|
Public Notice
|
|
Ottawa, 14 March 1986
|
|
Public Notice CRTC 1986-65
|
|
AMENDMENTS TO THE TELEVISION BROADCASTING REGULATIONS, THE RADIO (A.M.) BROADCASTING REGULATIONS AND THE RADIO (F.M.) BROADCASTING REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT A BROADCASTING POLICY REFLECTING CANADA'S LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY
|
For related documents see: Public Notices CRTC 1985-139 dated 4 July 1985 and 1985-261 dated 4 December 1985.
|
|
On 4 July 1985, following an extensive public hearing process, the Commission issued new policy guide lines for the broadcast and carriage of ethnic program services. On 4 December 1985, the Commission issued for public comment proposed amendments to the Television Broadcasting Regulations, the Radio (A.M.) Broadcasting Regulations and to the Radio (F.M.) Broadcasting Regulations. These amendments were necessary to implement fully the new ethnic broadcasting policy.
|
|
The proposed amendments set out the program requirements for licensees with respect to the broadcasting of ethnic program of Types A, B, C and D as defined in the Regulations. The amendments also require licensees to indicate in their program logs, where appropriate, the language(s) of the programs they broadcast, the ethnic group(s) to which they are directed and whether a program corresponds to Type A, B, C, D or E.
|
In response to Public Notice CRTC 1985-261, the Commission received submissions from several broadcasters. Comments addressing the proposed amendments to the Radio (A.M.) Broadcasting Regulations and the Radio (F.M.) Broadcasting Regulations were largely supportive of the proposals. However, with respect to the proposed amendments to the Television Broadcasting Regulations, CFMT-TV Toronto expressed a number of concerns.
|
|
CFMT-TV argued that ethnic television licensees need greater flexibility than is provided in the proposed amendment, which require licensees to meet specific ethnic programming levels on a weekly basis. Specifically, CFMT-TV requested that ethnic program requirements should be met on a semi-annual basis. CFMT-TV also requested that the proposed definition of a Type E program be clarified to remove any ambiguities in its interpretation.
|
The Commission has considered the comments submitted by CFMT-TV and will now require ethnic television licensees to meet their ethnic programming levels on a monthly rather than a weekly basis. The Commission believes that this new requirement, coupled with the broader definition given to ethnic programs, should be sufficient to provide licensees the necessary flexibility in program scheduling. In terms of the definition of a Type E television program, the Commission has modified the definition to ensure consistency in the English and French texts and to remove the ambiguity identified by CFMT-TV. As for the suggestion of CFMT-TV that the definition of an ethnic program be amended to include programs for Canada's aboriginal peoples, the Commission notes that it has announced unique and separate policies for native programming in Public Notice CRTC 1985-274 dated 19 December 1985. The Commission also reminds licensees that native programs may be broadcast during non-ethnic programming periods.
|
|
In addition to the refinements to the proposed amendments noted above, the Commission has also specified that authorization for all levels of ethnic programming between l5% and 40% will be by condition of licence.
|
Accordingly, on the recommendation of the Executive Committee, the Commission approved the proposed amendments to the Television Broadcasting Regulations, the Radio (A.M.) Broadcasting Regulations and the Radio (F.M.) Broadcasting Regulations as they appeared in the schedule attached to Public Notice CRTC 1985-261 with the further amendments noted above and included in the schedule attached to this notice. These amendments were registered 6 February l986 and came into force on that day. The amendments were subsequently published in the Canada Gazette on l9 February l986.
|
|
Fernand Bélisle Secretary General
|
|
|