     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Well, you will get another kick at the can then.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7835     MR. REGAN:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7836     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Thank you very much, sir.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7837     MR. REGAN:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7838     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Those are my questions, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7839     THE CHAIRPERSON:  I suspect that you will be raising the question of the Community Radio Fund in the framework of the radio review?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7840     MR. REGAN:  Yes, sir, I will.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7841     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Because I think that is the place to do it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7842     MR. REGAN:  I look forward to it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7843     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Regan.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7844     MR. REGAN:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7845     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7846     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7847     I would now call on the next appearing intervener and that would be Fairchild Radio Group.  If you would please come to the front.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7848     You have 10 minutes for your presentation.  If you perhaps could identify yourself before you speak.  Thank you.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7849     MS SEPHTON:  Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the Commission.  My name is Connie Sephton and I am the Director of Corporate Affairs of Fairchild Radio Group Ltd. and Fairchild Radio Calgary Ltd. which is the licensee of CHKF‑FM.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7850     To my left is Christine Leung, our Regional Manager, Alberta.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7851     To my right is Bonnie Lee, Assistant Station Manager of CHKF Radio.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7852     We oppose the application by Yadwinder S. Sivia for a new ethnic radio station in Calgary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7853     According to the latest information from Statistics Canada, the Chinese and South‑Asian communities are the largest and second‑largest ethnic communities respectively in Calgary.  Both ethnic communities are already well served with 82.5 hours of Chinese and over 350 hours of South‑Asian programming provided by existing local ethnic radio and SCMO services.  Any new entrant proposing to provide a significant amount of programming targeting either community would have a detrimental impact on existing services.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7854     The Commission stated that the primary goal of the Ethnic Broadcasting Policy is to ensure access to ethnic programming to the extent practicable given resource limitations.  It has, therefore, taken the market impact of licensing new ethnic services on existing ethnic services as its key consideration when it licensed one new ethnic commercial radio station in Toronto in 2003 and two in Vancouver last year.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7855     The Commission imposed conditions of licence on all of these new licensees to ensure the maintenance of the competitive balance in the markets and to mitigate the impact on existing ethnic radio services.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7856     As the Commission may be aware, Fairchild's ethnic radio stations currently operating in Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary have a strong focus on serving the Canadian Chinese markets.  In reviewing the Sivia application, we note that the applicant does not intend to offer any Chinese programming because it agreed that the Chinese community is being well served in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7857     We further note that in Sivia's reply to Fairchild's written intervention, it believes that Fairchild's request to impose a condition of licence forbidding the broadcast of any Chinese language by the applicant is reasonable and subsequently accepted our suggested language proposing such condition of licence.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7858     However, we are still very concerned about the negative impact that the large amount of additional South‑Asian programming proposed by the applicant would have on the financial stability of CHKF Radio.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7859     Calgary's ethnic population is much smaller than that in the Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto areas.  The South‑Asian population in Calgary amounts to approximately 36,000 people.  Local radio stations currently provide 356 hours of programming directed to the community each week, over half of which is provided by CHKF‑FM and its SCMO service.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7860     Compared with the Calgary Chinese community which has a population size of over 50,000 served with 82.5 hours of Chinese language radio programming, which is acknowledged by Sivia as being well served, the South‑Asian community in Calgary can hardly be regarded as underserved.  It is, in fact, better served than the Chinese population.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7861     Sivia proposes to devote 45 per cent of its schedule to South‑Asian language programming.  This would be a total of 56.7 hours of additional programming available to that community in Calgary.  It is simply not credible to deny that squeezing in Sivia's new service in Calgary's already small ethnic market will have no impact on CHKF's financial viability.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7862     Christine.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7863     MS LEUNG:  South‑Asian programming accounts for an important source of income for CHKF.  The revenue generated from South‑Asian programming for the FM station alone represents 14 per cent of CHKF's overall revenue.  If the SCMO service is included, that revenue amounts to almost 20 per cent of CHKF's total revenue.  This is the second‑largest source of income for CHKF after its core Chinese language programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7864     Over the last several years, revenue from CHKF's Chinese programming has been steadily declining from 75 per cent in 2001 to 66 per cent in 2005, whereas revenue from the FM station's South‑Asian programming has been steadily increasing from 11 per cent in 2001 to 14 per cent in 2005.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7865     This is to show that increasing revenue generated from South‑Asian programming is vitally important to the financial well‑being of CHKF, particularly because CHKF suffered from losses every year from 2001 to 2004 when its PBIT margin fluctuated between ‑13 per cent and ‑3 per cent last year.  We finally turned the corner to profitability reaching a PBIT margin of +0.7 per cent thanks in part to the growth in South‑Asian revenues.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7866     CHKF is very concerned that at this critical time if a new competitor enters the market with no limitation on the amount and on the scheduling of the South‑Asian programming, CHKF's revenue growth trend may easily be reversed, which will have a detrimental impact on the station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7867     Listed revenue projections in the Sivia application further concerned us.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7868     The applicant suggests that in year one of operation it will generate just under $800,000 in revenues, none of which will come from advertising spending on existing ethnic broadcasters in the market and fully 85 per cent of which, that is, $680,000, will be new advertising dollars.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7869     The applicant further projects that 30 per cent of its year one revenue, that is, $240,000, will be generated from the South‑Asian language programming, including Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7870     We question whether the applicant can achieve this ambitious goal without impacting CHKF given the limited size of the audience base and insufficient pool of advertisers.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7871     New competitors typically draw 30 per cent of their revenues from existing broadcasters.  The applicant proposes to add 56.7 hours of South‑Asian programming which represents an increase of 16 per cent per week.  This addition is likely to draw heavily on existing advertisers for support, including those who currently advertise on CHKF‑FM and SCMOs.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7872     It is unfair and illogical to take CHKF's financial struggles in the past few years for granted, expecting such struggles to be naturally compensated for by Fairchild's media operations such as its ethnic specialty television service.  CHKF is a separate entity and is not financially backed by Fairchild's television service.  CHKF must be able to stand on its own.  Given the current fragile financial situation of CHKF, any undue competition at this time will jeopardize its ability to survive.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7873     MS SEPHTON:  Should the Commission decide to grant a licence to Sivia, CHKF‑FM submits that it should impose two conditions of licence.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7874     Number one:  None of the programming broadcast by the licensee shall be in the Chinese language.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7875     Number two:  Programming broadcast to the South‑Asian community shall be restricted to those times and day parts set out in the program schedule accompanying its application and the maximum number of hours of South‑Asian programming shall be 56.7 hours per broadcast week.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7876     We note that the applicant has made a written commitment of accepting only the first proposed condition of licence.  In our view, the Commission should also impose the second proposed condition of licence in the interest of maintaining the competitive balance in the marketplace.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7877     Such a condition of licence was imposed by the Commission in 1996 when CHKT was licensed as an ethnic station in Toronto to address the concerns of then existing licensees regarding the negative impact that CHKT could have had on their existing or potential revenues, details of which are listed in the appendix that was distributed to you earlier.  Such a condition of licence capped the maximum number of hours of Chinese programming that CHKT could broadcast and restricted the hours of Cantonese and Mandarin programming to specific hours as proposed in CHKT's schedule to alleviate the impact of additional programming hours and scheduling conflicts on existing ethnic broadcasters.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7878     In conclusion, Fairchild opposes the Sivia application as we believe that Calgary's small ethnic market is currently well served.  A new entrant in this market which competes directly with CHKF for revenues from the South‑Asian community when such revenue is a vital source of income for CHKF just as it turns the corner to modest profitability after suffering consecutive years of losses will have a detrimental impact on the financial health of CHKF.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7879     In the event that the Commission decided to grant a licence to Sivia, we respectfully submit that two conditions of licence be imposed by the Commission to ensure that existing ethnic broadcasters do not suffer a negative financial impact.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7880     Thank you and we would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7881     THE CHAIRPERSON:  We will have Mr. Langford but before he asks his questions, only a point of clarification for me to make sure that I understood.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7882     When you are talking SCMO, are you talking CKUA SCMO or you are talking your SCMO?


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7883     MS SEPHTON:  Both.  We refer to both.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7884     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Both are operating as SCMOs for the South‑Asian community?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7885     MS SEPHTON:  Correct.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7886     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7887     Mr. Langford.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7888     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7889     My questions are two and they are very specific because your intervention today is very, very clear.  I understand completely where you are coming from.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7890     I want to go to page 2, the second‑last line.  I just want to understand, and perhaps you have filed this with us but have a little mercy on me, there is an awful lot of paper here and it is hard to keep it all in your head.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7891     You say local radio stations currently provide 356 hours of programming directed to this community each week, over half of which is provided by CHKF‑FM and its SCMO.  But how much is provided only by CHKF‑FM?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7892     MS SEPHTON:  Seventeen hours.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7893     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Seventeen, 17?


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7894     MS SEPHTON:  17.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7895     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7896     And just moving to the next page, again at the bottom, you say over the last several years revenues from CHKF's Chinese programming has been steadily declining from 75 per cent to 66 per cent over four years whereas revenue from the FM station's South‑Asian programming has steadily increased from 11 to 14.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7897     Now, I am not good at math ‑‑ I am terrible ‑‑ but it seems to me that you have, in a sense, lost 9 per cent from one source and gained 3 per cent from another source.  So where is the other 6 per cent coming from?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7898     MS SEPHTON:  From the other ethnic languages.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7899     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  So there is some growth there.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7900     MS SEPHTON:  Some growth there.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7901     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  So is the loss because you are programming a little less or the other communities are growing?  What has really caused the loss?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7902     MS SEPHTON:  The overall loss?


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7903     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Well, the loss from the Chinese community, I am most interested in ‑‑ from the Chinese programming.  It is really traceable?  I mean I don't have the figures in front of me.  So is the revenue from Chinese programming really down or is it only down as a percentage of overall revenues?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7904     MS SEPHTON:  Down as a percentage from overall revenues.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7905     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  So is it possible that I could read this to say that the revenue from the Chinese programming is still as strong as ever but other revenues are growing from other programming?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7906     MS SEPHTON:  Basically, Chinese programming revenue would still be the backbone of our source of income ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7907     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Right.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7908     MS SEPHTON:  ‑‑ but we do see a slight trend of that sort of declining, a bit of a trend.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7909     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Well, is it declining or is the other side growing?  That is what I am trying to figure out.  It might be declining in the sense of a percentage but it may not be declining in gross terms.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7910     MS SEPHTON:  Sure, Bonnie, please.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7911     MR. LEE:  The revenue, is it declining in terms of the total revenue we generated?  We try to categorize according to ‑‑ the income according to the language of the program.  So the Chinese in recent years is slightly declining.  But also we have an increase in other language programs, say, for example, the South‑Asian and the Spanish‑speaking program.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7912     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Right.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7913     MR. LEE:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7914     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  So it is not disaster city yet?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7915     MS SEPHTON:  Not for the Chinese programming.

‑‑‑ Laughter / Rires

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7916     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Okay, thank you.  Those answers are very clear and they help me.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7917     Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7918     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Langford.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7919     I don't know if you attended the hearing of if you were following the hearing but when the application by Mr. Sivia was heard, a representative from the Ukrainian community was part of the application and was on the panel.  He was saying that he has tried to do business with your station but he was not able to find sufficient air time for the Ukrainian community and so that is why he had moved to be a partner into the Sivia application.  Do you have any comments on that?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7920     MS SEPHTON:  Well, as far as the Ukrainian community is concerned, certainly, we have encountered problems in dealing with ‑‑ brokerage with Ukrainian programming suppliers.  They seem to be unable to commit to their hours.  Sometimes they could ask, you know, can you give me six months of free air time and then we will start paying you.  So I am not sure how that came into play in their application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7921     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Okay, thank you very much.  Thank you for coming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7922     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7923     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7924     We would now call on the next five appearing interveners ‑‑ and I apologize ahead of time for the pronunciation ‑‑ Neeraj Paul, Nimma Khaira, Hardeep Singh, John Simka and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7925     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Well, Mr. Neeraj, if you want to start your presentation.

INTERVENTION


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7926     MR. PAUL:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  Good afternoon, and members of the Commission.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7927     My name is Neeraj Paul and I have just recently migrated to Canada from India.  I appear today to support the application for an ethnic FM radio station.  My family came to Canada recently from India and we are active in the local community but we are also relatively isolated, as are many immigrant families.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7928     Although I read the Calgary Herald for Canadian news, there is very little coverage of news and events from our Indo‑Canadian community in the newspaper and the local media.  There is little or no coverage of news from our homeland in local newspapers, on TV or radio.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7929     The local ethnic station does not broadcast South‑Asian programming in the mornings when we listen to the radio and it only has a few hours of programming per week, mainly in the evening, at times which are not convenient for our family to listen to music or news programming on the radio.  The hours when we would normally listen to the radio are filled with Chinese programming. 


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7930     I believe that the proposed radio station would appeal to people like myself and my family who want to retain our heritage in this Canadian multicultural society.  I have a four‑year‑old daughter who will grow up in this country as a Canadian but it is important for us to be able to speak our language, Punjabi, in our home and to have access to our culture, including our music and traditions.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7931     Radio is the more effective means of reaching young families and our elders who depend on receiving news and information in their first language.  I am fortunate that I am bilingual.  Many others in my community are not as fluent in English.  We are a fast‑growing part of the Calgary mosaic.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7932     I ask that you consider the positive impact that licensing this application would have.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7933     In addition to that, I would just like to bring to the kind attention of the Commission that whatever FM radios are there right now, they are appreciable, they are doing good for the community, but we, I believe as a common man, we need more.  We need more news, we need more sports, we need more debates on the radio for the kind of growth in our community.  It is growing day by day. 


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7934     Many immigrants are coming to Canada and for that we need a radio station which I believe doesn't need a chip.  It took me six months to know that we needed some kind of chip to hear that radio.  So I need that.  It should be on the air, switch on the radio and ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7935     That is what I want to say.  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7936     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7937     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7938     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7939     I would call on Nimma Khaira to present the next intervention.  Thank you.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7940     MR. KHAIRA:  Mr. Chairman, members of the Commission, my name is Nimma Khaira.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7941     I am a Canadian, a struggling musical artist.  I came to Canada in 1992.  I had dreams of a musical career in Canada.  I learned to play several instruments in India.  I play the harmonium, keyboards and several other instruments.  I actually speak and sing in Punjabi and Hindi.  I compose my own songs and have written over 60 songs but there are very few opportunities to perform my music in Calgary and I am not able to support myself through my music.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7942     So my profession today is driving a taxi many hours each day through the streets of Calgary, especially when they are slippery.  That is how I support myself.  Music which I love to perform is limited to performance at community events.  At least once a month I am invited to perform but the chances to perform are very few, some weddings, some other festival occasions.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7943     People tell me that I should have a CD and people tell me my music should be played on the radio but nothing ever happens.  There is no interest by the broadcasters, so my music is not played on the radio even though people tell me that I am a good performer.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7944     As I said, I drive a taxi and I am in the car each day but the Calgary radio stations do not play South‑Asian music.  Our music is not on the radio here.  I don't believe that the ethnic stations or the SCMO stations have ever assisted local South‑Asian musicians or are interested in promoting local talent.  But I still have hope that if Mr. Tamber and Mr. Sivia put on a show here in Calgary, I will have the chance to sing on the stage with musical stars from India and Vancouver.  They have made a DVD of my performance and thousands of DVDs were given to the members of our community.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7945     So I am here to ask you to approve the radio application of Mr. Sivia and Mr. Tamber because I am sure that my music and the music of other artists would be played on the radio here in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7946     I also think that a talent contest would give local performers a chance to make a CD and would be good for their career.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7947     If you would like, I could give you a short sample of my music.  I have a CD in my hand.  It is a performance performed in Edmonton last year.  I can show the Commission.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7948     THE CHAIRPERSON:  So finally, you have a CD?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7949     MR. KHAIRA:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7950     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Have you sent copies of it all across Canada to other ethnic radio stations?  If you are not played in Calgary, are you played in Toronto?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7951     MR. KHAIRA:  I am trying but nobody ‑‑ everybody is interested when they listen to my songs and music but from the (inaudible), they said, yes, we can help you out but nobody is coming out front.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7952     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Well, thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7953     MR. KHAIRA:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7954     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Mrs. Secretary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7955     THE SECRETARY:  I would now call on Mr. Hardeep Singh.  Thank you.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7956     MR. DHILLON:  Thank you.  Good afternoon, everyone.  My name is Hardeep Dhillon.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7957     I was born and raised in India and I migrated to Canada in 1993 at the age of 19.  I have been living in Calgary for the last 13 years and I would like to support this application for some of these reasons.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7958     Firstly, there is a lack of ethnic media exposure for ethnic communities.  We would like a channel that is readily available 24 hours and at prime times.  That would certainly help the ethnic minorities here in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7959     Secondly, I think that the way ethnics have grown in the last couple of years ‑‑ and this goes to the whole Calgary, the growth has been rapid ‑‑ with the growth of the population there has been a major growth in the businesses as well.  This medium would give businesses to grow as well as give it back to the community as businesses would grow.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7960     Thirdly, I think there is a ‑‑ I will talk about the generation gap that exists in every community but it is very dominant in our East‑Indian community.  The reason being is the majority of the parents migrate to this country with values from back home and they want to raise their kids with their values from back home, whereas kids growing up in this country live in a different culture and there is a major gap.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7961     I think a medium like this would help us in bridging the gap as well as would keep ‑‑ the music plays a major role in the community as well and I think that would help us in keeping us in touch with our roots and culture.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7962     So I strongly believe that this medium could help the whole community and I would like you to consider this application.  Thanks.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7963     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7964     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7965     THE SECRETARY:  I would call on Mr. John Simka, please ‑‑ Mr. Simka is not present. 

