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Ottawa, 26 June 1986
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Decision CRTC 86-604
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Radio communautaire de Fermont Inc.
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Fermont, Quebec - 853199800
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Following a Public Hearing in Montreal on 18 March 1986, the Commission renews the broadcasting licence for CFMF-FM Fermont for a period of two years only, from 1 October 1986 to 30 September 1988, subject to the conditions specified in the licence to be issued.
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In accordance with the licensee's proposal and the Commission's policy statement on The Review of Community Radio (Public Notice CRTC 1985-194 dated 26 August 1985), the Commission will issue a special FM licence for community radio, Type A, to this station, which will be operated in the Group IV music format.
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A self-assessment of CFMF-FM's programming from 16 to 22 September 1985 indicated a substantial unauthorized increase in broadcast time from 56 hours to 112 hours per week, and very little local or regional content in spoken word programming.
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The Commission views with grave concern the licensee's failure to adhere to its Promise of Performance and to Commission policies and regulations. In renewing CFMF-FM's licence for two years, the Commission has taken into account the fact that the new policy on community radio is still very recent and could be of assistance in resolving some of the problems faced by community radio stations, especially with respect to financing.
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The Commission approves the proposal to increase the amount of CFMF-FM's broadcast time from 56 to 126 hours per week. The Commission's policy on community radio contains the provision that a community station may increase or decrease by 20% the number of hours it is authorized to broadcast per week without having to apply to the Commission, in order to take into account the needs of the particular community and the availability of volunteers and community groups. The Commission reminds the licensee that if increased broadcast time results in non-compliance, it should reduce its broadcast week to a level that would enable it to adhere to its commitments at all times.
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The Commission also approves the broadcasting of 25.5% spoken word programming per week, including 10 hours per week of community-oriented services, which it considers satisfactory for a Type A station. The Commission encourages the licensee to continue its volunteer training program so as to ensure that it has the necessary human resources.
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The Commission approves the proposed reduction in the level of news from 19% to 9.5%, which in fact represents an increase of 4 hours to 12 hours per week in the duration of its news as a result of the increase in CFMF-FM's total broadcast time, as approved in this decision. The Commission notes that the licensee is affiliated to the Broadcast News service and encourages it to emphasize news of local and regional interest. The Commission also authorizes the licensee to rebroadcast in full the programming of CHRC Quebec City, received via satellite, from midnight to 6 a.m., based on the remoteness of this community and the lack of available radio services.
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The Commission approves the proposal to broadcast 250 minutes of advertising per day and 1,500 minutes per week, in accordance with the community radio policy for Type A stations.
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The licensee is required to submit, within six months of the date of this decision, a report on CFMF-FM's compliance with its Promise of Performance.
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The Commission acknowledges the written intervention submitted by the Association des radiodiffuseurs communautaires du Québec in support of the renewal of this licence.
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Fernand Bélisle
Secretary General
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