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Ottawa, 29 January 1986
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Decision CRTC 86-33
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Capital Radio Broadcasting Operations Inc. Quebec City, Quebec - 852070200
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Pursuant to Public Notice CRTC 1985-224 dated 4 October 1985, the Commission denies the application to amend the broadcasting licence for CHOI-FM Quebec City by changing the station's music format from Group I to Group IV.
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In Decision CRTC 85-361 dated 22 May 1985, in which the transfer of CHOI-FM's assets to the present licensee was approved, the Commission, among other things, denied a proposed increase in rock-oriented music in the absence of enough information to determine the precise impact of this change and made its approval of the transfer conditional upon the applicant submitting a new Promise of Performance based on the current definitions of FM stations and music subcategories. While indicating that the licensee could, if it so wished, submit another application to increase the level of rock-oriented music, the Commission noted that CHOI-FM would henceforth operate in the Group I music format, as defined in Public Notice CRTC 1984-151 on the Review of Radio, which encompasses its previous Contemporary MOR format.
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In Public Notice CRTC 1984-84, dated 5 April 1984, entitled "The Consultative Committee on Music on FM Radio", the Commission stated:
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Applicants ... for changes in station group will be expected to demonstrate how their proposals respond to the specific programming needs of each [community] ... and to show how their proposals contribute to diversity.
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The Commission has considered the present application in the light of these criteria and the fundamental objective of its policy on FM radio which is to offer to each community the most varied and complete service possible. The Commission has also examined the services offered by the other FM stations serving the Quebec City market and has concluded that the licensee's application would not contribute to improving Quebec City's musical diversity.
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Moreover, the licensee stated in its application that Group IV [TRANSLATION] "would give CHOI-FM enough flexibility to adjust its own format in order to preserve a clear identity ..."
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In Public Notice CRTC 1984-249 dated 10 October 1984 announcing amendments to the Radio (FM) Broadcasting Regulations, the Commission stated in particular that it expected that most stations then classified as Contemporary MOR would be included in Group I. Group IV was not intended to cover music formats that could be integrated into the first three groups but rather it was intended to encompass stations offering other music formats or special combinations of popular music that did not correspond to Groups I, II or III. Therefore, Group IV stations must indicate expressly in their Promises of Performance the various subcategories of music in category 5 (Music-General) that they propose to broadcast, and they are required to comply with their promises.
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The Commission acknowledges CHOI-FM's legitimate wish to distinguish itself from other Quebec City radio stations and feels that Group I, along with the specific parameters of its Promise of Performance, offers it the desired latitude in this regard. As the Commission stated in Public Notice CRTC 1984-84, "each group covers a range of station sounds, and licensees [will] be permitted to adjust their music programming within the parameters of their group without having to apply for an amendment of licence".
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According to the Group I criteria, at least 70% of all category 5 music must belong to subcategory 51 (Music, Pop and Rock-Softer). Historically, in keeping with its previous Contemporary MOR format, CHOI-FM has offered basically a rock-oriented sound, and the licensee has indicated in its application that it wishes to continue serving the 20 to 34 age group. Since Group I allows CHOI-FM to broadcast "adult pop" and "soft rock" music along with the possibility of presenting up to 30% of other types of music, in particular music in subcategory 52 (Music, Pop and Rock-Harder), the Commission considers that the licensee already has the desired flexibility both to offer its target listeners the (soft and hard) rock-oriented music they wish to hear and to ensure its distinctive identity in the Quebec City radio market.
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The Commission approves the licensee's proposal to decrease the amount of news (category 1) broadcast by CHOI-FM from 4 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes per week. In approving this request, the Commission has taken into account the various information sources that exist in Quebec City and the amount of news which is regularly available. Nevertheless, the Commission reminds the licensee of its responsibility to offer its audience a complete and satisfactory news service and it expects that the news broadcast by CHOI-FM will be complemented by programs that provide in-depth treatment of subjects of interest to its listeners.
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The Commission notes that the licensee has promised to allocate $25,000 per year to the promotion of Canadian talent. While this is a considerable reduction from the previous commitment of $55,000, the Commission notes that it is due to the cancellation of the videoclip series previously broadcast jointly by CFCM-TV Quebec City and CHOI-FM when these two stations were owned by the same licensee. The licensee has informed the Commission in this regard that it has recently contributed $10,000 to Musicaction and that it is firmly committed to fulfilling all the commitments in its Promise of Performance.
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The Commission has taken into consideration the written interventions submitted by CJMF-FM Limited and Mutual Broadcasting Canada Ltd., licensees of CJMF-FM and CHIK-FM respectively, in opposition to the change in music format proposed by the licensee.
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Fernand Bélisle
Secretary General
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