ARCHIVED -  Decision CRTC 88-720

Decision

Ottawa, 30 September 1988

Decision CRTC 88-720

Radio communautaire du Saguenay Inc.

Jonquière, Quebec -873429500

Following a Public Hearing in Trois-Rivières, Quebec on 5 July 1988, the Commission renews the broadcasting licence of CHOC-FM Jonquière from 1 October 1988 to 31 August 1990, subject to the conditions specified in this decision and in the licence to be issued. This two-year period will enable the Commission to review, within a reasonable period of time, the performance of this station in view of the concerns and expectations outlined in this decision.

CHOC-FM, which commenced broadcasting in 1977, has a special FM licence for community radio, Type B and operates in a Group IV musical format. Its licence was renewed for five years in 1979 (Decision CRTC 79-142), and on three subsequent occasions was renewed for short terms due to administrative requirements (Decisions CRTC 84-10, 85-697 and 86-127 dated 11 January 1984, 26 August 1985 and 17 February 1986, respectively). On 26 June 1986 (Decision CRTC 86-603), the Commission renewed the station's licence for a period of two years only because of various problems with respect to its programming, in particular with respect to foreground programming, French-language vocal music and the musical diversity required of community FM stations operating in a Group IV format. While noting that these shortfalls had occurred recently and that CHOC-FM had remained an authentic community station since its inception in 1977, the Commission warned the licensee that continued failure to meet its commitments could jeopardize the renewal of its licence.

Three subsequent self-assessments conducted by the licensee of the programming broadcast by CHOC-FM during the weeks of 5 to 11 April, 24 to 30 May and 27 September to 3 October 1987, as well as a programming analysis conducted by the Commission during the last of these weeks, revealed that the licensee was still experiencing difficulty in attaining the level of performance to which it is committed in its current Promise of Performance. According to the Commission's analysis, the most serious problem involved the amount of foreground programming broadcast during the week of 27 September to 3 October 1987, which totalled only 6.9% of the station's programming, well below its commitment of 25%. The licensee's self-assessments revealed other discrepancies during the same three weeks, particularly with regard to spoken word programming, Canadian content, French-language vocal music, and traditional and special interest music. The information provided by the licensee also indicated that, during the week of 27 September to 3 October 1987, with 68% of its music falling into subcategory 51 (Pop and Rock -Softer), CHOC-FM's musical diversity was compromised to such an extent that the station appeared to be operating in the more specialized Group I musical format.

At the July 1988 public hearing, the licensee stated that since the last licence renewal there had been a large turnover of staff and members of the station's board of directors, noting that all but one of the board members were new. According to the licensee, these frequent changes had contributed to a lack of adequate training and a poor understanding of Commission policies and regulations on the part of those responsible for the station's operation. The licensee also pointed out that the start-up of CFIX-FM in Chicoutimi had had a profound impact on the operation of CHOC-FM and had resulted in a period of indecision and low morale among CHOC-FM staff and volunteers as reflected in the analysis of 27 September to 3 October 1987.

The licensee indicated that in early 1988, following consultation with Commission staff, the new administrative team had undertaken to regain control of the station, and had demonstrated its intention of managing the programming effectively and of implementing adequate mechanisms to ensure adherence to the commitments set out in its Promise of Performance. In this regard, the licensee stated that it had implemented a computerized program schedule based on its Promise of Performance commitments; established training sessions in order to inform program producers of the regulatory requirements and of the importance of complying with those requirements; made arrangements for researchers on spoken word programs to assist the producers in achieving at least their minimum programming quotas; and assigned one person to monitor the programming on a daily basis and to compile a weekly list of the French-language vocal music selections broadcast.

Although the Commission is gravely concerned about the station's repeated failure to comply with the commitments outlined in its Promise of Performance and with Commission policies and regulations, especially in light of the serious warning issued in 1986, the Commission has decided to renew CHOC-FM's licence for a limited period of two years in view of the new management's serious efforts to improve the station's performance. The Commission has also taken into account the licensee's statements at the hearing to the effect that it is now meeting its commitments in terms of foreground programming and French-language vocal music and that it now has the necessary volunteer resources to attain the promised objectives with respect to traditional and special interest music (category 6). The Commission requires the licensee to take whatever steps are necessary to strengthen the control mechanisms that are currently in place in order to ensure that it complies fully and at all times with the commitments set out in its Promise of Performance.

