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Public Notice
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Ottawa, 30 May 1988
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Public Notice CRTC 1988-87
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Ocean Pacific Broadcasting Inc. Required to Submit a New AM Promise of Performance for Radio Station CKXY Vancouver
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At a Public Hearing in Victoria on 7 March 1988, the Commission heard an application by Ocean Pacific Broadcasting Inc. (Ocean Pacific) for the renewal of its broadcasting licence for CKXY Vancouver, expiring 30 September 1988. Before reaching any decision on this application, however, the Commission hereby directs the licensee to submit, within two months of the date of this notice, a new Promise of Performance which responds to the concerns raised by the Commission at the hearing regarding the unacceptable reductions proposed by the licensee in respect of the amount of spoken word programming to be broadcast on CKXY.
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Ocean Pacific was originally granted authority for the Vancouver station in Decision CRTC 83-852 dated 21 September 1983. The Commission's decision was based in large part on the innovative programming proposed by Ocean Pacific and the extensive broadcasting experience of one of the company's principals, Mr. Donald Hamilton. At the heart of the licensee's programming plans was its proposal to provide almost 50% of its programming as spoken word material.
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In the Promise of Performance submitted with the current renewal application, however, Ocean Pacific has proposed to reduce its total spoken word programming from 49.4% to 8.1%, encompassing decreases in news programming from 10.4% to 1.2%, in enrichment programming from 28.4% to 4.9%, and in surveillance programming from 10.6% to 1.8%.
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Ocean Pacific, like all other AM and FM radio licensees, must provide a satisfactory level of service, including adequate amounts of news, surveillance, enrichment and other spoken word programming designed to meet the needs and interests of the specific audience it is attempting to reach. The Commission considers the proposed levels of spoken word programming set out in the Promise of Performance and the somewhat higher levels the licensee indicated it was broadcasting at the time of the hearing, to be far from adequate, particularly in light of the innovation and initiative that were evident in the licensee's original application and the fact that the station has been in operation for a period of less than two years.
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Accordingly, the Commission expects the licensee to submit a new Promise of Performance, within two months, containing much more substantial commitments for news, enrichment and surveillance programming, representing an overall level of spoken word more closely in line with its original commitments.
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The Commission will assess the adequacy of the new Promise of Performance to be submitted by Ocean Pacific, and will then determine whether any further public process is appropriate in considering the application for licence renewal of CKXY Vancouver.
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Fernand Bélisle Secretary General
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