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Decision
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Ottawa, 27 September 1985
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Decision CRTC 85-921
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CKPT/CKQM-FM division of CHUM Limited
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Peterborough, Ontario - 850319500
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Following a Public Hearing in Toronto on 17 June 1985, the Commission renews the broadcasting licence for CKQM-FM Peterborough from 1 October 1985 to 30 September 1989, subject to the conditions of licence specified in the licence to be issued.
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The station will be operated in the "Group III" music format, defined in Public Notice CRTC 1984-151 on the Review of Radio, which encompasses its current "Country" music format.
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On 6 September 1983, the Commission approved an application to change the musical format of CKQM-FM from "Contemporary MOR" to "Country" (Decision CRTC 83-762). The decision stated:
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...in keeping with the FM policy's concern for musical diversity and the recent Policy Statement on the Review of Radio (Public Notice CRTC 1983-43 dated 3 March 1983) the licensee is expected to increase the size of the station's weekly playlist from 800 selections, as proposed in this application, to 1,000, and to maintain the level of hits below 50%.
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In two programming analyses conducted by the Commission for 10 May 1984 and 25 to 31 March 1985, the licensee exceeded the Commission's expectation as stated in Decision CRTC 83-762 for a larger playlist, but had not maintained an expected level of "hits" below 50% of all selections. The analyses also indicated respective totals of 9.2% and 17.2% in the amount of Foreground programming broadcast on CKQM-FM, despite a required minimum level of 20% for Foreground and 50% for Foreground/Mosaic. Some programs failed to meet the Foreground criteria due to an absence or an insufficient amount of Enrichment and thematic linking material.
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At the hearing the licensee assured the Commission that it was making every effort to ensure that these problems would not recur. It also stated that it always attempts to ensure that Foreground programming is evenly distributed throughout the broadcast week.
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The Commission approves the licensee's request to reduce the level of Spoken Word programming from 22 hours 35 minutes to 17 hours 23 minutes and notes that the proposed Promise of Performance indicates a minimal level of commitment to Enrichment material.
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As reiterated in Public Notice CRTC 1984-151 entitled The Review of Radio - Simplification of the FM Policy the provision of high quality Foreground and Mosaic programming is an integral part of the FM policy.
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The Commission has some concern over the minimum level proposed and, in view of the problems noted above, CHUM Limited's position in the Canadian broadcasting industry and its substantial resources, it will wish to be satisfied that the licensee is able to achieve its commitments with respect to the provision of a minimum of 50% of high quality Mosaic and Foreground programming at all times and will monitor this aspect of the licensee's programming.
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With regard to the level of "hits", the licensee explained that the Commission's analyses indicated higher levels than those recorded by the licensee because of differences in the "hit" charts used by the Commission on the one hand, and the licensee on the other, to classify musical selections. The licensee also stated that the resource material needed to determine the "hit" status of older Canadian music is not available to it. The Commission expects the licensee to obtain whatever information is necessary to ensure that its level of "hits" remains consistently below 50% of all musical selections, in accordance with its Promise of Performance. Moreover, the Commission reminds the licensee that Commission staff is available for consultation regarding the results of any analysis of a licensee's programming.
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in view of the problems noted above with respect to Foreground programming and amount of "hits", the Commission has renewed the licence of CKQM-FM for a four-year term, during which time it expects the licensee to adhere at all times to the commitments in its Promise of Performance. In this regard, the Commission requires the licensee to submit, within six months of the date of this decision, a detailed report outlining the measures taken to ensure such compliance.
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The Commission notes that, while the proposed Promise of Performance includes a playlist of 800 selections, a programming assessment by the licensee indicated a playlist of 1,300, At the hearing the licensee stated that it was making every attempt to achieve a minimum level of 1,000. In view of the need for musical diversity on radio in this market, the Commission encourages the licensee to continue in its efforts to increase the size of its playlist.
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The Commission acknowledges the licensee's significant contribution to the support and promotion of Canadian musical talent through the "Country 105 Talent Search", a weekly contest for local artists, which has an annual budget of $5,000. All contestants are taped live for later presentation on CKQM-FM. Contest winners receive some five hours of free recording time in a recognized studio, as well as promotion and air-time for their recordings on CKQM-FM. The licensee stated:
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Local and regional musicians have found us very approachable and they know their records will get fair treatment and regular on-air play alongside those by established country entertainers.
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In addition, the licensee contributes to the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Record (FACTOR), which recently merged with the Canadian Talent Library and is now known as FACTOR/CTL. The licensee also emphasized its ongoing commitment to local charities and community service activities. The Commission encourages the licensee to continue these beneficial efforts on behalf of local talent and its involvement in the Peterborough area.
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Fernand Bélisle Secretary General
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