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Public Notice
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Ottawa, 20 March 1987
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Public Notice CRTC 1987-79
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REVIEW OF EDUCATIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL RADIO
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Since 1985 the Commission has undertaken reviews of its policies affecting a number of types of radio broadcasting, including ethnic and community radio. In l986 the Commission undertook a comprehensive review of all of its radio regulations. The Commission has also recently heard applications for radio stations providing educational programming services: one for the renewal of CFCQ-FM Trois-Rivières and the other for a new FM to serve Montreal.
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These applications have raised some questions regarding various aspects of educational radio broadcasting. Before considering further applications for stations providing these types of services, the Commission considers it appropriate to undertake a review of Educational and Institutional radio.
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While a definition of educational broadcasting for stations licenced to provincial educational authorities is provided in the Direction to the CRTC (Ineligibility to Hold Broadcasting Licences) issued as Order in Council P.C. 1985-2108, the only radio stations so licensed are CKUA-AM in Edmonton and its 15 FM rebroadcasters in Alberta, which are operated by the Alberta Educational Communications Corporation (ACCESS).
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However, the Commission has also licensed other radio stations to distribute educational programming: CIXX-FM London, Ontario, is associated with Fanshawe College, an educational institution.
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For reasons outlined in Decision CRTC 87-192 of today's date, the Commission denied an application to renew the licence of the only other similar undertaking, CFCQ-FM Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
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When CJRT-FM Toronto began operation it was directly associated with Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto. However, the station is now operated by an independent non-profit corporation. CJRT-FM provides some educational programming as well as classical and jazz music and other programming.
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Student FM stations also are associated with post-secondary institutions. However, the Commission considers that their mandate, which includes the provision of alternative programming to the community at large and which reflects the views of the student community, is considerably different from that of educational stations. It, therefore, does not plan to include student radio in this review.
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While educational broadcasting on radio has historically played an important role in the Canadian broadcasting system, most programming from provincial educational authorities is broadcast on television. Moreover, new roles are evolving for educational radio. In this changing environment, it is appropriate, therefore, to examine what role radio should now assume in providing educational programming.
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The Commission invites comments from interested parties including Provincial Ministries of Education, provincial educational communications authorities and post-secondary educational institutions, on the issues set out below, as well as on other matters related to radio stations providing educational programming.
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ISSUES
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What types of programming are appropriate for educational radio stations?
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Should certain percentages of broadcast time be devoted to:
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-"formal education" (e.g. credit and non-credit course)
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-other educational programming?
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What degree of involvement should post-secondary institutions have in educational radio?
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What kind of music programming is appropriate for such stations and in what proportion?
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Should such stations be required to provide specific minimum amounts of foreground and mosaic programs as well as other Spoken Word programming?
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How can the Commission ensure that such stations provide a distinctive service that is complementary and does not duplicate that provided by other public and private radio stations?
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What ownership/management arrangements are appropriate for such stations? Should educational stations be licensed to non-profit corporations only or would other types of ownership arrangements be appropriate?
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What sorts of financial support are appropriate for these stations?
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What types and amounts of advertising should be permitted? Is the concept of "restricted advertising" that is applied to student FM stations appropriate in this context?
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Should such stations be licensed to use FM channels other than those reserved by the Department of Communications for educational, non-commercial broadcasting?
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SUBMISSION OF PUBLIC COMMENTS
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Comments should be submitted on or before 15 May 1987. Written comments should be addressed as follows: Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2.
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Fernand Bélisle Secretary General
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