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7966     Then we will go to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress intervention.  You have 10 minutes for your presentation.

INTERVENTION


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7967     MR. ILNYCKY:  Thank you very much.  Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen.  My name is Michael Ilnycky and I am the President of the Calgary Branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. I want to thank you for allowing me the time to make a submission to your committee.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7968     The Ukrainian Canadian Congress serves as the umbrella organization for over 30 religious, cultural and youth organizations in Calgary.  In 1999, the census revealed that approximately 60,000 Calgarians identified themselves as being of Ukrainian origin.  However, we only see about 5,000 Calgarians who are actively involved in our community through church groups, dance groups, choirs, seniors' clubs and others.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7969     Increased access to public and popular media will allow our community to grow and give those individuals who are looking to reclaim their roots or learn about their ancestry an opportunity to do so.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7970     Accordingly, the Calgary Branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress supports the application of Yadwinder S. Sivia for an ethnic radio station in Calgary and we are grateful that they have approached our community to participate in this process.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7971     Presently, the Ukrainian community has limited access to public media.  "Echoes of Ukraine," a local cable television program, airs twice weekly for an hour at a time, with the second show being a rebroadcast.  The program strives to provide local content when it can.  However, this is sometimes difficult to do because it relies heavily on limited volunteer time.  It does show news and programming from Ukraine in both Ukrainian and English.  However, this information can become dated given the quick changing nature of current events.  Most importantly, the program airs locally on channel 70, and unfortunately, a lot of people in our community do not have access to this station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7972     Our community does have access to Ukrainian radio broadcasts from Edmonton.  For an hour on Friday evenings, the radio host does a very good job of including announcements from Calgary.  However, the focus remains Edmonton‑based.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7973     CJSW, the University of Calgary's radio station, did provide our community with a weekly hour of air time until the spring of 1996 when the program was cancelled.  The program aired on Saturday mornings and was very well received in the community because of its accessibility and time slot.  The program featured community programming and news from Ukraine and locally.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7974     For timely and relevant information, our community, therefore, relies on the internet and Ukrainian weekly newspapers for its information.  Many people in our community have limited access to the internet and the news in the newspapers is typically dated by the time that it arrives.  Therefore, radio is the most practical means of reaching our community through mass media.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7975     Calgary's Ukrainian community grows at a modest pace, mostly through immigration but migration as well from other North American cities.  These individuals expect some level of Ukrainian community programming and activism, and radio access would further assist with growing and bringing our community together.  Ukrainian radio programming would ensure that local news and news from Ukraine will reach people in a timely manner.  Many seniors, typically those post‑World War II immigrants, relish news and music from Ukraine.  This is the lifeline to their culture.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7976     The Ukrainian Canadian Congress lends its full support to Yadwinder S. Sivia in his application.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7977     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7978     Mrs. Duncan.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7979     COMMISSIONER DUNCAN:  You have all made a very strong case but I am interested, because we are concerned with the best use and the maximum use of the frequencies that we have, in exactly what efforts you have made to participate in the Fairchild radio station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7980     MR. ILNYCKY:  That is a good question.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7981     My understanding ‑‑ and the Fairchild Group can certainly correct me because this was before my time as President and involvement with the local branch ‑‑ originally, the Ukrainian community did have access to, I believe, an hour a week, for five days over the course of the week, and that was based on volunteer time and it was given to the community free of charge.  And again, I speak from memory and the Fairchild Group can certainly me in this.  And as they grew, they had communities who were willing to pay the allocated fee and they have filled that time slot and the hour that we have courtesy of Roman Bretane (phon.) from Edmonton and his program is to fill time on the air.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7982     And in terms of making an effort, right now we are in the process of rebuilding the community from my predecessor as she certainly had her focus and did a very, very good job in terms of what she wanted her mandate to be.  My mandate is to grow the community from not only those individuals who are involved in the community right now but to reach the people who may know that they are Ukrainian and they simply mark down that they are Ukrainian on the census.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7983     What is the best way to reach them?  To me, if they are flipping through the radio station and they hear something in Ukrainian, they might hear a Ukrainian ad for, for example, a cooking course or something like that, that might pique their interest and that is the way to hook them into our community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7984     As an established community versus my colleagues who are intervening in this particular issue, their lifeline is their mother tongue and that is what they need to hear.  A lot of our people have lost the ability to speak Ukrainian, and frankly, they have become so integrated into the community that they really don't need to have the sources that my colleagues on the panel require for their support, whereas what we are trying to build is regain an interest in the Ukrainian culture in Calgary and build upon that 5,000 base that we have right now.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7985     COMMISSIONER DUNCAN:  I certainly appreciate the situation that you find yourself in and I would encourage you to try and work with Fairchild.  I notice that their share of the audience is very small and it seems to me in the interest of making the best use of the limited resources that we have here in this market that might be something that you all would want to consider.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7986     MR. ILNYCKY:  If I could pose a question ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7987     COMMISSIONER DUNCAN:  Sure.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7988     MR. ILNYCKY:  ‑‑ and it is certainly rhetorical.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7989     Is there a way to monitor the ad revenue that is coming in for a certain community with respect to competition within its own community, because perhaps the individuals who have in the past supported the radio programming have now moved to the dailies that are available to, say, for example, the Chinese community and perhaps there is an internal revenue struggle within that community?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7990     COMMISSIONER DUNCAN:  Not to my knowledge but my colleagues may have some comments.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7991     THE CHAIRPERSON:  I think it is a big issue.  You are raising a very large question.  I don't know that anybody has such a question.  Some attempts are made to give at the macro level national information in that regard but that is certainly not specific to any given market.  But I think it is a key question.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7992     It is my understanding that the Sivia application, while they will have an Ukrainian component of a certain significance, they will be aiming at the South‑Asian market.  Now, I understand from this morning's presentation that there is South‑Asian programming on Fairchild under SCMO and under CKUA SCMO.  Is there enough other potential clients to support a third voice or even a fourth voice in this instance is a question that we will have to consider.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7993     I don't know if the gentlemen that are with you or who came at the table at the same time as you have an answer to that because I understand from their presentation that they are either a listener or interested in having their music played.  They are not businessmen who are looking to get access to the radio to sell their wares.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7994     I don't know if you have any comments, any of you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7995     Mr. Langford.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7996     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Just a quick question.  Well, first of all, I am probably going to butcher your name and I apologize.  Is it Mr. Ilnicky?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7997     MR. ILNYCKY:  It is Ilnycky.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7998     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Was it your dad that was here yesterday?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7999     MR. ILNYCKY:  I believe it was my father who made an application or a submission, yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8000     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  It is a wise son who recognizes his father.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8001     MR. ILNYCKY:  Sorry?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8002     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  It is a wise son who recognizes his father.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8003     MR. ILNYCKY:  Oh, I have big shoes to fill today.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8004     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  He was passing himself off as Andrew.  Is that a hint?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8005     MR. ILNYCKY:  That is Andrew, yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8006     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  That is the guy, eh.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8007     A question I have, and I discussed it with him as well and you mentioned it today, this was to be ‑‑ the Sivia application, as I understand it, was to be programming to the Ukrainian community in Ukrainian.  So how many Ukrainians speak ‑‑ it sounds from what I am hearing from you today there is almost a bigger need for English language programming with a Ukrainian cultural focus.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8008     MR. ILNYCKY:  I think that is correct.  Yes, there certainly is a need for the access to the culture.  I think that that is something that Jo Kodapinka of "Echoes of Ukraine" has done, is he has moved a large Ukrainian component to English.  Absolutely.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8009     The key of my application though too in regard to furthering my mandate to grow the community is also to maintain access for the people who need it.  There are a lot of seniors in our community who have no clue what the internet is ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8010     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Right.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8011     MR. ILNYCKY:  ‑‑ and when they hear something on the radio, they can sit, they can cook, they can do other things while they are listening and that is why it is the most appropriate medium for us to try to channel our culture in our community.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8012     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  But if the community is really, really small, you have to think of the economics of it too and you just have to think, you know, it may be what ‑‑ and I am no wise owl on this but it may be that some sort of courses to help people like that get comfortable with the internet ‑‑ I mean my mother‑in‑law is 91 and she is on the internet, you know ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8013     MR. ILNYCKY:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8014     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  ‑‑ to help them get comfortable because through that you can source your own language programming, you can source all sorts of things, especially if you are in broadband, of course, and you have more spectrum.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8015     I am not trying to blow you away or anything but even if we were to grant a licence today to Mr. Sivia, it would be about a year before it would be on the air.  So if there are other avenues you can explore, I would certainly encourage you to do so.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8016     Thank you very much.  Those are my questions, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8017     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much, gentlemen.  We will break for lunch and we will be back at two o'clock.

‑‑‑ Upon recessing at 1245 / Suspension à 1245

‑‑‑ Upon resuming at 1400 / Reprise à 1400

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8018     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Order, please.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8019     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8020     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8021     Before we proceed to the next intervener, I would just like to say on the record that we have received some documentation from certain applicants, that we have accepted and placed on the public record and are available in the public examination room.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8022     They are for item 10, Newcap.  There is a list of corporations in broadcast‑related fields.  The other document is Newcap's ratings projections for a new Triple A FM in H segments.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8023     With respect to item 3, numbered company 1182743 Alberta, there is a general outline of their shareholders' agreement.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8024     Finally, for item 9, Harvard Broadcasting, there is a letter from Aria re the CTD commitment and another document regarding the use of a combiner on the Rogers site and its cost.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8025     Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8026     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mrs. Secretary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8027     Regarding item number 7, the application by Yadwinder Sivia, the Commission has received a document from Sivia.  It is evident that there was miscommunication between Commissioner del Val and the applicant.  Commissioner del Val was requesting percentage growth rates in annual revenues.  The applicant has filed a revised 7‑year income forecast which reflects significant differences in projected revenue throughout the licence term.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8028     Upon reflection, the panel has determined that the information Commissioner del Val was seeking is already in the file and no additional information is necessary.  Therefore, the panel has decided that it will return to the applicant the revised information it has filed.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8029     Mrs. Secretary, we will now continue the intervention period.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8030     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8031     I would now call on the next five appearing interveners and they are all seated, so I would ask for Mr. John Marantz ‑‑ have I pronounced it correctly ‑‑ to present your intervention.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8032     MR. MARANTZ:  It is Josh.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8033     THE SECRETARY:  Josh?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8034     MR. MARANTZ:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8035     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you.  Please go ahead, you have 10 minutes for your presentation.

INTERVENTION


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8036     MR. MARANTZ:  First, I will just give a little bit of background about myself.  My name is Josh Marantz.  I have been in the arts for over 30 years as a musician, writer, actor, arts administrator, consultant, manager, publisher and club owner.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8037     I came to Calgary 16 years ago and was Director of Programming and Communications at the Calgary Centre for Performing Arts for six years and I was responsible for all the performing arts programming on behalf of the Calgary Centre for Performing Arts.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8038     I was a director on numerous boards over the years, including the Calgary Folk Festival, Vice‑President of ACTRA Manitoba, President of Calgary International Film Festival, Vice‑President of Arts Touring Alliance of Alberta and Vice‑President of the Canadian Arts Presenting Association.  I was also a juror for the Juno's 2002 and 2005 under the roots and traditional category.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8039     I am currently a concert promoter, music publisher and manager of artists, and owner and operator of a live music venue in town called "The Ironwood Stage and Grill."


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8040     In the three years of operation at "The Ironwood Stage and Grill," we were awarded Calgary's Favourite Live Music Venue in the folk and roots category by the "Fast Forward Readers Poll," which is a weekly arts publication here in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8041     The reason I am in support of Rawlco's application ‑‑ there are several different reasons.  As a manager of artists, the project 10K20, which is allotted to give $10,000 each to 20 different artists to produce their CDs per year, I think is just an amazing program for a radio station to get into.  A lot of artists, whether they are veterans in the music scene or just starting out, it is fairly expensive to get a CD recorded, produced and on the market.  I think this will benefit experienced artists and new artists who haven't had the chance to get in a studio and show what they can do on a recorded format.  So not only do they get to produce the CDs and get them on the market but they also get to retain all of the rights of that CD once it is produced.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8042     Now, when I first heard about this, I thought what is the catch and there really doesn't seem to be a catch.  The artists get to retain all the rights and they also get a chance to get on the air as well on the Rawlco Radio Station.  Now, this to me is one of the most important things to local artists, is to get your music on the air and exposed to the local market.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8043     Some of the other companies who were applying for a licence were talking about giving money to artists and sending them away to conferences.  My question for them was what is your commitment to getting these artists on the air, and the answer was, well, it is kind of low on the totem pole, it is a low priority.  So that to me alone shows a commitment on Rawlco's behalf to the local arts scene, local artists, of not only helping them produce CDs and giving the money for that but also getting them on the air and supporting them that way.  So that is very important to me.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8044     As a club owner, Rawlco's program "Showtime," which is set up to support local artists by giving them a chance once a month ‑‑ two separate artists ‑‑ to perform live in a local venue and paying them $2,000 each for that performance.  Again, the relationship between radio stations and live performance venues is usually one of well, the live performance venue pays the radio station some money for advertising or some form of arrangement of goods for services.  This seems to be strictly to promote the artists and the live music venues whose mandate is to present artists who perform original material.  That I haven't seen before and I think that is a wonderful program.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8045     There is no money that is directly being earmarked for the performance venue but just taking into consideration that Rawlco is paying the artist fee for that performance, that will benefit the live music venue.  The amount of exposure from advertising those events on Rawlco Radio will benefit the live venue as well as benefit the local artist.  So I think that is a tremendous program as well.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8046     Now, also as a manager, I believe that Rawlco's program called "Live at Five," which basically takes ‑‑ I believe it is two artists per week.  To get them in the studio performing live on the air throughout the year is also not only tremendous exposure but they are also earmarking some money to those artists for those performances.  I believe it is $500 each.  Other stations do have live performances on the air of artists but the compensation is nowhere near that generous.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8047     So often, we find in this business, whether it is a music venue or a radio station or a television station, that the artists are often taken advantage of for their performance and not compensated properly monetarily and I just think that Rawlco's commitment to take care of that, to compensate artists properly for their performance, recognizes their contribution and the essential aspect of the artist to the success of the radio station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8048     So for those reasons, I strongly support Rawlco's bid and urge you to grant them a licence for a radio station in Calgary.  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8049     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much, Mr. Marantz.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8050     For the benefit of those who weren't here this morning, we will hear all the people that are at the table, then we will question.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8051     So, Mrs. Secretary, could you introduce the next intervenor.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8052     THE SECRETARY:  The next appearing intervener is the Calgary Folk Music Festival.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8053     MR. FERGUSON:  Thank you.  My name is Greg Ferguson.  I am the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Calgary Folk Music Festival and I am appearing on behalf and supporting Rawlco's application for licence.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8054     In 27 years, the Calgary Folk Music Festival has grown into a four‑day event attracting over 44,000 people, and now with a $2.4 million budget, over $700,000 of that is our artistic budget and at least half of that on Canadian artists.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8055     Our success is built largely on Calgary's large and really vibrant folk music fan base.  There are more full‑season folk clubs in Calgary ‑‑ and most of those are fully subscribed with waiting lists ‑‑ than any other urban centre in Canada.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8056     Our audience and local music fan base demographics are very vibrant and really defy all stereotypes that are out there.  They are younger, they are more diverse and have a higher household income level than most can imagine.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8057     Although the Festival presents events year‑round, the Princess Island event is the largest outdoor cultural festival outside of the Stampede.  In short, folk music is really thriving in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8058     Besides the primary goal of producing the Festival, our mission really is focused on the promotion of local and regional folk artists and music to Calgarians.  In addition to appearances at the Festival, we organize a number of showcases of local and regional talent and take those to other cities.  We conduct a very successful annual singer/songwriter competition and go out of our way to present local artists, live artists throughout the year.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8059     The board and staff of the Festival are very excited about Rawlco's proposal and how it supports our core mission, objectives and principles, and ultimately what it will mean to both artists and audiences in this region.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8060     The $50,000 that Rawlco proposes to provide the Festival each year will be used to expand the number of artists we present at the Festival and exclusively on Canadian talent, which, it has to be said, stands amongst the best in the world.  It is going to allow us to consider more emerging artists and perhaps from the further reaches of the country as well.  The Canadian portion of our artistic budget will definitely increase proportionally to this donation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8061     We are viewed as one of the most progressive, relevant and, I think, even edgy folk music festivals in North America and this partnership will allow us to push that even further.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8062     The Folk Festival believes that the proposed programming focus on folk music will fill an audience need that we see only partially met by other great broadcasters in this province.  We also believe that their initiative, Rawlco's, will help increase the size of the overall audience of our type of music and this will likely benefit the other broadcasters as well.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8063     In conclusion, the Folk Festival believes that Rawlco's efforts will be a huge boon to a diverse range of local artists, audiences and the experience that we offer on Princess Island each year.  We are extremely excited about this possible cultural partnership, their overall efforts and the impact that they will have and hope that the CRTC will consider their application in the most positive manner.  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8064     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Ferguson.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8065     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8066     THE SECRETARY:  I would now call upon Mr. John Campbell to make his presentation.  Thank you.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8067     MR. CAMPBELL:  Thank you.  Good afternoon.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8068     First of all, I will introduce myself and give you a little background.  My name is John Campbell.  I have resided in Calgary for the past 27 years and during this time I have performed as a Celtic musician and singer/songwriter in various engagements both in Calgary and abroad.  I ran many open stages and jams over these years, some of which are still running today.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8069     As an artist, I have had the good fortune to release four recordings.  All but one were produced independently.  The last recording, "Crossing Borders," was well accepted and I am happy to say it receives some but not a lot of airplay, and airplay is absolutely tantamount to an artist for his success.  And unless you get on with a big label, the Indies are hard to ‑‑ it is hard to go.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8070     Which brings me to the 10K20 that Rawlco are proposing.  I mean that is an absolute godsend for an artist to have that kind of money and not take it out of your own pocket and not take it from your own gigs, nor compromise your lifestyle, your living.  It is fantastic and they also have proven ‑‑ they have done it.  They have done it out in Edmonton.  So I think it is great.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8071     I have been around Calgary for 27 years and I think Rawlco's proposal has a lot of good points that will benefit Calgary's music industry and will also improve the quality, diversity and therefore the pleasure of the listening audience.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8072     I sometimes find listening to radio that the play list from Toronto doesn't include the kind of people that I want to listen to.  I have to say that.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8073     Calgary, as I am sure you are aware, continues to grow very quickly.  It almost doubled in size since my arrival in 1979 and during this time the tastes of the city have changed naturally to become more metropolitan.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8074     To highlight this, I refer to my experience as leader of Draft Porridge, one of the first Canadian Celtic bands to be formed in Calgary.  I had the personal joy of introducing a different music at a time when country and western was king.  At that time it was difficult to break through and I am glad to see all that has changed.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8075     Therefore, through these 27 years, having been connected to so many writers, musicians, club owners, promoters, media and also recording people, not to mention Calgarians in general, I feel that I can speak with some passion on the subject of Rawlco's licence request.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8076     I know there is a definite need for a station that focuses on Canadian/Calgarian performers, established and otherwise.  This is a good opportunity to boost their up and coming artists, some of whom, without assistance, we might never get the chance to hear. 


