|
Decision
|
|
Ottawa, 2 December 1988
|
|
Decision CRTC 88-830
|
|
Radio communautaire de l'Est Inc.
|
|
Montreal, Quebec -880423900
|
|
Following a public hearing in Trois-Rivières, Quebec on 5 July 1988, the Commission approves the application to amend the broadcasting licence for CIBL-MF Montreal by changing the frequency from 104.5 MHz (channel 283 LP) to 104.7 MHz (channel 284A), by increasing the effective radiated power from 10 to 315 watts, and by relocating the transmitter from the west tower of the Olympic Village to the mast of the Olympic Stadium.
|
In 1979 (in Decision CRTC 79-631) the Commission authorized the licensee to operate a French-language community radio station to serve the Hochelaga, Maisonneuve, Rosemont and Centre-Sud districts of the east end of Montreal. In 1986 (in Decision CRTC 86-610), the Commission renewed CIBL-MF's licence until 30 September 1990 and commended the licensee on the quality of its performance as a genuine community radio station. On 19 March 1987 (in Decision CRTC 87-189), the Commission denied an application by the licensee to amend CIBL-MF's technical parameters. This last application was competitive on a technical basis with several other applications for new licences or for amendments to the licences of FM stations serving Montreal and the surrounding area.
|
|
At the July 1988 public hearing, the licensee stated that it had submitted its application primarily because listeners in some parts of its service area were experiencing difficulty in receiving the signal; because it wished to take into account the trend among community groups of amalgamating to create organizations that operate on a city-wide scale; and because it needed to broaden its advertising base to remedy the station's precarious financial situation. The licensee explained that its objective is to serve only the francophone population within the City of Montreal proper rather than the greater Metropolitan region or all of the municipalities on Montreal Island.
|
|
At the public hearing, the licensee stated that it is well established and that it had received numerous letters of support for its application. It pointed out that its membership has remained steady at almost 2,000 for the past few years and that several of its members continue to support the station even though they have moved outside the original service area and can no longer receive CIBL-MF's signal. It also pointed out that it has raised close to $30,000 from its members and listeners in each of the past two years, during its annual fundraising and membership drives. It added that almost 200 organizations visit its studios each year and contribute regularly to the station's programming, and that other organizations in the Montreal area have shown an interest in taking part in its programming should the station's signal be receivable in those areas of the city in which they are located.
|
|
According to the licensee, 75% of the support it has received for its application to extend its coverage area has come from organizations located outside its original service area which operate on a city-wide basis. The licensee also pointed out that more than 200 volunteers take part in its programming each week and that they are offered training courses in co-operation with the Rosemont CEGEP and the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM).
|
|
With respect to the future orientation of its programming, the licensee stated at the public hearing [TRANSLATION] "CIBL intends to bring together the various districts of the City of Montreal using the same type of programming and the same community involvement as it has been licenced to provide for the past eight years". The licensee's Promise of Performance reflects this objective of continuity in that it retains the same basic programming thrust with 36.5% spoken-word content, 20% foreground programming and 50% combined foreground/mosaic programming. The licensee has also retained its Group IV music format, under which it selects music from all of the subcategories of Category 5 (Music -General), including, on a weekly basis, 14 hours of folk-oriented music (subcategory 54) and 7 hours of jazz-oriented music (subcategory 55) as well as 14 hours of musical selections from Category 6 (Traditional and Special Interest music).
|
|
Given that its audience will be considerably larger, the licensee has, however, made a commitment to further diversify the spoken word content of its programming in order to serve better the interests of all parts of Montreal, and to increase its staff accordingly, particularly in terms of news. It also indicated that it plans to report on topics that are of direct concern to residents of the various districts and which are not usually covered by the larger media outlets. It pointed out in this regard that the extended coverage area will allow it to bring together people from the different districts of the city, particularly within the context of public affairs programs, and provide them with the opportunity to express their different experiences while also permitting the airing of problems common to all of its listeners and the various solutions advocated.
|
|
With respect to the resources it will require in order to assume its new responsibilities, the licensee stated that it will have no difficulty in substantially increasing its volunteer staff because of the much larger audience base which it will serve. In this regard, it pointed out that it was planning to increase its existing staff which is presently composed of some 30 journalists, free-lancers, volunteers, students and trainees, as well as some 50 contributors who work in the four neighbourhoods that are already being served: [TRANSLATION] "We plan to increase our staff, and have every reason to believe that it will be easy to reach 75 and maybe even exceed that level". The Commission also notes that CIBL-MF has a special relationship with the Communications Department of UQAM and that, in its intervention supporting the station's application, UQAM stated that it is prepared to collaborate more with CIBL-MF in terms of programming.
