|
Decision
|
|
Ottawa, 14 June 1985
|
|
Decision CRTC 85-445
|
|
Radio 1540 Limited
|
|
Toronto, Ontario - 840188700
|
|
Pursuant to Public Notice CRTC 1984-282, the Commission approves the application by Radio 1540 Limited to change the hours of operation of CHIN Toronto from day-time only to 24 hours per day. Under this proposal, CHIN's programming service will increase by an average of 84 hours per week, including approximately 44 hours in Chinese, 19 hours in Italian, 17 hours in Greek, and small amounts of programming in Ukrainian, Hungarian, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Macedonian, Slovenian, Serbian, Maltese and Persian.
|
|
The application was submitted following the removal of certain technical restrictions on CHIN's transmitting operation, pursuant to the terms of a bilateral agreement between Canada and the United States. As a result CHIN may now broadcast during night-time hours at a power of 15,000 watts.
|
|
With regard to the proposed night-time coverage, the applicant has stated that while the night-time service area does not cover all of Metropolitan Toronto, the 15mV/m night-time service contour should provide a satisfactory signal to the area, and this service would he free from interference at least 50% of the time.
|
|
The Commission considers that approval of the CHIN proposal will enable the applicant to take advantage of the Canada - U.S. bilateral agreement, will permit better use of the frequency, and will increase the level of service provided to Toronto's ethnic communities in response to the clear demand for a greater amount of such programming expressed during the recent hearings on ethnic broadcasting policy.
|
|
The Commission received five interventions with respect to this application, including an intervention from Rogers Telecommunications Limited in support of the proposal. The remaining interventions from CKMW Radio Ltd. of Brampton (CKMW), Burlington Broadcasting Inc. (CING-FM), the Toronto Chinese Progressive Conservative Association and the Portuguese Progressive Conservative Liaison Committee opposed the application. CKMW and CING-FM expressed concerns related to the level and linguistic diversity of the programming broadcast by CHIN. The other interveners were concerned that approval of the CHIN application might compromise the review of ethnic broadcasting services in the Toronto area.
|
|
In response, the applicant noted that its proposal would make programming available in 11 languages not currently broadcast on CHIN, which would expand considerably the number of different ethnic communities served by the station.
|
The Commission notes that some of the views expressed in the interventions in relation to ethnic broadcasting will be addressed within the Commission's ethnic broadcasting policy which should be released in the near future. In the meantime, the Commission directs the licensee to the following statement contained in Public Notice CRTC 1984-237 entitled A Proposal for an Ethnic Broadcasting Policy for Canada:
|
|
Since all licensees are expected to reflect the diverse broadcasting needs of their communities, the Commission will wish to be reassured that the needs of smaller ethnic communities and those of visible minority groups, as well as the needs of the larger ethnic groups, are met.
|
|
Fernand Bélisle Secretary General
|
|
|