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8077     Rawlco's proposals will help them get the exposure that is imperative, as I said before, in this increasingly tough marketplace.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8078     Equally and perhaps even more so, the need for the station is for the listening public.  Calgarians/Canadians have a history of supporting their own, as has been proven by such artists as Jan Arden and Paul Brandt and many, many others.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8079     In closing, I would ask the committee to look favourably on Rawlco's application and I thank you for allowing me this opportunity to address this hearing.  That is all.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8080     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Campbell.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8081     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8082     THE SECRETARY:  We will ask Mr. Rob Ursel to present his intervention.  Thank you.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8083     MR. URSEL:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8084     Good afternoon.  My name is Rob Ursel and I am a songwriter, singer, musician locally.  I front two bands as the songwriter, singer and guitar player as well as side man in another band.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8085     I have been attempting to do this for a living now for about six years with a few little odd jobs interspersed in there but it is a tough road to hoe if you are to make a good go of it.  With the two albums that I have produced so far, I still owe money on them.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8086     This is actually a common topic of conversation if you have got a couple of recording artists sitting in a bar having a beer or a coffee.  They are not talking about grand artistic pursuits but rather how are the sales going, how are you going to get funding for the next tour, for the next album, et cetera.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8087     Because of this, when I saw the proposal that Rawlco had put forward, I was extremely excited not only for myself and opportunities that this will allow me to, let us say, sell the CDs and put the money in my pocket, pay my band so they can leave their day jobs and come on tour, et cetera.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8088     And as well, not only for myself but for the local music community, particularly the folk and roots community, recording studios, sound engineers, there are going to be benefits to the entire local music scene, local music society, to the individual benefits to the sound engineers, the recording artists, the venues, et cetera.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8089     It seems like Rawlco is dropping a little golden egg on us from out of the sky and I am extremely excited about it and I would be really disappointed if this is not given a chance, not primarily for Rawlco but for my own sake and for the sake of my peers in this city.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8090     That is the long and the short of it for me, is that I see it as an incredible opportunity for performers and recording artists in this town.  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8091     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much, Mr. Ursel.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8092     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8093     THE SECRETARY:  Now, I would call Ms Lin Elder to present her intervention.  Thank you.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8094     MS ELDER:  Hi.  Good afternoon.  My name is Lin Elder and I am honoured to be here today in support of Rawlco Radio.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8095     To give you a little history on myself, I started as a folk musician singer/songwriter many, many, many years ago right out of high school, joining another girl, travelling around in a Volkswagen van for five years called "Rumours."  We toured around in this van and played small clubs and had a great time.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8096     After that was completed, I joined a band or played in a band called "Grace Under Pressure," which was an alternative folk pop band out of Edmonton and that lasted for about seven years.  During that time, I met Jan Arden, later became her background vocalist, acoustic guitar player/percussionist and was with her for about five or six years.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8097     Once that came to an end, I played in an all girl band, four girls, in Calgary here called "The Collective," including Jenny Allen who is a famous folk star here in Calgary and in Alberta; Natasha Stoesser and also Anne Loree who was the young lady who wrote the Canadian classic song, "Insensitive."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8098     That band came to a demise and now I am currently in a band called The Faiths, which is also three women, Jenny Allen included, myself and a young lady from B.C., her name Laurie Reed.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8099     I am also at this time mentoring a fabulously talented young artist named Jasmine Whenham.  I am currently recording her debut CD right now.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8100     In my opinion ‑‑ I have been a folk artist for many years ‑‑ folk artists, I don't think, are fly‑by‑nighters.  They are lifers.  They are in it for the long haul.  We are not the pick‑of‑the‑week or the flavour‑of‑the‑month or whatever you call it but we are in it for the song, we are in it emotionally, and it is sad to me sometimes ‑‑


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8101     I would like to say, first off, that CKUA is our champion here because they do offer us an opportunity to be heard, to play our music, and they fill the rooms in the clubs that we play and I am extremely thankful to CKUA.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8102     I am also very excited that Rawlco Radio may have an opportunity here to join forces with them, which could only boost things for artists like myself, like Rob, like all of us up here who have spent a lifetime creating music without having the opportunity for a larger listening audience and it is challenging.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8103     With The Faiths, we have released two commercial singles but being that we don't fit in the rock format, the pop format, the hip‑hop format, and it goes on and on, you last a certain amount of time and then you are gone.  They give you your little bit of time and ‑‑


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8104     I do believe that The Face ‑‑ as well as there are so many talented artists in Alberta, in Calgary, but you have to be heard by so many ‑‑ I am a 47‑year‑old woman and I think that people in the majority of my age don't want to listen to rap, don't want to listen to hip‑hop, and this is a huge demographic that is missing and have a huge desire to hear music like mine out there.  It is folk, it is acoustic‑based, it is about the song, it is beautiful stuff and I think that there are people out there that really are lacking that on the airwaves today.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8105     I am thankful for Rawlco Radio to come forward with this to support artists like myself, to get our music heard finally, along with CKUA and others, CBC, who I am totally thankful for.  Having a commercial radio station just gives us the extra strength and power behind us that we need to be heard and I am all for them.  I am very excited for them.  I have got everything crossed for them and I hope they do very well.  I hope you truly consider them.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8106     Once again, my name is Lin Elder.  I appreciate you listening and all the best to Rawlco Radio.  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8107     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much, Mrs. Elder.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8108     Mr. Langford.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8109     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  You can uncross everything for a while because we don't move that fast.

‑‑‑ Laughter / Rires

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8110     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  You won't jinx anything, so you can rest a little.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8111     MS ELDER:  All right.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8112     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Maybe in about six‑seven months, start crossing everything up again.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8113     I was wondering ‑‑ I have lost control of the names again ‑‑ the club owner, the first ‑‑ Josh, right?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8114     MR. MARANTZ:  Josh, yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8115     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  It is really clear where you stand and what you think is good here and so I am cool on that.  But as a radio listener and a person who is obviously very much involved with entertainment, both as a business and pleasure and whatnot, trying to flog it, what else is missing for listeners here?  Who else ‑‑ what other group or groups aren't getting what they want?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8116     We know that folk isn't getting enough; they are getting some on CKUA according to Ms Elder.  And we have heard here that the older demographic isn't getting enough.  We have heard the younger demographic isn't.  But you are out there and you are listening to the radio.  Who else isn't getting what they want?


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8117     MR. MARANTZ:  I would say it is not necessarily genre‑specific.  With the private radio stations, as John referred to, a lot of the programming is done from one area, whether that be Toronto or from somewhere in the States, and local artists are not getting the chance to be on the airwaves.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8118     And the fact that Rawlco's Edmonton Station, which is a smooth jazz station, apparently, 50 per cent of their play list is from the Edmonton area and I think that the fact that this is a folk/root station which is being proposed, it will give ‑‑ and again, you can categorize music all you want, the genres tend to encompass a lot of different styles of music.  So having a folk/root station can include some alt country, some ‑‑ you know, all those types of music in their play list.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8119     But the main thing, I think, is it is not necessarily genre‑specific that isn't being played on the air, it is a local representation of the artists.  And being a promoter and presenting live music and focusing on original live music, the amount of talent in Calgary alone, professional high‑quality artistry is just ‑‑ I mean it is phenomenal the amount out there.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8120     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  So we should stop focusing so hard on genres and focus a little more on independence and rising stars and local talent?  You are not the first person to tell us that, by the way.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8121     MR. MARANTZ:  Yes, I believe so.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8122     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  I think we are beginning to understand the message.  We are slow, you know.  We don't move as fast as we used to.  We are outside of the demographics, most of us.

‑‑‑ Laughter / Rires

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8123     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Those of you who have recordings ‑‑ anybody can jump in on this ‑‑ are any of you getting played on satellite radio?  Because when we did the satellite radio hearing, we heard that some of the independents were actually getting picked up by the Americans because they have got so much to program ‑‑ we heard testimony from some of the independents that they were amazed to hear some of their songs on satellite radio.  Is that happening to any of you?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8124     MR. URSEL:  I am not really sure because I have never listened to satellite radio except on the airplane but the one band, the House Doctors, with whom I have released two albums ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8125     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  I am sorry, could you speak just a little louder?


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8126     MR. URSEL:  I am sorry.  The one band, the House Doctors, which I front and with whom I have released two albums, we have had national airplay on CBC, a fair bit of airplay on CKUA and various campus stations, and whether we have been picked up by satellite radio, I don't have a clue actually.  How do I find that out?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8127     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  I don't know.  You might have to go and look at their play lists on the internet or something like that because it kind of came as a surprise to us.  It was a ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8128     THE CHAIRPERSON:  I would suggest you will notice it ‑‑ if you are getting SOCAN payment, you will see it on your SOCAN statement.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8129     MR. URSEL:  Mm‑hmm.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8130     THE CHAIRPERSON:  So if you haven't seen it, more than likely it is ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8131     MR. URSEL:  Mm‑hmm.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8132     THE CHAIRPERSON:  ‑‑ because you are not carried.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8133     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Those are my questions.  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8134     MS ELDER:  I was just going to say that it is my understanding ‑‑ it was brought to my attention yesterday by Kenna, who is with Rawlco, that The Faiths are being played on satellite radio.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8135     I have heard that from a few others recently, which is really cool.  You know, you get a call from somebody in the States who says, oh my God, I just heard your song on the radio, and I said, really?  Like it is very exciting.  It is just actually starting to happen recently, which is exciting news, and thanks to Kenna for letting me know that yesterday.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8136     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Yes, that is what we heard, and you know, it is kind of interesting because we are always worried about the Americans taking over the Canadian airwaves and maybe the revolution is moving the other way, very slowly.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8137     MS ELDER:  We are fighting back, I think.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8138     COMMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Yes.  Good for you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8139     Those are my questions, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8140     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much, Mr. Langford.  Thank you very much to all of you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8141     Mrs. Secretary, we will move to the next interveners.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8142     THE SECRETARY:  I would now call the next five appearing interveners:  Tammy Schuiling, Megatunes, The Union Ltd., Blayne Crowchild and Ashley‑Rae Snape.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8143     I would ask Tammy Schuiling to begin her presentation and you will have 10 minutes for your presentation.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8144     MS SCHUILING:  Thank you for allowing me to speak.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8145     Well, I am a 36‑year‑old professionally employed woman, quite white collar.  I am a National Marketing Director for a national satellite provider and I have a few years' experience working in the Calgary radio industry.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8146     Let me start off by saying I cannot skateboard, nor can I snowboard, I don't wear baggy pants and I don't have any piercings or tattoos to speak of but I do appreciate good music and Calgary radio is sadly lacking the kind of music that I like.  In fact, I no longer listen to Calgary music radio stations except for talk radio.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8147     Like many Calgarians who are tired of turning on nothing but classic rock or country or factory‑produced pop, I plug in my iPod and, unfortunately, that erodes the exposure and growth of very talented artists.  It also enables people to disconnect or disengage from the communities in which they live.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8148     To me it is more than just the music that would refresh the Calgary listening landscape, it is the injection of non‑mainstream culture, it is the support and development of local talent that may have to relocate in order to get exposure, it is building a sense of community and belonging for those who share in this kind of music, and it is, quite frankly, non longer perpetuating the stereotypical image of Calgary, of being red‑neck and non‑progressive.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8149     Really, in a city of a million people, we ‑‑ really, if you narrow it down, we only have four choices for music and it is country, classic rock, kind of the light rock or adult contemporary or the top 40 hot AC and I think we deserve more choice than that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8150     You are probably thinking that I am a bit of an anomaly because I don't fit the typical demographic but let me tell you how this all got started.  It probably goes back ‑‑ I hate to admit it ‑‑ about 23 years ago when I really stumbled on a genre of music that wasn't readily accepted in my small town of 3,000 where I grew up.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8151     But I started listening to the Ramones and the Sex Pistols, ERM, the Smiths, The Cure, and I loved it and I always have and always will.  And that sort of evolved into the early nineties grunge scene. I know you probably don't think that I belong in a mosh pit but I have more than a few injuries to prove it.  So bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, got me excited about music again.  And then came the Breeders, Garbage, Blur, Offspring,  Jane's Addiction, Stone Temple Pilots.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8152     There has been sort of a gap from the early nineties to the music scene now and I see a really exciting trend happening where the new alternative music artists are sort of blending the old genres from the eighties that I used to listen to and the nineties, and they have created this new genre that is really quite exciting.  I grew up on it and it has a lot of legs to stand on.  I and many of my friends loved it as kids and we have grown up with it as it has changed throughout the years.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8153     If you look at the club and concert scene in Calgary, it is quite interesting actually.  You have got the old mainstays like the Ship and Anchor who have been around for a couple of decades now.  They play the alternative music and it is full all the time.  And Broken City promotes local bands as well.  The van's work tour is always sold out despite the fact that there is no local radio station programming that promotes this kind of music.  So there is a demand for it in this city.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8154     So what I find interesting is that Extreme can return their Calgary listening landscape to those old musical roots that I grew up with and I think it will create a lot of loyalty with new listeners.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8155     Calgary is a young city.  If you look at it, it has got one of the youngest demographics in the country at only 34 and I think it is really time to cater to a younger demographic and stop thinking that only the older demographic needs to have their needs met as far as the music listening landscape is concerned.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8156     So as such, I support Harvard Broadcasting in this application and I thank you for your time.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8157     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mrs. Schuiling.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8158     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8159     THE SECRETARY:  I would now call on the intervenor Megatunes and, I believe, Mr. Pleau.  Go ahead, please.