|
|
In terms of the financial aspects of the application, the Commission notes that to date, CIBL-MF has depended heavily on government grants which in 1987 accounted for more than 70% of its total revenues. As outlined in its revenue projections for future years, the licensee hopes to rely more on revenue from community sources, advertising, and its production and promotion activities. It anticipates that by 1994 government funding of the station will represent less than 25% of its total revenues. It indicated in this respect that over a six-year period, annual community revenues should increase from $38,800 to $77,500 and that its annual advertising revenues during the same period should increase from $20,000 to $163,000. It also pointed out that a number of community, cultural and municipal organizations have already committed themselves to purchase air-time on CIBL-MF as soon as its coverage area is extended. With regard to its projected programming expenses, the licensee indicated that over the same six-year period, it anticipates an increase from $63,305 to $132,604, which represents between 33% and 39% of the total projected revenues for each year.
|
|
With respect to the potential impact which its programming may have on other community stations, the licensee pointed out that it does not intend to serve the South Shore area of Montreal nor is it interested in attracting local merchants situated in those centre town districts already served by community radio station CINQ-FM. It specified that it was only interested in institutions, organizations and businesses whose activities encompass all parts of the City of Montreal.
|
|
In view of the commitments oulined in its Promise of Performance and those made during the public hearing, as well as the support that the station has received and the resources at its disposal, the Commission is convinced that CIBL-MF will be able to continue its role as a genuine community radio station while providing programming that reflects the concerns and interests of the new communities that it will be serving. The Commission's approval of this application will also have the advantage of adding a new French-language voice to the broadcasting services already offered in Montreal, and one whose programming will provide an alternative to the existing conventional fare.
|
During the public hearing certain concerns were raised about the fact that the audience targeted by CIBL-MF and its access policies specify persons in the 18 to 35 age group. In response to these concerns, the licensee noted the efforts it has made to produce programs of interest to other age groups, particularly senior citizens and children, and reminded the Commission that its initial mandate has not changed and that its objective continues to be [TRANSLATION] "to program for different communities, different age groups and different audiences". It also pointed out that more than 20% of the volunteers who work at the station are over 35 years of age. The licensee undertook, if necessary, to promote actively the participation of persons other than those in the 18 to 35 age group. With regard to musical diversity, the Commission has noted the licensee's commitment to broadcast a level of new musical selections that do not appear on hit charts and it encourages the licensee to further diversify its musical content in order to appeal to the musical tastes of a larger audience, in accordance with the Commission's 26 August 1985 policy entitled "The Review of Community Radio" (Public Notice CRTC 1985-194).
|
|
Moreover, the Commission notes CIBL-MF's history of support for lesser-known Canadian artists and the fact that these artists will be able to benefit from wider on-air exposure of their work. It has also taken note of the licensee's new commitment to make a direct contribution of $2,000 for the broadcast of live concerts to be produced or co-produced by CIBL-MF, and an indirect contribution of $2,000 to organize, produce or co-produce concerts featuring local artists. Further, the licensee has committed to make its studios and production equipment available to artists working in all spheres of cultural activity.
|
|
With regard to the incomplete logger tapes which were submitted by the licensee for the week of 13 to 19 March 1988, it stated that in order to avoid this problem in the future it has instituted a daily check on the quality and operation of the recording equipment and has installed an automatic warning system in case of equipment failure.
|
|
Subsection 8(5) and 8(6) of the Radio Regulations, 1986 require each licensee to retain and furnish to the Commission upon request "a clear and intelligible tape recording or other exact copy of all matter broadcast", for a period of at least four weeks from the date of the broadcast. The licensee is reminded of the importance of complying with these requirements and is required to report within 60 days of the date of the decision confirming that equipment is in place, operating and capable of meeting the Commission's requirements.
|
|
Futher, this approval is subject to the condition that the licensee submit, within six months of the date of this decision, a copy of its supplementary letters patent and amended internal regulations reflecting CIBL-MF's new service area, namely the francophone community in all parts of the City of Montreal, and its new Board of Directors.
|
|
Given that its current licence expires on 30 September 1990, at the time of its next licence renewal the licensee should be in a position to explain the results of the approval herein granted. That renewal application is to be accompanied by a report on this implementation and is to incorporate the following elements:
|
|
-the recruitement of new members in the new districts to be served on Montreal Island and the numbers attracted, by district;
|
|
-the representation of citizens from the new service area on the new Board of Directors, including a list of the names of members and the neighbourhoods in which they reside;
|
|
- the coverage of events in the new areas to be served, given that the station's studios are located primarily in the east end of the city;
|
|
- the steps taken to encourage on-air access by groups and individuals residing in the new districts;
|
|
- a list of the individuals and groups that have been given access to the station, and the neighbourhoods in which they are located;
|
|
- a description of the type and frequency of the programs intended for listeners in the newly covered districts of the City of Montreal.
|
|
The Commission notes that some 250 interventions were submitted in response to this application, the vast majority of which supported the proposed amendments. With regard to the intervention submitted by Radio Fusion Inc., licensee of CJLA-FM Lachute (Quebec) and CHPR-FM Hawkesbury (Ontario), which opposed the application mainly due to potential interference problems between CIBL-MF and CJLA-FM, the Commission notes that the Department of Communications has informed it that the current application is acceptable from a technical point of view and that a Technical Construction and Operating Certificate will be issued.
|
|
Fernand Bélisle
Secretary General
|
|
|