In other respects, the Commission notes that, in Decision CRTC 86-603, it had authorized the licensee to eliminate the station's newscasts on an experimental basis, and to integrate the news as part of its analysis and backgrounding programs. According to the information provided in the self-assessments mentioned earlier, this experiment appears to have been somewhat inconclusive since very little public affairs programming that includes news analysis and backgrounding is actually broadcast. The Commission also notes that the licensee has proposed to commence the broadcasting of traditional newscasts and that it intends to devote 1 hour 34 minutes of its weekly schedule to such programming. The Commission approves this proposal and requires the licensee to ensure that it devotes a significant number of public affairs magazine programs to local and regional news.

However, the Commission denies the licensee's proposal to draw 64.3% of its category 5 music (Music -General) from subcategory 51. In Public Notice CRTC 1985-194 dated 26 August 1985 and entitled "The Review of Community Radio", the Commission stressed that community radio stations must offer a diversified and balanced selection of music. The Commission pointed out that these stations tend to be operated in a Group IV format, that they ought to make use of most, if not all, of the subcategories in category 5 (Music -General), and that they should offer a broad range of traditional and special interest music (category 6).

In reviewing the community radio licence renewal applications that were considered at the July 1988 public hearing, the Commission noted a tendency by many licensees to offer programming that very closely resembled that provided by Group I FM stations, making it difficult for such stations to achieve the musical diversity recommended by the Commission. Accordingly, the Commission will, in general, no longer allow community radio stations authorized to operate within a Group IV musical format to devote more than 50% of all music broadcast (that is, the total of category 5 and category 6 music) to any one musical subcategory. The Commission also expects that the maximum repeat factor for musical selections on these stations will be kept as low as possible.

In light of the above, the Commission requires the licensee to submit, within 60 days of the date of this decision, a revised Promise of Performance that reflects this clarification of Commission policy with respect to the musical diversity of community radio stations. The new Promise of Performance should also reflect the statement made by the licensee at the hearing to the effect that the number of hours it broadcasts would be increased from 105 to 117 each week in order that it may respond better to the needs of the community.

In terms of Canadian talent support, the Commission notes that the licensee intends to conduct on air interviews with, and to promote, Canadian artists as well as to broadcast regional musical productions and others sponsored in collaboration with the Association des radiodiffuseurs communautaires du Québec (ARCQ). The Commission encourages the licensee to increase its efforts in this regard in order that greater emphasis may be given to local and regional musical talent, if necessary with the assistance of volunteers.

In its 1986 decision, the Commission had asked the licensee to make a special effort to broaden its support by recruiting members and volunteers from all age groups and all sectors of the community. At the hearing, the licensee stressed the wide diversity that characterizes the station's contributing members and organizations. It pointed out that a planned 1987 recruitment campaign had never been implemented due to a lack of resources, and that the station currently has approximately 200 members. The Commission encourages the licensee to increase the station's membership as much as possible and notes that the recruitment campaign planned for the fall of 1988 has a minimum goal of 1,000 members.

The Commission reiterates its serious concern about the licensee's failure to adhere to its own commitments and to regulatory requirements. The Commission puts the licensee on notice that if, in future, it fails to comply with the conditions of its licence, including the commitments contained in its Promise of Performance, the requirements of this decision and Commission policies and regulations, this could result in it being called to a public hearing to show cause as to why its licence should be renewed.

It is a condition of licence that the applicant not broadcast more than an average of 4 minutes of advertising per hour per day, with a maximum of 6 minutes per hour, in accordance with the community radio policy for Type B stations.

It is a condition of licence that the licensee adhere to the CAB's self-regulatory guidelines on sex-role stereotyping, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.

The Commission acknowledges the written interventions submitted by the Conseil des usagers des médias de la Sagamie and by the ARCQ in support of the renewal of CHOC-FM's licence.

Fernand Bélisle
Secretary General