INTERVENTION


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8160     MR. PLEAU:  Good afternoon.  My name is Mike Pleau.  I am the owner of Megatunes, which is an independent music retailer.  We have one store here in Calgary and one in Edmonton.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8161     I would like to begin by stating that I am not familiar with each and every application that you are considering here this week but to my knowledge the application by Harvard Broadcasting to make Extreme 92.9 a reality is the only one you will be considering that has proposed a commitment to serve an audience demographic of 12‑25 by entertaining that target audience with modern alternative music.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8162     When I think of modern alternative music I think of new, interesting, sometimes gritty, cutting edge rock and pop music that would appeal directly to that target demographic.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8163     Currently, there are no other broadcasters playing anything close to that genre of music in this market.  Therefore, there are no other commercial radio stations in Calgary or in southern Alberta for that matter satisfying the wishes or serving the needs of a very large and important segment of our local population.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8164     As it stands today, young people in this city are very cynical or, worse, negative about radio in general and especially of the music programming choices being offered to them in Calgary.  They feel, and rightfully so, that no local commercial broadcasters are interested in playing music that they like, and unfortunately, that is very true right now in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8165     The music that is important to them and the type of music that Extreme FM proposes to play is simply not available on the radio here outside of Campus Radio.  In this demographic, male and female are very passionate about music.  Music is extremely important to them.  It is a lifestyle choice.  They take their listening choices very, very seriously.  It is personal to them.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8166     As a music retailer in this market for the past 17 years, I have encountered people from this age group every day since we opened.  They are bright, intelligent and enthusiastic about their local music scene.  They are supportive of their peers and the musicians in this city.  But the only outlets to hear these artists' music right now are in the live venues, the internet and in stores like ours.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8167     These music fans would welcome and embrace a radio station in Calgary that would further expose and promote local artists' music which would lead to further development of what is truly a wealth of artistic talent in our city.  Quite frankly, I think both the young artists and your audiences deserve that and that support is not currently being offered to them.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8168     It is my opinion, which is shared by many, that the proposal I am endorsing will make a significant cultural difference here as it relates to diversifying the radio landscape in Calgary.  It is obvious to me that this application should be accepted as it would fill a huge void in this market.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8169     Their proposal to broadcast modern alternative rock music along with their commitment to support and develop up and coming local, regional, national Canadian talent would be welcomed by many Calgarians.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8170     In summary, I feel that this application put forth by Harvard Broadcasting is extremely important for the City of Calgary and it is my hope that the CRTC will give this application very careful consideration and then conclude that making Extreme 92.9 a reality is the right thing to do.  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8171     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Pleau.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8172     Mrs. Secretary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8173     THE SECRETARY:  I would now call on Mr. Harvey Cohen of The Union Ltd. to make your presentation.  Thank you.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8174     MR. COHEN:  Thank you.  Good afternoon.  My name is Harvey Cohen and I am an owner and Director of The Union Ltd. which is one of Canada's largest independent concerts and events promoters.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8175     We promote concerts and special events across western Canada in 10 cities and I am here to speak to the necessity of an alternative music radio station in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8176     Our company focuses a great deal of our efforts into promoting and building artists that fit into the alternative music genre.  Since these artists are not currently available on Calgary radio, there should be very little impact on existing stations currently broadcasting in the city and it will fill a huge void.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8177     With over 200,000 people in the target demographic in Calgary, there is a huge void in the local radio market.  Calgary is currently the largest city in Canada still lacking an alternative rock radio station.  From large X to small there is a wealth of artists that are being heard in other cities across Canada on stations like Sonic 102.9 in Edmonton, CSNY in Toronto, and The Freak in Winnipeg.  Canadian artists in particular like Moneen, The Most Serene Republic, Cuff the Duke, Comeback Kid and The Constantines are being done a disservice by not being played in our city.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8178     Canada is on the leading edge of developing alternative music, breeding artists that are renowned around the world for their talents yet are not currently heard on Calgary radio.  Canadian bands that fit into this mould include Broken Social Scene, Stars, Metric, Alexisonfire, Death From Above 1979, and Controller.Controller, to name a few.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8179     Our company's head office is in Edmonton and we have seen a marked interest in ticket sales for concerts that fit into the alternative realm since the launch of Sonic just over a year ago.  Sonic's progressive play list has been welcomed in Edmonton with open arms, as can be seen in the latest radio book that shows in one year they have clearly dominated the youth market, which is the same target demographic that Extreme FM will be catering to.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8180     The youth of Calgary are turning off traditional radio and turning to internet and satellite radio along with downloading in order to hear alternative music that is lacking on the Calgary radio dial.  Bands like Death Cab for Cutie have the ability to sell 4,000 tickets in Calgary in under 20 minutes but for some reason are not played on radio in the city.  Bands like The Used and My Chemical Romance would be heavily played on a station like Extreme but are not presently heard.  Each of these bands have sold out arenas in Calgary over the past year.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8181     I could spend the entire presentation giving you example after example of this but I am going to narrow my focus down to just one artist.  A great example of a band that is hurt by the lack of alternative radio in Calgary is the Canadian group Metric, and by comparing their ticket sales in Calgary and Edmonton over the past three or four years it is proven.  The band's last three tours have been promoted by my company and they show definitive proof that an alternative music radio station can greatly affect a band's ability to sell tickets.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8182     In 2004, prior to the launch of Sonic in Edmonton, Metric sold almost an equal number of tickets in Calgary and Edmonton, in the area of 450 tickets per city.  In mid‑2005, we promoted a Metric tour that was presented by Sonic in Edmonton and we were able to sell out three shows there for a total capacity exceeding 1,800 people.  Those three shows were sold out more than a month out from the events and by judging by the demand we could have easily sold at least another 1,000 tickets.  In Calgary, we eventually sold out the venue of 1,600 tickets for that tour but it took right up until the day of the concert to do it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8183     Just this past month, the union has announced Metric's next tour, which will be coming to western Canada in April of this year.  Both concerts went on sale at the same time and as of February 20th, which is more than six weeks from the event, Calgary was sitting at 1,030 tickets sold while Edmonton has sold over 1,500 more tickets and is currently at 2,547 paid.  We give full credit for this large gap in sales to the positive effect of having commercial radio support in Edmonton for the concert.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8184     On January 16th of this year, Metric were chosen to open for arguably the largest band in the world at the most famous arena on the planet when they opened for The Rolling Stones at Madison Square Gardens in New York City.  However, it is still not possible for a Calgarian to turn on the radio and hear this Canadian band's music.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8185     In the second week of January, I took a look at Sonic's play list and noted that 22 of the top 30 spun songs on that station are not currently played on Calgary commercial radio.  Of the 8 remaining songs that are played in Calgary, I would venture to say a good number of those are in light rotation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8186     Marketing budgets for mid‑size concerts can be quite limiting.  Thus, we must squeeze every nickel out of our advertising.  Therefore, it is not cost effective to purchase advertising on the existing stations for alternative music concerts because we are lucky to hit 5‑10 per cent of our target audience.  Therefore, we have essentially wasted 90‑95 per cent of the radio budget trying to sell an alternative music event to a largely non‑interested listener.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8187     Even if we are willing to spend the money on radio, it is generally very difficult to convince current stations to allocate air time to the event because event advertising is generally discounted.  It seems that currently there is a lack of inventory compared to the demand for advertising air time in Calgary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8188     On a recent event we held in Calgary, through a sizeable ad buy, we were able to convince a local station to present a spoken word performance that was somewhat outside of their normal programming zone.  We purchased a block of air time and received some additional promo time in exchange for the exclusive radio presents.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8189     After the initial ad run was utilized, we were forced to reschedule the event to a later date due to the artist's movie shooting schedule.  It was then necessary to rework our advertising, which included radio.  We were informed by the station that due to a lack of inventory they couldn't give us any more promo air time without an additional ad buy.  That was a fair deal and therefore we purchased additional ads costing several thousand dollars more.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8190     After that ad run had concluded though, we were informed by the station that time was so tight that even though we had done the additional ad buy, they could still not provide us any more promo time and if we needed more time, it would have to be purchased at full price.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8191     When all was said and done, we felt that the radio buy for that event was somewhat of a waste because not only did the station not live up to the expectations we had, considering the exclusive radio presents, but since no station in Calgary truly captured the market of the performer, we were trying to hit a narrow field of listeners on the station while mainly hitting people that didn't care about the event.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8192     If we had an alternative rock station in Calgary at the time, our money would have been far better spent and we would have targeted a much higher percentage of listeners who would be interested in the event.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8193     The youth of today are quite similar to the people in the music industry.  They are always trying to keep their finger on the pulse and find things that are hot.  In my work, I need to try and keep track of new music that will develop into the next big thing.  It is not possible to do this listening to music currently being played on commercial radio in Calgary.  I spend my days listening to Sonic or CSNY online or listening to satellite radio in order to research and seek out new music.  It is a shame that I and countless other Calgarians have to listen to Edmonton radio in order to expand our musical interests.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8194     The Canadian band, The Arcade Fire, were picked up by the likes of CSNY and Sonic when their album was released.  However, it took their Calgary concert selling out in five minutes and their album being certified platinum before it was even added to the Calgary dial and they are still in very light rotation.  I am at a loss why a platinum‑selling Canadian artist in only in light rotation in a city that is obviously very fond of the band by looking at their album and concert ticket sales.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8195     Since the launch of Sonic, when deciding what size venues to put alternative concerts into, we normally look at venues in Edmonton that are twice as big as the venues in Calgary.  This has been a common theme and even occurs in markets as small as Winnipeg.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8196     On last year's Alexisonfire tour we were able to secure radio sponsorship in Winnipeg but not in Calgary.  In Calgary we sold 1,750 tickets for the show while the Winnipeg show was so successful that we have to move it from the original venue to the much larger Winnipeg Convention Centre to accommodate the 3,000 people that attended.  It was our conclusion that without the support of commercial radio, a city that is just over half the size of Calgary should not sell 40 per cent more tickets for the same performance.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8197     An alternative rock station will present broader options for the promotion of live music in the city for two reasons, the first being that stations will not be under pressure from promoters and labels to get behind a performance by an artist that they do not play.  That will open up inventory for advertisers and event promotion that better fit the station's focus.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8198     For example, the Punk Rock Festival The Vans Warped Tour is presented each year by a local radio station.  On average, that station only plays one or two of the 40‑50 bands showcased every year at the concert.  Looking at last year's Warped Tour line‑up, the radio sponsor only played one of the 43 performers on the festival.  That is one more band than any other Calgary station, so thus, they became the best choice.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8199     However, if you take that same line‑up and compare it to the proposed play list of Extreme FM and those of Sonic or CSNY, 10‑20 of those bands would likely see regular airplay.  It is obvious that an alternative rock station would be a far better choice to present a festival like this and numerous other concerts every year.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8200     The second reason why the live music industry, and thus the fans, would benefit from the addition of an alternative rock station in Calgary is that by opening up more avenues of promotion each station benefits by being able to devote more air time to presenting events that better suit their listeners' wants.  There is currently a large segment of the city's population that is being underserved by the radio options they are given.  Alternative rock radio promotes to a clearly identifiable and distinct audience that is not being well served currently.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8201     This format has proven its worth across North America, all the way from K‑Rock in Los Angeles to Sonic in Edmonton, and I believe that it is time Calgarians had the opportunity to enjoy alternative rock on local airwaves.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8202     In conclusion, I want to reiterate The Union's support of Harvard Broadcasting's application for Extreme FM to bring alternative rock radio to the listeners of Calgary.  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8203     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Cohen.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8204     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8205     THE SECRETARY:  I would now call on Blayne Crowchild to present his intervention.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8206     MR. CROWCHILD:  Hello.  Good afternoon.  My name is Blayne.  I work for Husky Energy in the support for engineering and project management.  I am a born and raised Calgarian and a radio listener and there is no radio of this format in Calgary.  I am in support of this application from Harvard Broadcasting.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8207     I am always listening to streaming alternative rock radio from the U.S., therefore, not listening to Canadian radio.  I am tired of all the fossil rock from CJ107 Jack Eagle.  It is severely unacceptable to have four stations playing classic rock in Calgary.  I have bought stereos for my car and the alternative rock from it is from the United States also.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8208     Tegan and Sara is the Calgary‑born duo who had no support here and had to relocate to flourish.  A certain radio station would not touch them and they became more played on U.S. radio than in Calgary because this certain station wants to play nine minutes of Peter Frampton or some Doobie Brothers song.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8209     I want to hear new rock from up and coming Canadian bands such as The Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Spice, New Pornographers, Train Wreck, Metric, and many, many more.  I want to hear nineties Canadian bands such as the Gandharvas, Pure, The Doughboys, and many more that certain other stations would not touch with a 10‑foot pole.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8210     Save the Overplay, Tom Cochrane, Colin James and Guess Who for the other four stations.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8211     I have also noted that we already have light and adults in easy listening in the city.  We also have a cultural station too.  Once again, there is no radio of this format in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8212     I am severely in support of this application.  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8213     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Crowchild.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8214     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8215     THE SECRETARY:  I would now call on Ashley‑Rae Snape.  Thank you.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8216     MS SNAPE:  Hi.  My name is Ashley‑Rae Snape.  I am the Vice‑President of Academics and Student Affairs for the U of C Students' Association and I am also born and raised Canadian.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8217     Take a good look at me.  I am the stereotype.  I have got facial piercings, dyed black hair, I dress in layers.  Tegan and Sara went to my high school.  I listen to The Cure, The Smiths.  I have seen Metric three times.  I am what this audience is.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8218     Since I started spreading the word about this radio station, I have spoken with students at the U of C, ACAD and State as well as many friends and an online community, My Face.  Everyone I have spoken to thinks that an alternative station for Calgary is completely logical and needed and that is what makes this so hard to speak to, is because I do think that it is just so logical.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8219     I don't play music.  I don't sing.  I am solely a consumer.  I spend $50 to $100 a month on CDs and that is being extremely careful with my budget.  I stopped listening to Calgary radio about three or four years ago.  My ideal radio situation is a station that can play stuff that I know and love, plus introduce me to new music.  This state exists for adult contemporary, pop and pop rock in Calgary but it doesn't for alternative rock and there is such a huge scene of alternative rock in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8220     I would say I spend about 10 to 12 hours a day listening to music.  Whether it be from my commute, at work, in the morning, before bed,  when I do listen to radio, I listen to online radio, Indie 103 out of California and Roxy out of Cincinnati.  Any ads that I hear are for the States, any shows that I want to go see are in the States and any contests are for people from the United States.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8221     Right now for alternative and independent music in Calgary, people are forced to scrounge online, look at record labels, concert promoters.  They actually have to work to listen to this kind of music and they do it.  There is a huge scene for it.  Imagine how much that would expand if it was easily accessible to everyone.  Not only would a local alternative station thrive in Calgary but it would also bring a lot of business to local businesses, venues, promoters and record stores.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8222     The Calgary music scene ‑‑ and I apologize now to the promoters that are here ‑‑ is known as the joke of the country for this scene.  I have travelled from Vancouver to Montreal since May with my job, I have networked with students and student leaders and they often mention the state of music in Calgary as all the student unions and student associations book bands at their schools.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8223     I have heard other bands making fun of the Calgary music scene and I have had many, many conversations about why no big bands come from Calgary.  The last big band to break out that I can think of was Zuckerbaby and that was in 1997 and they lasted for about a year.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8224     I spend a lot of time and money going to different venues in the city, scoping out local bands on the internet and I found no lack of talent or creativity.  All I found is a lack of support, especially from the current radio stations, and I personally know people who have petitioned the leading rock station in Calgary to play more independent music, to play more local artists and have received no response.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8225     I spent a seven‑hour car ride from Vernon to Calgary talking with a co‑worker about the state of music in Calgary and we thought maybe it was just us, maybe it was just our circles that were into this kind of music.  That was the night of the Snow Patrol Show here in Calgary and there was at least 3,000 youth singing along to a band that gets no airplay in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8226     If you look at the success of shows at McEwan Hall or at the gate or if you even walk into any high school in Calgary, you will see the stereotyping, you will see the need for this radio station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8227     Alternative and Indie fans are truly a community in Calgary where the station would spread through the community faster than anyone could imagine.  People are already talking about this.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8228     In May I went up to Edmonton, and as a true Calgarian I have always had a disdain for Edmonton, and I discovered that I actually covet something that Edmonton has, Sonic, their radio station.  I spent my whole time there attached to a radio because I was just amazed that this actually exists in Canada and I am appalled that it is not in Calgary yet.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8229     Wouldn't it be great if all the people with tastes similar to mine, which are a lot, wouldn't have to leave town or go to the U.S. media for good music?  That is what Extreme 92.9 is offering.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8230     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mrs. Snape.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8231     Mrs. Helen del Val.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8232     COMMISSIONER DEL VAL:  Thank you for your interventions.  This question is for Ms Schuiling, Mr. Crowchild and Ms Snape.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8233     You obviously listen to your music from the U.S. from your iPods and from the computer.  Now, what about, say, local news and what we call spoken word programming; do you look for that when you are listening?  Do you miss it and do you want to hear that?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8234     MS SCHUILING:  Hi.  I am actually a big news and political junkie.  So I actually do listen to a local radio station, CHQR, quite regularly and also CBC.  That is the only radio station that I do listen to.  As far as music, I do not listen to any Calgary radio station.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8235     MR. CROWCHILD:  For me, I do miss it.  Yes, I would like to hear local traffic.  I would like to hear local news but the only local news that I usually get is from TV.  The 6 o'clock news, that is how I get it.  I would prefer to hear it during my work day.  I think I know more of what is happening in local Toronto than I do in local Calgary, I think, and I know more about the streets in Toronto than I do in Calgary, it seems.  So yes, I do miss it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8236     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8237     MS SNAPE:  I'm a broadcast news student, or I was, I graduated in April and, yes, news is my life but I do have access to news wires and I watch Calgary TV news.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8238     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  But not from the radio signal?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8239     MS SNAPE:  Not from the radio, but I do miss it because I love the radio format, I love the 60‑second spots, I love the true‑to‑point dirty news, I don't...

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8240     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8241     COMMISSIONER del VAL:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8242     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Mr. Langford.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8243     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  I wanted to ask you a question, Mr. Cohen, which I put to one of the other ‑‑ well, a couple, and they're not an event planner, but at least in another aspect of this whole music business.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8244     We've heard you loud and clear, by the way, so it's not that I'm ignoring your message and going to something else.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8245     But is there anything else missing in the way of a type of music in Calgary?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8246     MR. COHEN:  Obviously there are, you know, really small genres, such that they may not be overly formatted right now, but in terms of a large demographic, I don't think anything is missing to the point that alternative rock is at this point, you know, everything from the CKUAs, all the way up to the Cjs, you know, are hitting a fairly wide demographic and I think right now that alternative is the one that's really missing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8247     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Because we have ‑‑ and I might put this to you as well, Mr. Crowchild, once I'm finished with Mr. Cohen ‑‑ because you mentioned that you can get easy listening in Calgary now, but we've got ‑‑ gosh, there's so many of them I've lost control ‑‑ three or four applications by serious broadcasters ‑‑ not serious like satellite Sirius but serious.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8248     MR. CROWCHILD:  Mm‑hmm.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8249     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Serious broadcasters who are telling us that ‑‑ God, it's getting harder and harder to speak, almost every word's been turned into a brand ‑‑ that they're telling us that there's a big hole there, that radio did at one time carry this kind of stuff, but format changes have left it in the dust.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8250     Are you telling me that that's not so, that you can ‑‑ if you have an appetite for Frank Sinatra and all the rest of it, that you can find it here on the radio?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8251     MR. COHEN:  At this point I believe you can.  A number of the AM stations, you know, are playing into the oldies all the way, you know, across the board.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8252     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  I see.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8253     MR. COHEN:  And I don't believe that at any time there's been a serious ‑‑ if I'm not mistaking the direction you were taking, that alternative perhaps was played at one point and due to  format changes no longer is.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8254     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Well, they changed ‑‑ yeah, they change with breathtaking speed sometimes, but what we've heard here this week is that there was some of this 40 ‑‑ 30, what is it, 35 to 135 demographic stuff played but they've switched their formats, it's no longer available.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8255     Mr. ‑‑ bling, I've lost your last name ‑‑ Crowchild, you said you have heard it on the radio; do you think it's ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8256     MR. CROWCHILD:  There is a Clear F ‑‑ or California 103 is something like that we already have here, there's light 96 also and we also have a religious one on ‑‑ that plays light music as well and that kind of area, and there's a cultural 104 something I believe it is.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8257     So, this is ‑‑ like I said, this is the only application where we don't have this format in the city.  I really would ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8258     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Sorry, we heard this story in Halifax last year, it's not a new story.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8259     What about what CHUM calls Hot AC, 25‑44 demographic; from your experience is that available here in Calgary?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8260     MR. CROWCHILD:  598.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8261     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  I beg your pardon?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8262     MR. CROWCHILD:  598, we have here for that.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8263     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Thank you.  Mr. Cohen, do you feel that's...

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8264     MR. COHEN:  I ‑‑ Hot AC is ‑‑ I wouldn't say is available here right now.  There's portions of it, like Mr. Crowchild was saying, 598.5 does play some of the Hot AC tracks, however, there is no formatted Hot AC station right now.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8265     But I would say that, as you were saying, with frequent format changes there have been Hot AC stations in Calgary over the last five years, but obviously the economics of it haven't worked because these stations have been getting out of them fairly quickly.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8266     The Peak 107.3 was the best example of this, but it didn't last very long at all.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8267     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  I guess my last question would be to Tammy Schuiling.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8268     I suspect you have contact lenses and a whole different wardrobe somewhere hidden away at home, but I won't go there, as my kids say.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8269     Though there is an enthusiastic set of Calgarians like yourself who by day are Lois Lane and by night are ‑‑ I don't know, Johnny Rotten's evil twin or something ‑‑ is there enough to carry a whole commercial radio station?


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8270     I mean, they're expensive to run, commercial radio stations, and you can't run them on an audience of a few thousand people.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8271     Is there enough interest out there to carry this format?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8272     MS SCHUILING:  I believe that there is.  I mean, if you look at the viable businesses in the community that would cater specifically to this demographic such as The Source, Snowboard Shop and Mission, various clothing retailers, et cetera, and they're springing up all over the place and it's catering specifically not only to this age demographic but also to the culture, it's a lifestyle.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8273     And, like I said, it starts young, of course ‑‑ maybe I'm just a little immature for my 36 years ‑‑ but there are, I can count numerous people that, like me, have grown up with this type of music and would also enjoy listening to it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8274     So, yes, I think there's a huge demand for it.  You'll see just from the business community alone how it caters to this lifestyle.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8275     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Mr. Cohen, do you want to add something?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8276     MR. COHEN:  Yeah, I wouldn't mind.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8277     The question of whether the market is large enough, I think is definitely there even just based on looking what, say, Sonic has done in Edmonton in one year.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8278     You know, I believe their last book came out and they had a 5.7 share, I believe it is and,  you know, that alone, what they've done in a year is higher than what Harvard has, you know, expected that they would need to be doing to make this viable.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8279     So, I think ‑‑ you know, I've been referring back to Sonic a lot and, you know, it's just I think there's such a strong belief in what I've seen them do in Edmonton, as I spend a lot of time up there with an office there, that this market ‑‑ that there's definitely a market there, without question.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8280     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Thank you very much.  We're going to send Commissioner Williams up there this weekend, he's going to scout that whole scene out for us.  We'll get a full report on Monday.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8281     Those are my questions, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8282     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman ‑‑ Mr. Langford.

‑‑‑ Laughter / Rires

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8283     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  I like it.  Don't stop, I like it, I like it.

‑‑‑ Laughter / Rires


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8284     MR. WILLIAMS:  And I was going to let it go.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8285     THE CHAIRPERSON:  And thank you for your appearance.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8286     We will now move to the next group of intervenors.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8287     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8288     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8289     I would just like to say for the record that the following two intervenors will not be appearing, although they are mentioned on the agenda, and it is Mr. Ken Beck, Mayor of the Town of Cochrane, intervention No. 44, as well as intervention 195, Rickles Pub & Grub.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8290     So, now I would like to call upon Mr. Ken Hynes, Deputy‑Mayor, Town of Cochrane to come forward, as well as Jim Hughes and Stu Bradley.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8291     I would like to call on Mr. Ken Hynes, Deputy‑Mayor of the Town of Cochrane to make his presentation and you will have 10 minutes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8292     Thank you.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8293     MR. HYNES:  Thank you very much, Madam Secretary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8294     Mr. Chairman, members of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Ken Hynes and, as the Secretary mentioned, I am the Deputy‑Mayor of the Town of Cochrane, I'm serving my first term as an elected official.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8295     After serving some 30 years as an officer in the Canadian Army, I retired a couple of years ago and thought I might be able to make a difference in my community and that's why I'm sitting here ‑‑ one of the reasons why I'm sitting before you here today.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8296     A little bit about my background, before I get into the meat of the presentation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8297     I ‑‑ and I'm mentioning this for a specific reason which will become apparent later on.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8298     I have graduate degrees in business administration and organizational conflict management, and the reason that I'm mentioning that at this stage before I get into the meat is that you have had before you earlier today, and perhaps yesterday, some statistical data related to whether or not Mr. Tiessen's ‑‑ Tiessen Media's proposal would actually be ‑‑ if Cochrane would actually be able to support radio.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8299     Well, it doesn't come as any surprise that I do support Tiessen Media's application as has been presented to you earlier, that's item No. 11.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8300     The statistical data that I'm referring to is the Mark Kassof & Company, Success Strategies for Radio ‑‑ and I won't go into any great detail there, except to say that when you're basing statistical information on 250 telephone interviews for a population size in excess of 45,000 people, that represents less than one per cent of the population and to get any statistical accuracy, I think I would respectfully remind the Commission that relying on this kind of data one should do so with that in mind.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8301     We recently completed a community survey in Cochrane where every household, some 5,000 of them, were in receipt of a survey questionnaire with a 25 per cent return rate, we were able to get data which was 97 per cent accurate 19 times out of 20.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8302     So, one can see how this small number may not reflect accurately the interest that exists in my town and the 13,500 people who live there on whether or not we could, in fact, sustain a radio station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8303     Now, a little bit about Cochrane.  I've already told you the size of the town.  We're proud of our western heritage and we embrace the future.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8304     We are a community where people of vision are striving to build a community of choice for future generations.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8305     I'm not here to talk about the employment of musicians, market share or any technical questions because they have been more than adequately covered by other presenters.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8306     They are all important, of course, but I'm hoping that what I'm here to do, which is to speak about public service and the needs ‑‑ legitimate needs and wants of the 13,500 people who live in my town, is an issue that is also equally important.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8307     And there are three key areas that I would like to touch upon with that context here this afternoon.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8308     First, with respect to Cochrane as a community.  Presently there are two local newspapers that strive to meet the needs of the various community groups in Cochrane.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8309     The challenge here is in getting timely information out, of course, as the newspapers are published on a weekly basis.  It is a rarity that our community events are promoted by Calgary radio stations, we are not Calgary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8310     Those events that attract the Calgary stations are typically high profile in nature with a newsworthy edge to them.  In most instances, the coverage is of the actual event and not the promotion leading up to that event.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8311     The only alternative is to look to paid radio advertising within the Calgary area which, in most cases, for our smaller community groups, is extremely cost‑prohibitive.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8312     Tiessen Media has indicated that their proposal will have strong community focus.  In fact, Mr. Tiessen has done a significant amount of legwork in both the Airdrie and Cochrane area to see whether or not there is support for his proposal.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8313     And I can assure you, because I've been talking about this thing for over two months now to hundreds of people in my community, and I can count on one hand the number of people who don't believe that we need electronic media in our community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8314     The second point is one related to economic development.  We value our local businesses and their ability to succeed, but they're faced with many challenges, one of which is promoting sales in a timely manner.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8315     The reliance on weekly newspapers and direct mail is not an optimal solution in meeting their needs of reaching customers.  Affordable radio advertising would allow businesses to focus on their various target audiences.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8316     Tiessen Media has proposed very cost‑effective advertising which will be complimentary with the existing methods used at the moment.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8317     Just an aside.  If we're going to talk about demographics, and we're talking more than just music, we're talking about news and other aspects of radio communication and, from a Cochrane standpoint, I'm looking at age demographics between 12 and 112, so there's a wide variety of interest out there in different aspects, and I think that Tiessen's proposal is quite effective in the sense that it proposes an eclectic mixture of both news programming and musical programming of all types.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8318     The final, perhaps what I think anyway is one of the most important issues, is the Town of Cochrane as a corporate organization and its needs.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8319     And, as a corporation, we are continually looking at ways in which we can communicate better with our residents.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8320     A prime example of this occurred in June last year where we experienced significant issues related to the floods that happened here in the Province of Alberta.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8321     Had we had a local radio station, residents would have known they could tune in to get up‑to‑the‑minute messaging regarding the flood situation and things that they could do to make themselves and their families safe and perhaps also to offer whatever assistance they could to the municipal officials.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8322     Additionally, we believe that this method of communication will significantly contribute to improve attendance at such things as public hearings, town‑sponsored events and our new regime of community engagement sessions.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8323     Communications aside, small communities that sit on the fringe of larger centres such as Calgary face similar challenges, whether they be Okotoks, Cochrane, Airdrie ‑‑ which is our sister municipality in this presentation, or in this proposal ‑‑ Black Diamond, you name it, each of them have unique characteristics, they are not Calgary and, therefore, have unique requirements.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8324     To address this we, as a group of municipalities though, have taken a regional approach to many issues with the formation of what we call the Calgary Regional Partnership.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8325     In some ways I see this way of doing business as being appropriate when one views this kind of application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8326     We have three major municipalities that possibly benefit from this regional view, the Town of Cochrane, the City of Airdrie, as I have mentioned already, and also the larger Municipal District of Rocky View which surrounds the City of Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8327     Essentially, without the benefit of a radio station, there are three very large communities as a whole who do not have a voice and no way of providing up‑to‑the‑minute information to their citizens.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8328     We are hopeful that you will look kindly on and approve Tiessen Media's application for a radio station as it will, indeed, fill a long and overdue need in our communities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8329     Thank you very much for your time and attention, ladies and gentlemen.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8330     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Hynes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8331     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8332     THE SECRETARY:  I now call upon Mr. Jim Hughes to present your intervention.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8333     Thank you.


INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8334     MR. HUGHES:  Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, Commissioners and ladies and gentlemen, I appreciate being here.  I forgot my hat.

‑‑‑ Laughter / Rires

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8335     MR. HUGHES:  Actually, my background, if I may, which I feel somewhat helps qualify me to address this hearing, a 40‑year veteran of radio and television, starting in Lloydminster in 1966, went to Lethbridge in '67 and then came to Calgary in 1969 and have been a broadcaster on both radio and television here in Calgary since 1969, for some 37 years.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8336     I'm very familiar with the market, it's my hometown, I'm very familiar with the two towns that we're discussing here, Airdrie and Cochrane.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8337     I'm also, from a perspective of being employed in the broadcast business, I'm very familiar with the decisions that the CRTC has made over the years, the changes in radio.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8338     I'm also familiar with how the basic atmosphere of radio and structure of radio has changed in the city and how the city has changed and grown with it.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8339     This is a very important application to me for a number of reasons.  First of all, during the 37 years that I've worked here in the City of Calgary, let me tell you that a few years ago I met a young man who was 15 years of age and at that time was attending a high school in a small town comparable to both Airdrie and Cochrane.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8340     This young man was the treasurer of his school council, he was also a director of the jazz band, he was ‑‑ I loved his enthusiasm, his intensity, his honesty, and at the age of 15 I felt he was quite mature beyond his years.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8341     And I think that goes without saying when you look at the applicant at the age of 19 years old, runs for political office in Okotoks and becomes a councillor and is now in his second term, first term starting when he was 19 years of age.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8342     I think that the fact ‑‑ and my support for this application I will try and channel through my respect for this young man and his intent ‑‑the fact that he's been a councillor in Okotoks and in his second term, being in that position it would be difficult for a lot of people to be in that position and have the maturity to listen to problems, to associate themselves with a town of that size.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8343     If the businesses have a problem they go to Town Council, if there is an emergency they go to Town Council.  And this young man is capable and has ‑‑ he's capable of listening, addressing and learning.  In this learning experience he's also grown and, as you can see in his application, has formed Tiessen Media.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8344     With the formation of this Tiessen Media, produces, sells, puts together a network of Chuckwagon broadcasts, which is not what you call mainstream radio by any stretch of the imagination, but he serves a number of very small markets right across Alberta which is, I think, very commendable.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8345     I think it shows me a little bit of entrepeneurialship (sic), I think it shows me that the young man does his homework and that he can find the confidence of business people, which I think is very important, and the other thing is that he has a total passion for radio.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8346     The one thing about the application ‑‑ without going into the fact that we all know, it goes without saying, that there are number of national ‑‑ well‑respected national broadcasting companies that control most of the signals and many of the major markets across Canada and they do a wonderful job in doing what they do.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8347     It's a totally different game, they're competing for points, they want the ratings, they want the sales within those major centres, and this application is the furthest thing, it's the other end of the spectrum in terms of its intent.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8348     We're not ‑‑ in this application, Mr. Tiessen is not intending on trying to get ratings, he's not trying to impact the City of Calgary whatsoever.  And when I said 'we're', I should preface this whole situation and my support with the fact that I have no business interest whatsoever or employment interest whatsoever with Tiessen Media.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8349     To go on, I feel that I would love to see him at least get your consideration and serious consideration, because the fact the two other applicants are most respected, do a wonderful job, they have several stations across Western Canada and, of course, we all know in Newfoundland.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8350     But the situation, they also have a great deal of experience in doing applications with the CRTC, in preparing the applications, they know what to say, they know who to say it to, they know what the CRTC has done in previous judgments, and they have probably an assumed respect to some degree from people who make the decisions.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8351     Now, this young man is brand new at it.  In his application, I went through his application and it may not be as polished as some, I think it's very respectful.  I would like to see it taken seriously because, in my opinion, the Tiessen Media application would be the underdog in ‑‑ overall in this.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8352     But, that being said, the application is one thing, the more important aspect of it is what is he going to do should he be approved?  Can this man follow ‑‑ can he follow up his intent?  Will he take the intent of his application and apply it and actually develop the station as he has specified he would like to?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8353     What I love to see in his ‑‑ what he's intending on doing, what I love to see is radio serving a community, the roots of the broadcasting industry once again being planted in the communities which they serve.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8354     This is the way it was when I started in 1966.  Radio to me has become a little less intimate, a little less personal, far more signals and far more competitive.  I really would love to see the opportunity of a locally owned and operated and managed broadcasting outlet that was actually deeply rooted in the community that it is serving.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8355     I know this man deeply, I know what he's done in Okotoks, I know what he will do in Cochrane and Airdrie.  I like the fact that it's a double action coming out of Airdrie and serving Cochrane as well.  They're different communities but they're vibrant, they're expanding, they're growing, and I feel there's a definite need to have a service within these two towns ‑‑ Airdrie a city and Cochrane a town ‑‑ I think that there is a definite need and it needs the right person to do it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8356     And the most important aspect to me of this particular request that Mr. Tiessen could possibly pursue his ambitions and his passion, is the fact that I think that it's got the local ‑‑ the rural aspect to it, the moneys that ‑‑ it would be very difficult.  It's already to the stage where he's even applied, it has cost him countless hours and who knows the money it's cost him, but I know his determination, his integrity and I know from what I've seen from his business capacity that he will fulfil what you are expecting of him.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8357     And the moneys that would be earned would stay within the community and would support the community.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8358     I think he's a marvellous candidate and, with the utmost respect to the other applicants, they've done very well, but I would love to see and would appreciate your consideration for this man's efforts in this endeavour.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8359     Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8360     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Hughes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8361     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8362     THE SECRETARY:  Mr. Chairman, the last appearing intervention today will be presented by Mr. Stu Bradley.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8363     Mr. Bradley, you have 10 minutes.

INTERVENTION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8364     MR. BRADLEY:  Thank you very kindly.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8365     Well, needless to say, I think we've covered most of the concepts and ideas that come to mind and, simply, I was impressed by the fact that I've been connected and close to radio for over 40 years, so that you have a sense and a feeling for what radio can and does do and has changed immensely over that period of time.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8366     This young fellow came into Cochrane and impressed us because, No. 1, he canvassed the business people and we thought what an outgoing situation that is.  He was willing to go out, like a politician and say, listen, this is who I am, this is what I represent, and I'd like to bring FM radio to your town, how do you like me so far?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8367     We thought that was an impressive and a neat approach to take.  We also invited him to the world famous A&W meeting room.   That doesn't happen in every area, but it happens in Cochrane, if you wear a cowboy hat, it's even better.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8368     We said, let's listen to this kid and see what he's got to offer and where we're going with this FM radio.  He did so and he impressed us.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8369     Mr. Hughes has related to the fact that at 19 years of age, very few young people want to become politically involved and I can't understand anybody at that young age taking on the responsibilities of a town councillor and being successful.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8370     So, that impressed the group of us sitting around.  Said, here's a young fellow who seems to have some insights, some drive, some initiative.  And that's important.  I think that that is one of the factors that we're looking for in terms of young people with young enthusiasm.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8371     And we said, well, let's listen him out.  He, as I say, he did a review of his intent and he also took that to the business people and made sure that they knew and understand that there was a possibility of FM radio coming to Cochrane.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8372     What I've sensed over the many, many years I've been sort of directly and indirectly involved in radio is the fact that it is amazing what radio can do for a community and when you're directly connected, and over the years I've had an opportunity of actually sort of marrying a community to a radio station and that makes a huge difference.  Your event takes on and immense approach and difference and so much success that you have, obviously, relates to the fact that you are closely connected to a radio station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8373     In one instance in an event that we were producing in a community just west of Calgary, and because of the contact we had with media, it was an air show presentation and that particular Saturday afternoon I was buoyed by the fact that the local television people came to me who were just starting at that time to get into the world of using helicopters and said, Mr. Bradley, we're here to report you, you stopped traffic all the way from your airport two lanes solid, and that's about 11 to 12 miles back to the Foothills Hospital in Calgary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8374     A huge reach, a huge impact, and it tells you that there is tremendous support for that kind of thing, that taught me many, many years ago that there is a reach and an understanding of how a community and radio become a partner.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8375     And in so doing, that's what we're looking for.  I think that Mr. Tiessen has done all of the homework and his plan is to try and bring the community of Cochrane where I live, at a plane, a level with the other communities that surround it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8376     We know that we're somewhat behind insomuch as the other towns that surround us already have FM radio and, in many cases, we don't know about that because their reach is limited and you don't hear their signal coming out our way.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8377     However, I sense in travelling north of Cochrane that their radio station in that area has been immensely successful and the reach is basic, and I like that.  I thought, my God, here we are back to the old tradio, when's the last time you heard of that concept, and yet it's very important in a community and there's a sense of reality in going back to that level.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8378     What we noticed that radio now in Cochrane because of its huge growth and it's considered to be one of the, if not the fastest growing towns in the nation.  So, that buoys us to know and understand that there's an importance and it covers such things as the growth and expansion of your community and that includes, of course, things like schools, things like churches and the business opportunity that's growing, expanding.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8379     When the big box store comes to your town, it's a pretty major event and those are the kinds of things we know and sense are happening in Cochrane.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8380     Sporting events, and we're very proud of that fact.  When a young lad that you've had on the football field at your local high school has been escalating to the point where the coach in Western Michigan State is tapping on his shoulder and telling him, son, you'll be expected to lead this team from this college through the gateway at the stadium in Florida and there will be a hundred thousand people in those stands, is a pretty major move.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8381     And we think, isn't that worth covering, that you have a boy right in your town that has reached that level.  We think it's important and worth coming forward with.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8382     The music, art and all of those things, they were alluded to here many, many times over today.  It gives you an opportunity of sensing that your local radio station can cover those kinds of things where, normally speaking, when you're in a market of a million people, they don't do that kind of thing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8383     We're hopeful that we can see and sense that local musicians will get a chance to do some programming and to be recognized by this local station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8384     The agricultural side of things which is important to us and the reasons that we're wearing these cowboy hats today is because people don't realize when you get into a crisis situation and the BSE is coming down on the people who are outside maybe of your town area, but their lives are being impacted to the point where they're losing their businesses, where they're not selling trucks in your town or businesses are suffering because of a major, major impact as far as agriculture is concerned, it becomes a very, very related newsworthy item that affects your town.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8385     It certainly did ours and I can assure you that that reached international level in terms of recognizing that particular concern.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8386     The local coverage is important.  We're in a low‑lying area and it may not seem important to others around us, but if you have a three‑foot snowfall that comes down on the city and the Town of Cochrane, you don't leave, you don't get up the hills, you don't get out, so all of a sudden those kind of things become extremely important and local news coverage is an important factor.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8387     It was alluded to today, it's not all about music, it's about what's happening in your town and how you can sort of overcome those kinds of problems.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8388     They were talking about demographics and I think Councillor Hynes alluded to the fact that our demographic includes things right from the bottom end, the elementary school children and how that snow day and that impact affects them and their parents.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8389     The baby boomers who don't commute and won't be leaving our town unless you know the kind of things that are happening in the world of weather and those very basic concepts.  It becomes important to us to know those kinds of things.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8390     And to our seniors' groups that won't be going to their meetings and their events because of those kinds of events.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8391     So, the music, the news and all those kinds of coverages that you get in radio sort of cover a spectrum of people who are involved in the local community‑type broadcasting.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8392     None of the aforementioned is certainly new or revealing to anybody in this room, I'm sure that they're well aware of all of these coverages.  All we're saying is that we think that Cochrane is a very vibrant, fast‑growing community that probably has missed out in some regards to getting an opportunity to see local radio in our community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8393     It ties nicely with the City of Airdrie, the Town of Cochrane and the MD as it was already aforementioned.  We have a very strong demographic that ties very, very unique group of people together and on that basis that we strongly suggest that the Board consider the application by Tiessen Media to consider FM radio for the Town of Cochrane.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8394     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8395     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much, Mr. Bradley.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8396     Well, I am very happy to see two cowboys wearing hats.  We spend the week here and you are the first two that we see...

‑‑‑ Laughter / Rires

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8397     THE CHAIRPERSON:  So, we are coming from the east where we never see them, and we spend the week, nobody was wearing their hat.  But, finally, at the last day of the first week ‑‑ maybe the people coming from Lethbridge next week will all have a hat, but...


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8398     MR. BRADLEY:  No, they won't.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8399     THE CHAIRPERSON:  But I am very happy at seeing this.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8400     MR. BRADLEY:  Actually, I appreciate that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8401     THE CHAIRPERSON:  A word to Mr. Hughes, I think Mr. Tiessen, to say the least, made a very strong presentation yesterday, highly professional for a young man and I think his application is certainly at the same level as the others that we have heard this week.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8402     I will leave it now to Mr. Langford to put some questions to you and I may have one after, if he doesn't ask it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8403     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Thank you, Mr. Chair.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8404     First of all, I'm sure my colleagues join me, I wanted to thank you for your patience.  I think you spent a lot of time here waiting and it can be annoying to wait, but it's a further show of confidence in this applicant, because not all intervenors go the distance, and for the Deputy‑Mayor and busy people like yourselves who have busy lives to spend that amount of time sitting on these chairs to say your piece, kind of magnifies what you're telling us times two, as far as I'm concerned.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8405     I want to echo what Chairman Arpin says, that the presentation yesterday was immensely professional and very original and, you know, to try and tie in two communities like that, come up with a solution, serve both communities, it shows some foresight.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8406     The problem is ‑‑ and I want to be candid, you've been candid with us ‑‑ and the problem is going to go like this:  Because Mr. Tiessen is not Bill Gates and because the type of programming you really want is community reflection, that's what you really want ‑‑ I mean, you'll get some music, I'm listening to you, that's what you're telling me, you want community reflection here ‑‑ that means that you're asking really for the most expensive type of programming, because local reflection requires people to go out.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8407     You can't just get one DJ putting on a bunch of canned music, you've got to go out, you've got to talk to the people, you've got to bring back the stories, you've got to record the stories, you've got to get them on the air.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8408     So, you're asking Mr. Tiessen for a lot, which means ‑‑ I don't want it to sound like I'm lecturing you, even though I am, but I'm sorry I do sound like it, but I want to spell it out.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8409     If you want Mr. Tiessen, because I suspect he's not Bill Gates, you're going to have to support him, the Town of Cochrane is going to have to get behind this project and with money.  I mean, people are going to have to advertise right from the get‑go on this station, because you need deep pockets to run a station and if you don't bring in bags of money, somebody's got to help you earn it and earn it fast.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8410     And you folks are, gosh, Mr. Hynes, you've got a degree in business, you know what I'm saying.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8411     So, I just would like to have from you, Mr. Hynes, perhaps Mr. Bradley ‑‑ whoever wants to see it ‑‑ just a realistic sense of how much support there is, how many businesses will reach into their pockets and advertise on this station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8412     MR. HYNES:  Well, thank you very much for the question.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8413     It's difficult to put an absolute number on that answer.  I can only give you anecdotal evidence from my conversations with people in my community and, as I said, I think it's part of my presentation, there is clear support for this initiative in the Town of Cochrane.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8414     There is clear support for this initiative by some very significant business owners in the Town of Cochrane, and I think that the work Mr. Tiessen has done, physically campaigning as it were within the municipal boundaries of Town of Cochrane and in Airdrie and other places, I think has helped to generate that level of support.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8415     So, unless I have a crystal ball in front of me, it's often difficult to project whether or not this will be successful.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8416     But I'm confident, given what I know of Mr. Tiessen and his drive and what he's accomplished in his life and what he hopes to accomplish with this, that he will be successful and I think it is young entrepreneurs such as himself that really need the support of agencies like the CRTC.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8417     And I believe wholeheartedly that the CRTC has a public responsibility to ensure that community‑based radio lives and thrives in our country.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8418     And if there's a young man out there who has the foresight, the drive, the initiative to put something like this forward, then I think we owe it to him to give him a chance.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8419     This is the land of opportunity out here in Alberta, a lot of people say that.  Well, it's absolutely true.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8420     People like Mr. Tiessen, they pick themselves up by the boot straps and they succeed through hard work and grit, determination, and I really believe that this young man will be successful.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8421     And, beyond that, there's very little that I can say to you, sir.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8422     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  You said it all.  We hear you.  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8423     That's my questions, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8424     THE CHAIRPERSON:  My question is to any one of the three, or you may pick up...

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8425     The two other applicants didn't say that Cochrane ‑‑ they said Cochrane is a community by itself and very distinct than Airdrie and both localities deserve to have their own radio stations, but the two other applicants were not saying that they were ready now to go to Airdrie and at a future date they may come back with applications for Cochrane, and their argument was that Airdrie and Cochrane were very distinct communities and they were not really meshing between the two.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8426     Do you have comments on that?


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8427     MR. BRADLEY:  I might want to make a comment, because I said to Mr. Tiessen, I'll be honest with you, Mr. Tiessen, our sincere interest is in our town naturally because we're from the Town of Cochrane, we have a distinct difference between Cochrane and Airdrie, and certainly if there was an application available and the Board would consider that, I think that we're at a point where we're going from 13,000 as we speak now to, give us six months and we're soon going to be at 18,000 and growing immensely.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8428     So, I said and truthful, we would certainly like to look favourably at the opportunity of having a radio station in our own town.  So, you can understand that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8429     His application was based, I think, and the numbers were put together on the basis of the two areas, and I think the economics obviously indicated that that would be the way to go.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8430     But truly, we know that in the area that towns smaller than Cochrane are extremely successful and simply because they sense and feel it, they've reached out to their community and we are larger, of course, than just the numbers within our town site, that we would have a strong potential of supporting a FM radio in Cochrane as a separate entity.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8431     And I hope that that could be a consideration by the Board as a distinct possibility, because I think it's there.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8432     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8433     MR. HYNES:  I just wanted to say with respect to my comments earlier about the statistical data, I wasn't necessarily trying to say anything untoward regarding the actual work that was done.  I'm sure those folks worked hard in doing what they prepared, but an old wise professor of mine once told me, you can say anything you like with statistics.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8434     So, one has to look beyond the numbers to see where they came from and what they really mean, particularly when you're dealing with, as you pointed out, two separate communities with two different sets of demographics.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8435     And, so, it is a challenge.  And my data is based, as I said earlier as well, purely on anecdotal data that I have gathered in my role as a municipal official talking to my constituents in the Town of Cochrane.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8436     So, I guess that puts a little more context perhaps around my earlier comments.  I didn't mean to be necessarily mean to anyone who prepared the documentation, but I was trying to give you some balance in terms of what the reality of the situation is and the real live people that I've spoken to, hundreds of them in the Town of Cochrane.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8437     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8438     MR. HUGHES:  Thank you.  And, if I may, you're absolutely correct in assuming you have two different identities in the Town of Cochrane and Airdrie.  You also have a very like‑mindedness in that type of person and the people that live in those communities, and within this application having both communities being served, both communities have high schools, both communities have local sports.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8439     As Mr. Langford said and respectfully, very difficult if you're going to have a man on a high school in Cochrane and another reporter, very cost prohibitive, but by telephone you can get results, et cetera.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8440     And I really feel that the fact that the purpose of this particular application is to focus on these two communities, not focusing on Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8441     Calgary radio is wonderful, it covers, it blankets both those communities, but it doesn't give local, it doesn't touch them locally, it doesn't hit them to the heart.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8442     They don't hear about what's happening, as Stu said, about the snowdrifts.  There's many situations where you can have and you can build a network of people who you can call, the RCMP, or people you can call in each community and then channel it through your radio signals.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8443     If Mr. Tiessen were just focusing on Airdrie and Cochrane, yes, indeed, they have their identity and it's not an identity that there's ‑‑ it's not like a Calgary/Edmonton rivalry by any stretch of the imagination.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8444     Cochrane knows they're going to win the Grey Cup.  That's not the case.  The simple case is that there is a like‑mindedness and there is a need, it's almost like an elevation of the community spirit and the fabric of the community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8445     They're obviously going to get a signal, you're going to approve a signal, and either Airdrie itself, or Airdrie/Cochrane, I just think that this innovative application, an ambitious application

with both communities being included, at this point I think the young man should get an opportunity to prove himself and to go forward with his efforts.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8446     THE CHAIRPERSON:  There was another comment that came from this table that the Calgary metropolitan area is growing and extending and will eventually reach Airdrie and Cochrane and likely also due southward towards Okotoks and ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8447     MR. HUGHES:  Turner Valley, High River, Okotoks.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8448     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Yes.  And then eventually it will all be Calgarians who will be living in these areas and Airdrie and Cochrane will either become ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8449     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Absorbed?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8450     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Hmmm?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8451     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Absorbed?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8452     THE CHAIRPERSON:  ‑‑ absorbed by ‑‑ yes, or a dormitory for Calgarians who are working downtown.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8453     Do you see that happening shortly or over which time frame?  Do you have an idea?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8454     MR. HUGHES:   Yes, sir, I have a pretty good idea.  At the moment, the City of Calgary is engaged in a series of negotiations with the Municipal District of Rocky View to undertake annexation of 30 years of land for the growth of the City of Calgary.  I know this because I've been involved in moderating a number of public meetings with citizens in the MD of Rocky View and the City of Calgary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8455     And the issue here is that 30 years from now, none of us in this room, or few of us in this room will be very young, if we are here at all, and so with that forming part of the context, I'd have to say that there is no short‑term danger of the Town of Cochrane or the City of Airdrie being subsumed by the City of Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8456     In fact, even if one looks at the topography between northwest of Calgary between the city limits and the Town of Cochrane, it would be ‑‑ without getting into too much excruciating detail ‑‑ extremely expensive and almost unaffordable for developers to do anything significantly in that area.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8457     So, the City of Calgary is not interested in expanding to the northwest, as I understand it, it's more to the southeast towards the rolling Prairies and not towards the mountains.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8458     So, all that long‑windedness to say, there is no short‑term danger of Cochrane or Airdrie being part of the City of Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8459     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Those are all of our questions.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8460     Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8461     We will take a 15‑minute break.  Oh, Mrs. Secretary wants to say something that...


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8462     THE SECRETARY:  Mr. Chairman, just for the record, I would like to indicate that some of the intervenors that were listed on the agenda and did not appear today will remain on the public file as non‑appearing interventions.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8463     And that completes the list of appearing intervenors, therefore, Phase 3.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8464     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8465     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8466     So, we will take a 15‑minute break and go along with Phase 4 of this hearing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8467     We will reconvene by five minutes past 4:00.

‑‑‑ Upon recessing at 1555 / Suspension à 1555

‑‑‑ Upon resuming at 1610 / Reprise à 1610

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8468     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Order, please.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8469     We are now starting the Phase 4 of the first Calgary/Airdrie applications.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8470     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8471     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8472     Before proceeding to Phase 4, I would just like to note for the record that the applicant Calgary Independent Broadcasters have filed a document which the Panel has accepted with respect to the seven‑year pro forma statement of changes in financial position.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8473     This document is available in the public examination room, should you wish to consult it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8474     And now we are at Phase 4, as Mr. Chairman Arpin has mentioned, where applicants can reply to all the interventions that have been submitted on their application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8475     The applicants will appear in reverse order.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8476     The applicant Harvard Broadcasting and Golden West Broadcasting have indicated that they will not be appearing in this phase of the proceedings.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8477     I would then call Newcap Inc. to present, or have their presentation with respect to the interventions, and they will be speaking with respect to both applications, Calgary and Airdrie.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8478     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Mr. Maheu, Mr. Steele, when you are ready.

REPLY / RÉPLIQUE

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8479     MR. MAHEU:  Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the Commission.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8480     Just a few quick points, if we may, to respond to the interventions that have been made.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8481     First off, if I may, there was a request made of us yesterday to supply additional research for the Airdrie application, specifically the projected composition of our audience based on the research.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8482     It is on page 10 of the research that we supplied to you in your folder yesterday, so we did not give it as we said we would because it was already in your folder.  I just wanted to note that for the record.  Okay.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8483     Very briefly, if we may, we listened with interest this morning.  It was wonderful to see all the support from the various people of Calgary for all the applications that were presented here at this hearing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8484     In listening to the intervenors speak, specifically the intervenors on behalf of the Star FM application, for the record, we wanted to respond to a comment that they made about the difference between ownership locally and ownership by companies that are based in places other than Calgary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8485     And there was a reference made by the intervenor that they felt that it was better to have a local Calgary ownership for a radio station because decisions could be made locally by the people who lived here, and they implied that other companies that were not based out of here were basically controlling the events and activities and business of the station from afar.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8486     Although we can't speak to other ownership, we can certainly speak on behalf of Newcap, where we do operate a radio station in Calgary presently and other stations throughout the Province of Alberta, and our policy is quite straight forward when it comes to the management of our radio stations.  We ask our managers to operate them as if they owned them.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8487     And our belief is that the best decisions are always made by the people who are closest to the work.  And we take great pride in the fact that we create an environment and have a system in place where our local managers and our employees are empowered to make the best decisions, to best respond to the needs and wants of people in the marketplace.  They live in the markets, they understand who they're serving and there's no remote control.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8488     In terms of what we do, our head office is one of support and resource for the people on the front lines doing the work in the markets where it's being done.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8489     So, I just wanted to have that on the record in terms of responding to that comment.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8490     Very briefly, we'd like to thank all of the people who took the time to intervene on behalf of both of our applications, both for Airdrie and for our proposed radio station in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8491     It's a busy world and it takes time for people to think about putting their support and their name behind something they believe in.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8492     We are extremely pleased with the hundreds and hundreds of people, particularly who came forth to support our Calgary application, and the many who expressed the support for our Airdrie application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8493     Taking that a step further, in watching and listening to the intervenors today, there seems to be overwhelming support both in the appearing intervenors and those that were received by mail and through e‑mail for a new radio service in Calgary, and I think that's one thing that most of the people who intervened on behalf of whatever application have said pretty clearly.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8494     Calgary is a city of a million people.  It's grown up, it's a little behind in terms of the number of services available to it compared to markets of the same size.  We agree wholeheartedly with them.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8495     There have been some very, very good presentations made over the past couple of days for services in Calgary and we are big believers in the fact that competition is good for everybody, it makes broadcasters more accountable and more service certainly makes for better service to listeners.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8496     So, we'd like to thank all of the people who took the time to intervene on behalf of all their format choices.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8497     We believe there are lots of spectrum available to have those choices fulfilled, and we trust that the Commission in its wisdom will certainly make the best decision for the people of Calgary because there is room in every demographic group for service that is needed and we believe there's enough spectrum for it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8498     Other than that, I would like to thank you very much for the opportunity to present both of our proposals, Airdrie and Calgary, and if you have any questions, we would certainly be happy to answer those.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8499     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8500     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8501     Mrs. Secretary, for the record.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8502     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8503     I would now call upon Tiessen Media Inc. to respond to all the interventions that were filed on their application.

REPLY / RÉPLIQUE

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8504     MR. TIESSEN:  Mr. Chair and Commissioners, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to present to you yesterday and for this opportunity to comment on interventions.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8505     First off, I'd like to thank Mr. Hughes for his supportive words personally and professionally and also thanks to Deputy‑Mayor Hynes and Mr. Bradley for sharing their comments about Tiessen Media's application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8506     Today's comments and the over 125 letters on the public file provide clear information about the need for the local radio service for the Airdrie, Cochrane and Municipal District of Rocky View.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8507     All of these areas need to be serviced, not just Airdrie.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8508     Tiessen Media's local programming initiatives were revisited again today as part of the intervention process and I'm committed to doing what I've said in my plan and I will work towards that.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8509     At this time I'd like to thank all of you for putting up with me as a new applicant and part of the process, I'm a little shaky at times because I am a new applicant and, of course, a big thanks to all of your staff for assisting the younger generation of broadcasters through quite a very interesting, informative and learning process through the intervention and also through the public hearing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8510     So, thanks to all of you and I appreciate the opportunity to again speak to you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8511     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Tiessen.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8512     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8513     THE SECRETARY:  I would now call upon Rawlco Radio Limited to present ‑‑ to intervene on ‑‑ or make a reply to the interventions that were filed on their application.

REPLY / RÉPLIQUE

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8514     MR. RAWLINSON:  Thank you.  We have no comment.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8515     Thanks for this hearing.  It's been very fair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8516     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Rawlinson.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8517     Mrs. Secretary.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8518     THE SECRETARY:  The next applicant would be Mr. Yavwinder Sivia on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated.

REPLY / RÉPLIQUE

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8519     MR. TAMBER:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8520     Chairman Arpin, members of the Commission, we are here to respond to an intervention.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8521     First, we wish to thank more than 600 members of Calgary's ethnic community who wrote to the Commission in support of this application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8522     The people supporting the application includes several hundred business' owners who would support an ethnic radio service.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8523     In reply to interventions, we have responded in writing in writing to the written interventions of Fairchild and CKUA.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8524     Given the length of this public hearing, we do not believe that repeating the point made in the reply would make the best use of the Commission's time.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8525     In their appearance before you, there is few additional points we will briefly respond.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8526     We also wish to address the matter of protecting SCMO stations in general relative to ethnic broadcasting policy and the most recent review of the policy in 1999.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8527     The Commission did rumour that it would continue to allow new SCMO services in only markets that are unserved by over‑the‑air AM or FM ethnic stations, but the single language SCMO services would be subject to prior approval in the markets where there are existing FM or AM stations.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8528     The previous ethnic broadcasting policy developed in the 1980s also recognized the value of single language SCMO services, but it was never the policy of single language SCMO services to be protected in the event that an application of multi‑language service was proposed.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8529     CKUA and Fairchild are, in effect, asking the Commission to amend its ethnic broadcasting policy and, that is, to protect single‑language SCMO services in situation where there is an application for a new multi‑lingual over‑the‑air ethnic service.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8530     We have had the opportunity to listen to the SCMO service which is transmitted by Fairchild FM station and can confirm to the Commission that the program originates with a source called Radio India which I understand is broadcast from the Washington station, KVRI‑AM 1600.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8531     So, it seems that the intervenors are asking you to deny a Canadian radio application in order to protect SCMO service which originates from a U.S. radio station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8532     We are surprised that CKUA would suggest that our station will threaten its major source of revenue and should be denied.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8533     CKUA's website states that it has 17 transmitters throughout Alberta and is available throughout Canada by satellite.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8534     Its website says that it raises more than $2‑million a year from the donor who gets income tax receipts.  In the world of broadcasting, that is a lot of money.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8535     In spite of that, the CKUA is heard almost everywhere in the province and its all‑night scheduled programming contains no programming for South Asian community or ethnic communities whom they propose to serve.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8536     So, CKUA's appearance here today seems to be motivated as a landlord trying to protect his rental income from his tenant the affluent SCMO operator, rather than providing local service in our communities.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8537     Last, with respect to CKUA who we do not believe that their request to defer this particular  application issues a new call.  It's either appropriate or fair or, for that matter, has a basis in administration law.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8538     We agree with the Vice‑Chair Arpin's statement today that the call was clear and we did not restrict the types of commercial broadcasting application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8539     MR. LEWIS:  Fairchild has requested a condition of licence be imposed that would prohibit the station from broadcasting in Chinese, and we've already indicated in writing that we're prepared to accept that condition of licence.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8540     We disagree that the actual hours of South Asian programming or the placement of those programs should be limited by conditions of licence.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8541     Clearly in the community, Fairchild's station is perceived as being a Cantonese station because Cantonese programming is broadcast Monday to Fridays, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., 19 hours a day of Cantonese programming out of 24 hours, and yet Fairchild claims it provides adequate service to our South Asian community and other groups we propose to serve.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8542     It would be highly unusual to impose on one ethnic licensee the hours when it could not broadcast specific programs, while Fairchild would have the full flexibility to change its schedule whenever it wants.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8543     We believe this type of restriction on scheduling specific programs during hours of the day is not in the best interest of the community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8544     But it's strange, Mr. Chairman, that Fairchild is seeking protection in Calgary.  Today in its presentation Fairchild cited a precedent for this type of condition of licence.  It cited the condition of licence imposed on its station AM‑1430 in Toronto in 1996.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8545     If I digress, a bit of history.  In Toronto in 1996, Fairchild was limited in the number of hours of Chinese programming and the placement of that programming on its AM‑1430.  But Fairchild found a way around the condition of licence by buying up brokered airtime on another ethnic station, CIRV‑88.7 and by branding its website and on‑air presentations as Fairchild 1430 and 88.7.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8546     Fairchild was recently released from this restriction but, for a number of years, Fairchild was able to provide around‑the‑clock programming in Toronto in Chinese using two stations, despite the condition of licence imposed by the Commission.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8547     Our point in raising this is that the condition restricting the new station's ability to schedule individual languages hour by hour would not, in any way, restrict Fairchild from changing its schedule.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8548     What we don't understand are the restrictions in the Fairchild draft licence condition which would prohibit the broadcast of Punjabi, Hindi or Urdu during hours when Fairchild broadcasts in Cantonese.  It just doesn't make sense.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8549     Since less than 15 per cent of Fairchild's revenue comes from only 17 hours a week of South Asian language programming broadcast on its FM station, it may be more beneficial for Fairchild to program additional Chinese programming which appears to be its profit centre, in the event the application were to be approved, particularly because we would be prohibited from broadcasting Chinese programming by condition of licence and it would have the Chinese programming market all to itself.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8550     MR. TAMBER:  You have heard support from members of the Ukrainian community who believe there is a need for additional programming in their language and there is a very active community, at least 5,000 members who are members of the Ukrainian Congress are the members of the community we have been told want more media access.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8551     In preparing for this hearing we have spent a lot of time speaking with members of the communities whom we propose to serve.  It has become apparent to us that the Vietnamese community, one of the groups listed in the application, is growing and there is a high retention of Vietnamese language as language spoken at home.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8552     We believe that any shortfall in demand of weekly hours of programming for the Ukrainian programming would be supported by the Vietnamese advertisers.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8553     However, our commitment to serve a minimum number of ethnic groups language is unchanged.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8554     Last, we heard a great deal of discussion over the past few days regarding the use of different frequency in Calgary.  We have heard at this hearing mainstream English language broadcasters present proposals which involves very large amount of advertisement, revenue and large listener base.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8555     In the event that the Commission grants us a licence, we would be prepared to consider an alternative frequency with potentially less coverage.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8556     As our listener base is presently smaller than those of some of the other applicants, we believe that this would be beneficial for our community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8557     There may be another solution that is using an AM frequency in the AM band of 1610 to 1710 similar to the solution which Sam Lorenzo found in Toronto.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8558     The ethnic population of Calgary, Canada's fourth largest city, is growing fast.  You have heard from intervenors who don't have enough programming in their own language.  We believe that licensing this application would add diversity and community understanding.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8559     Thank you for the long hours you and your staff have put in doing this hearing and preparation for this hearing, we would like to thank you all.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8560     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8561     Mr. Langford?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8562     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Sorry, Mr. Chairman, did you have a question, because I didn't want to ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8563     THE CHAIRPERSON:  No.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8564     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  All right.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8565     I just want to focus for a moment ‑‑ I usually don't ask questions in Phase 4 ‑‑ but this is quite a new and interesting proposal which I believe you made on the final page, that is, that you would be prepared to accept an AM frequency, if that was the only alternative open to you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8566     MR. LEWIS:  Commissioner Langford, in the deficiency phase of the questions we identified 99.7 as a possible frequency, and in the course of the hearing no one has raised 99.7.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8567     I think, as we noted the other day, we have not had the opportunity to work with Industry Canada to identify whether it would be acceptable from a NavCom situation, so preferably ‑‑ and that's a lower power and restricted frequency, but that would be certainly our choice, assuming that 90.3, 92.9 and possibly the 100. ‑‑ I forget the frequency ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8568     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  106.3 I think, or whatever.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8569     MR. LEWIS:  ‑‑ were allocated, 99.7 would be a possibility and then, failing all of that, looking at AM.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8570     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Now, of course it's important for me to ensure that you understand ‑‑ it's important for us, I should say, that a move to AM would have an impact on your business plan certainly in the first year or two, because it's much more capital intensive to start up from scratch an AM station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8571     We're not asking you to re‑file or anything like that, but have you taken that into consideration, that there will be added expenses?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8572     MR. TAMBER:  Yes, we have.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8573     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8574     Those are my questions, Mr. Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8575     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you, Mr. Langford.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8576     99.7 may raise some problems because the CBC has asked for 99.3, if my ‑‑ and this has not yet been issued, but there is already an applicant, and also there is an applicant for 99.5 in Airdrie, so, that creates a potential impairment for the use of the 99.7 frequency here in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8577     Now, obviously you didn't have any engineers either looking at the band, maybe here around Calgary there are AM frequencies that are available below the 1710 kilohertz ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8578     MR. LEWIS:  Vice‑Chairman, we spoke with our engineer during the course of the hearing and he indicated that he felt there was a drop‑in solution at a lower power level.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8579     Now, as you're familiar, in many of the licensing decisions before, I think Ottawa was one of those cases a few years ago, people actually found alternative frequencies after the licensing decision working cooperatively with Industry Canada.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8580     That's what we're suggesting here.  It's not our first choice, but it certainly is a way of accommodating a service that's viable.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8581     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Okay.  Well, I think we surely are receiving your comments and it will be part of our consideration.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8582     Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8583     MR. TAMBER:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8584     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8585     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8586     I would now call the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.

REPLY / RÉPLIQUE

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8587     MR. SIEMENS:  Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the Commission.  I'll be brief.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8588     We do appreciate the opportunity to reply to the interventions filed by CIRPA and Corus Entertainment dated January 24th, 2006.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8589     In response to the blanket intervention filed by CIRPA, No. 455, which commented on all of the applications before you in this proceeding, on page 6 of their letter they objected to our commitment to the Save the Music Foundation and criticized our absence of commitment of funds to FACTOR.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8590     I think Ms Kelman during our presentation on Wednesday and our speakers this morning addressed the validity and the growing excitement about the Save the Music Foundation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8591     In response to the CIRPA concern about the absence of a contribution to FACTOR, we believe it's important that the Commission be aware that last November the Pattison Broadcast Group was recognized by FACTOR with a special award for its significant contributions to FACTOR in recent years.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8592     We are very proud of our relationship with the independent production community and respect their view but, in this case, we disagree with their comments about our application.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8593     Turning to the Corus intervention, which requested that any applicant licensed at this proceeding should be required to commit to its format for the licence term, we indicated in writing to the Commission that in general terms we agree with Corus and are prepared to commit to that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8594     We believe that we have identified the rightful format for the market.  This commitment was subject only to being entitled to change format in the event that a competitor in the market changes to the soft vocal format prior to our ability to sign on.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8595     In closing, Mr. Chairman, members of the Commission, I want to thank those who took the time to write letters of support for our application.  We received support from individuals who supported our format.  We received support from people who commented on the community service and other markets, and we received support for our various CTD and tangible benefit commitments.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8596     These letters came from potential listeners in Calgary, supporters of our company from other radio markets we serve, high school and college music educators from across Western Canada, municipal officials, members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and members of Parliament.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8597     We highlight the support we received from the Métis Association of Alberta in our commitments to employment equity and the continuing education program we have planned as part of this application.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8598     I would also like to take just a moment to express our appreciation to those who took the time to attend and speak in support of our application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8599     We're proud to have struck some new friends in this process, music educators in British Columbia and Alberta who have truly committed their lives to Canadian talent development.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8600     We also wish to acknowledge the other applicants in this proceeding.  We've all put a lot of effort into getting our applications ready to be heard by you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8601     And, finally, Mr. Chairman, members of the Commission and Commission staff, I want to thank you for running a fair and efficient hearing.  We hope you enjoy your weekend in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8602     And thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8603     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much, Mr. Siemens.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8604     We will now move to the next ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8605     THE SECRETARY:  I would now call on the next applicant, Calgary Independent Radio Broadcasters.

REPLY / RÉPLIQUE


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8606     MR. TRIPATHY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Commissioners and staff.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8607     I would like to acknowledge some of the many intervenors, both business as well as community, who have helped to demonstrate the community roots of our application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8608     We'd like to recognize Mr. Rick Blaskin's comments this morning regarding the character of our local ownership group, in addition to the broadcast experience that our group brings to this community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8609     In addition to that, we'd also like to thank Kevin Wilmes and Lenny Williamson's comments this morning with regards to Canadian talent development and targeting of the money where it counts.  It's not always about the size of the cheque.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8610     As far as the application itself is concerned, many of the applicants this week have filed tremendous applications.  A lot of them on the younger end of the demos, some of them on the older end of the demo, 45 plus, and we'd like to thank Keystone Music this morning for clarifying that Star FM with its yesterday's favourites and hits of tomorrow will be a radio station that is broad based and, in fact, will target a 35 plus demographic.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8611     In addition, we would like to recognize the comments from CIRPA, a letter that was filed earlier on, and we'd like to let them know that we have read the letter.  We did listen and, in fact, have contributed money to FACTOR and we also are in agreement with their position on licensing an independent where possible.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8612     In addition to that, we'd also like to thank intervenor Doug Hopey, and I quote:

"In this broadcast environment of increased consolidation and concentration, I respectfully urge the Commission to licence local applicants where possible."  (As read)

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8613     Finally, we'd like to thank the Commission and all the staff.  It's been a terrific process.  We do appreciate everybody's help as we've tried to go through this.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8614     And, finally, a reminder without sounding too salesy about it, this application is all about a group of people that are here for Calgarians and this application is by Calgarians.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8615     We're 92.9 Star FM and we do appreciate your time this week.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8616     Thank you.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8617     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much, Mr. Tripathy.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8618     We are going to move to the next applicant.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8619     THE SECRETARY:  The next applicant would be Evanov Radio Group, but they have indicated that they will not be appearing in this phase of the proceedings.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8620     I would then call the applicant 1182743 Alberta Limited, Mr. Paul Larsen.

REPLY / RÉPLIQUE

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8621     MR. LARSEN:  Thank you, Madam Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8622     Good afternoon once again, Mr. Chairman, Commissioners.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8623     On behalf of myself, Rick, Paul, Patty, Desiree, Daniel, Mary Mills and Brenda Stonnell, our panel that appeared before you this week, I just want to thank you for this opportunity to reply to the positive interventions submitted and presented on our behalf.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8624     Quickly I'd just like to touch on a couple of housekeeping items.  I know Madam Secretary indicated that we did file, per your request during questioning, a letter signed by Mary Mills, president of Norscot Holdings and myself this morning.  It details the general principles and terms of our shareholder agreement and confirms that we will be filing an executed shareholder agreement on or before March 15th.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8625     Also during questioning alternate frequencies came up and the 106.1 came up in part of our application because we had identified it as a Calgary allotment, which it is, and we had noted the NavCom issues as well.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8626     I've had the opportunity to discuss with Mr. Bill Evans, our P.Eng. and owner of E.B. Systems who did our technical brief, and he's confirmed that our next best choice would be 212C 90.3 as it's a full power, non‑directional and would work from the CBC transmitter site that we proposed, and also indicated Channel 262C, 100.3‑FM is another full power class C, with a directional pattern that would be a third choice.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8627     We did indicate in reply to our deficiencies that should the Commission decide to license our application on a frequency other than 225C‑1, 92.9 that we would consider all possible alternatives and seek the alternate frequency with the best possible coverage.  So, I just wanted to clarify that we have had that discussion with our engineer.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8628     Moving along to the interventions, Mr. Chikinda, I would like to thank him for appearing on our behalf this morning.  He spoke about the need for news content and also his enthusiasm for our proposed partnership with Mount Royal College, as well as SAIT regarding our future broadcaster's initiative.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8629     He also wrote a letter confirming his support for that initiative, as did Steve Olson, an instructor from SAIT and we thank them both for that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8630     In the past couple of days there's been few references made to putting 19‑year‑olds on the air and I just wanted to speak briefly to that, if I could.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8631     Just to ensure that the spirit and the intent of this proposal is clear, and I'm sure that you do understand the intent, our future broadcaster's initiative is intended to give young radio broadcasters, young radio students an opportunity to develop their skills and get a foot in the door in this business.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8632     The on‑air position we're talking about would be the overnight period, we were clear about that in our application.  It's a low listening, non‑rated period where we believe we can help someone build their radio skills without impacting the integrity of our programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8633     We're not talking about putting these students on morning drive.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8634     Future broadcasters came about from our own experiences.  When I was a 19‑year‑old disc jockey at CHUB‑AM in Nanaimo during middays, Doug Rutherford who was PD of CKNW‑AM in Vancouver at the time heard me on the air one day and called me out of the blue and offered me weekday overnights on CKNW, one of the biggest stations in Vancouver, in Canada in fact; and clearly, a station targeted to adults 45 plus.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8635     I was 19 at that time and imagine the influence of a 19‑year‑old surrounded by the best broadcasters in Canada, Doug Rutherford, John Ashbridge, Warren Barker, three o'clock in the morning visits from Jack Cullen, preceding legendary Vancouver morning man Frosty Forest on air every day and getting his feedback every day.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8636     That's the true intent of our future broadcasters' initiative and I just wanted to set the record straight in case there was any miscommunication in terms of the intent of that initiative, even though I think we were fairly clear in our application and I'm sure that you do understand where we were coming from there.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8637     I'd like to also just thank Sean Libin who appeared for us this morning to speak about the need for The Lounge as a viable and focused advertising and marketing outlet for clients targeting adults 45 plus.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8638     We would like to thank and recognize the many others who wrote supporting interventions in writing on our behalf.  Community groups, Canadian artists, non‑profits, the general public, and we know that you have either reviewed those already or will be reviewing them as part of the process.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8639     As you're aware, we did reply in writing regarding the CIRPA and Corus interventions and believe that our points in writing will be well taken.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8640     Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, we are here before you at this hearing because we want to build a new dynamic modern broadcasting company.  We're not here simply trying to get a single FM radio licence, and I just wanted to make that clear too.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8641     Calgary's clearly an important component of this journey to start a new company, in fact, I see it as a nucleus upon which we would build our company.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8642     And I appreciate your time.  I have a new‑found respect for the Commission, having enjoyed sitting through the proceedings this week, and I wish you well this weekend.  Enjoy your time in Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8643     And thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8644     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much, Mr. Larsen.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8645     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8646     THE SECRETARY:  I would now call upon CHUM Limited.

REPLY / RÉPONDRE

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8647     MR. SWITZER:  Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, members of the Commission.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8648     For the record, my name is Jay Switzer and I'm president and CEO of CHUM Limited and with us today to my right, Rob Farina, program director for CHUM‑FM, and to my left Kevin Goldstein, CHUM's director of regulatory affairs.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8649     Before we begin our brief reply comments this afternoon, we'd like to take the opportunity as well to thank the intervenors that have appeared before you today in support of our application and the hundreds of others that submitted personal comments to the Commission.  Their support for Energy FM is greatly appreciated.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8650     Our reply can be broken down into three parts.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8651     First, we'd like to respond to Commissioner Langford's comment relating to our Canadian content commitments; second, we'd like to comment on a statement that was made during Harvard Broadcasting's application concerning the amount of Hot AC music that is currently available from existing Calgary radio stations; and, finally, we'd like to elaborate on our commitment to Aboriginal voices radio as a follow‑up to discussions earlier this week.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8652     MR. FARINA:  As we noted on Tuesday and other applicants have confirmed, Hot AC is a new music format.  In fact, roughly 80 per cent of our proposed station's playlist will consist of current music.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8653     Most songs on a Hot AC station are played in high rotation as opposed to a station that relies more on gold or older material, such as the classic hits, an AC or a classic rock station or even a station that relies on new material, like an alternative rock station, but plays a lot more titles with less repetition to them.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8654     As the Hot AC format is built on new and emerging artists, we believe and our experience shows that a 35 per cent Canadian content level for this station is realistic.  Any higher requirement would force us to rely on gold‑based music from the last two decades which is already over exposed in this market and not consistent with the format.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8655     We note with interest the Commission's own findings in their Music View Study for 2005 released yesterday which outlines weekday play of new Canadian artists in Calgary, a market with no Hot AC station at 3.6 selections, while Toronto, a market with a strong Hot AC presence, had more than double the number of selections at 8.7 per cent on the same day.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8656     In filing this application one of the goals was to develop a set of initiatives that would truly benefit emerging Canadian artists.  Exhibition levels for Canadian music are but one of the tools in the tool box, but they tend to benefit more established acts as opposed to up and coming ones.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8657     In contrast, the commitments CHUM has made as part of this application will help emerging Canadian talent in three ways.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8658     First, an air‑play commitment; second, a coordinated program for getting their music onto the charts; and, third, a coordinated program for getting their music into retail outlets.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8659     By the end of our first licence term, this three‑pronged approach will have resulted in a minimum of 84 different artists, 12 in each year of the term, breaking through on a national level.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8660     I would like to now briefly discuss the amount of Hot AC music that is currently being aired by existing Calgary radio stations.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8661     During Harvard's presentation on Thursday morning they noted that media‑based stats from 2004, show that 45 to 65 per cent of the songs on the playlists of Hot AC stations in Canada were being played by radio stations in the Calgary market.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8662     In CHUM's view, this statement is not relevant to the public record in this proceeding.  In 2004 the Calgary market had a Hot AC station.  Now, in 2006 Calgary is the only major market in Canada not being served by a Hot AC station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8663     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Can I stop you here.  I think you are making an intervention, not a reply to interventions, so it is a matter of process, but there was an opportunity to make intervention earlier today and you chose not to make an intervention.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8664     What Mr. Farina just said, from my own hand, is an intervention.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8665     MR. SWITZER:  Mr. Chairman, we, of course, will follow your guidance.  We are trying to respond to specific comments made about our application by another applicant and believed that this was appropriately ‑‑ the appropriate time to respond to their assertions about our application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8666     We're not intending, of course, and are very well aware of the rules.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8667     THE CHAIRPERSON:  I will ask my legal counsel to help me.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8668     MS BENNETT:  I think Phase 2 may have been the more appropriate time to comment on what the other applicants had to say.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8669     MR. SWITZER:  Understood, with respect and apologies from us.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8670     I'd like to then perhaps move on to comments made and discussions that were held about appearances with AVR.  We believe this is an appropriate time to respond to issues raised, if we're ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8671     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Absolutely.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8672     MR. SWITZER:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8673     We'd like to note that we strongly believe in what AVR is trying to accomplish and that we do have great confidence in the abilities of their new team led by Jamie Hill whom you had the opportunity to meet this morning.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8674     There was some discussion.  We believe they have a realistic business plan, developed with the help of Price Waterhouse Coopers, in fact, funded from benefits from CHUM from our recent acquisition of Craig Media.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8675     There was some discussion ‑‑ some considerable discussion as to the appropriateness of contributions made to AVR and we'd like to respond to that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8676     We believe that the broadcasting policy for Canada, in our opinion, is very clear as set out in section 3 of the Act and it has been repeated earlier this week.  Programming that reflects the Aboriginal cultures of Canada should be provided within the Canadian broadcasting system as resources become available for that purpose.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8677     Further as to AVR there were some questions ‑‑ specific questions as to whether the contributions were eligible or not, and perhaps I'd  just like to say that we believe our significant $4.5‑million contribution from CHUM to AVR will put them on stable financial footing for the long term and it's a very important and eligible priority of the system.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8678     Finally, an in‑general reply to a series of issues that were raised by other applicants as part of the public record.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8679     We do believe that our application is the best proposal before you and should be approved.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8680     Perhaps out of respect to the process, Mr. Chairman, I won't repeat the specific reasons as to why we believe our application has advantages, although they would have dealt with specific issues raised by other applicants against us.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8681     We perhaps will conclude by thanking you again for the privilege of being here.  This has been a very fair and very complete process.  We're anxious to serve the listeners of Calgary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8682     We thank you, Mr. Chairman, Commissioners and staff for a very fair, balanced and complete week.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8683     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8684     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much, Mr. Switzer.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8685     Mrs. Secretary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8686     THE SECRETARY:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8687     And, finally, I would ask Touch Canada Broadcasting.

REPLY / RÉPONDRE

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8688     MR. HUNSPERGER:  Mr. Chairman, members of the Commission, staff, I wonder if me being last is what the good book says, the first shall be last, the last shall be first.  I don't know.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8689     During our appearance earlier this week we had a discussion concerning spoken word content on the station and it was suggested by Mr. Langford that we have a brief meeting with the Commission staff.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8690     We are pleased to report that we took the opportunity to meet with the staff during one of the breaks and believe we have solved the source of our misunderstanding.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8691     We held the view that procedurally we had applied for a commercial gospel music AM radio station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8692     In accordance with the CRTC's current application forms, commercial AM stations which play special category 35 music such as gospel music are not subject to a condition of licence restricting them to operate with a specialty format.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8693     However, FM stations which play special category 35 music, music classified as non‑classic religious, are subject to a condition of licence and operate within a specialty format.  This is the basis of the misunderstanding.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8694     We were, of course, familiar with the FM situation given that our station, 105.9 Shine‑FM Edmonton, which was licensed pursuant to broadcasting decision CRTC‑2003‑1 is authorized to provide a programming undertaking as a Christian music station and is subject to a condition of licence to broadcast category 35 music.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8695     Other radio stations have been previously licensed by the Commission as commercially supported services, but were also described as Christian music stations.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8696     Therefore, we were surprised when this application was gazetted and described in the hearing earlier this week as a religious radio station, because category 3 special interest gospel music constitutes the vast majority of our programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8697     However, the public notice also accurately described the station as an English language gospel music service.  That description is, we believe, in accordance with the past CRTC AM licensing principles.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8698     We have reviewed the Commission's past licensing decisions with our legal counsel and we understand that the existing commercial and non‑commercial Christian music stations, including 105.9 Shine‑FM Edmonton, would not be considered to be a religious radio station, even if they broadcast some spoken work material that is of a religious nature.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8699     The religious broadcasting policy public notice CRTC‑1993‑78 contains a definition of religion, but at paragraph (d)(i) executes from that definition:

"Religious music programs in which the spoken word content is non‑religious."  (As read)

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8700     Again, since the majority of the programming content in our proposed AM service consists of gospel music, and the spoken word content is non‑religious within those hours of gospel music program, we considered that the radio station would not be a programming undertaking devoted to religious programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8701     This brings me to the outstanding issue.  We were asked whether we would accept a condition of licence to provide balance in programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8702     In our 105.9 Shine‑FM Edmonton licensing decision, the Commission reminded us:


"...of the requirements set out in the religious policy with respect to balance and other matters involving broadcasting of religious programming, as well as soliciting funds."  (As read)

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8703     All other Christian music stations are subject to the same obligation when they broadcast religious spoken word programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8704     For the record, Mr. Chairman, if we are fortunate enough to be granted this licence for Calgary, we would be pleased to abide by the policy with respect to religious spoken word programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8705     So that there is no misunderstanding of our position, if we are granted this licence we would enthusiastically abide by the Commission's policy relating to the broadcast of spoken word religious programming.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8706     I trust that this response is satisfactory and answers the question posed earlier in the hearing.  We want to thank those who wrote in support of our application.  We could have had many, many more, and it's to my neglect that we didn't and my inexperience to hearings and I apologize for that.  Our next hearings that will be coming up perhaps later on this year, we will have more positive interventions on our behalf.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8707     Just to reiterate, licensing us does not create a competitive imbalance, in fact, only one station in the market, you will help us by adding this AM to become more viable.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8708     We have a strong and realistic business plan grounded in 12 years of experience of gospel programming and we have lived through lean years and have found a way to sustain a business model.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8709     Our proposed format is in demand and will serve a significant group of people who right now are not being served in the Calgary market.  There have been some applicants here that have talked about concerts.  When Bill Gaither comes to town he sells 10,000 plus tickets at a concert for southern gospel music.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8710     We have consistently exceeded the Canadian content requirements in our format.  We will provide $112,000 in Canadian talent development for gospel music.


SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8711     We want to thank the Commission so much for hearing us, and we want to thank the staff for helping us understand this policy.  And we're sorry.  I'm a German and sometimes my German stubbornness and thick‑headedness gets in the way, and I apologize.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8712     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  Well, I'm half Irish and I can take on any stubborn German any time.

‑‑‑ Laughter / Rires

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8713     COMMISSIONER LANGFORD:  So, we're not offended.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8714     MR. HUNSPERGER:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8715     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much, Mr. Hunsperger.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8716     This completes the fourth phase.  I want to thank every one of the applicants for their discipline, the quality of their presentation and also for the quality of the interventions that also we heard today.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8717     We will adjourn this meeting until Monday morning at nine o'clock and we will then start with the applications for Lethbridge.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8718     Thank you.

‑‑‑ Whereupon the hearing adjourned at 1700, to resume

    on Monday, February 27, 2006 at 0900 / L'audience

    est ajournée à 1700, pour reprendre le lundi 27

    février 2006 à 0900


  

 

 

 

REPORTERS

 

 

                   

 

_____________________                 _____________________

Doug Lebel                         Lynda Johansson

 

 

 

 

_____________________                 _____________________

Fiona Potvin                        Beverley Dillabough

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

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