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Decision
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Ottawa, 6 April 1989
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Decision CRTC 89-116
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Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
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Regina, Moose Jaw, Willow Bunch, Fort Qu'Appelle, Gravelbourg and Patuanak, Saskatchewan -881136600
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Following a Public Hearing in Winnipeg on 12 October 1988, the Commission renews the broadcasting licences for CBKT Regina and its rebroadcasting undertakings from 1 September 1989 to 31 August 1994, subject to the conditions of licence specified in the appendix to this decision and in the licences to be issued.
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CBKT provides the English-language service of the CBC to over 300,000 viewers in the southern region of Saskatchewan, through its principal transmitting facility in Regina, together with its rebroadcasting undertakings noted in the locations listed above.
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In its current Promise of Performance, CBKT is committed to broadcast 9 hours 15 minutes of regularly-scheduled original local programming weekly, of which more than 8 hours constitutes news and public affairs programs.
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Noting that it has increased its spending on its news gathering operation over the current licence term, CBKT described its enhanced news service as relevant to the province as a whole, in that it co-operates extensively with other CBC stations in the coverage of regional and local issues and concerns and that its reporters travel on a regular basis to communities throughout the province. Presently, CBKT's news and information programming features the supper-hour show "Newsday", and "Midday Insert" Monday to Friday, and the late-night "Newsday Final" from 11:00 to 11:30 p.m. Monday through Sunday, the weekend versions having been initiated in the current licence term as committed to in CBKT's last major licence renewal application and noted in Decision CRTC 79-231.
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In that same decision, the Commission noted the CBC's closure of its Moose Jaw production facilities and CBKT's assurances that news and events relevant to that area would continue to be covered throughout the new licence term. The Commission notes that CBKT's initiatives in this respect include a "Newsday" policy to cover at least two stories from Moose Jaw per week; the production of a number of programs on events in the area such as the Moose Jaw Band Festival and annual Air Show; and a network program called "City Scapes" which featured a public forum held in Moose Jaw.
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CBKT noted that it has doubled the resources allocated to its half-hour weekly current affairs show "Countryside", thereby enabling the program to feature stories from some 100 communities throughout the province in the last year alone. Agriculturally-oriented and incorporating a magazine-type format, CBKT described the program as covering the lifestyles and concerns of Saskatchewan's rural population while fostering a greater understanding between rural and urban viewers.
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The Commission notes the improvements the licensee has undertaken to enhance its news and public affairs programming over the current licence term and the effort it has made to accurately reflect the interests of the communities it serves.
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Although CBKT has not involved itself in the production of any regularly-scheduled local drama production over the current licence term, it has produced several drama specials. At the hearing, representatives of the station indicated CBKT's plans to produce three drama programs in the coming year and further noted that proposals for two dramatic productions were currently under consideration for development by the network.
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The Commission notes CBKT's growing relationship with the independent production community. CBKT's renewal application cited nine projects undertaken in co-operation with independent production companies in the region over the current licence term. Four of these projects, amongst them "Tales of Wasakechak" and "Matty and Rose", were co-productions involving funds from Telefilm Canada.
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The Commission stresses the important role that local stations play in the development and promotion of creative talent through locally-produced drama, music and dance and variety programming. To continue support for the local Saskatchewan independent production community, the Commission encourages the licensee to broadcast on CBKT at least 2 drama programs, produced in Saskatchewan, in each year of the new licence term.
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The Commission notes that "Country West", the last regularly-scheduled variety program produced by CBKT, was cancelled following the production of 13 episodes in 1986. The program offered considerable support to local and regional country music talent and was discontinued after it failed to achieve its projected network audience share.
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In terms of specials featuring local talent, over the current licence term CBKT has produced "Provincial Play-A-Long", "Christmas Symphony" and most recently, "The Gifts of Christmas" and "Will the Spirit", both of which aired in the 1987/88 season.
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The Commission notes the interventions submitted by the national and Saskatchewan branches of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), expressing concern about the importance of maintaining a professional pool of creative talent for local productions on CBC stations. ACTRA strongly supports the development of local and regional talent and takes issue with the centralization of decision-making at the network level in respect of the production funds allocated to individual CBC television stations.
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The Commission notes CBKT's plans, as contained in its proposed program strategy, to "provide a platform for Saskatchewan talent to be seen and heard in our province and across our country" and, more specifically its development proposal, now under network consideration, for a series based on the network-funded comedy pilot "Midnight in Moose Jaw", produced by CBKT in the 1987/88 season.
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The Commission notes CBKT's modest support of Saskatchewan's creative talent over the current licence term and the absence of any specific proposals for specials or series which might feature such talent in the next five years. In line with the CBC's intention to make available to its English-language regional stations an additional 30 minutes per week of local programming in the evening, as referred to in the Public Notice introducing this and other renewal decisions released today, the Commission encourages the licensee to produce and broadcast in this period local entertainment programming designed to develop and feature Saskatchewan performers.
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In the area of contributions to programming at the network level over the current licence term, CBKT produced the above-noted series, "Country West". The Commission notes that it has also produced news items which have been included on "The National", as well as contributions to such network programs as "The Way We Are", "Sesame Street" and "Sports Weekend".
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In a period of diminishing resources, the Commission acknowledges that many of the CBC's television stations undertake co-operatively-produced programming as an effective means of improving the quality and quantity of local programming. In this respect, CBKT co-operates extensively with CBKST Saskatoon in its province-wide coverage of news and information. The licensee referred to an exchange of approximately 3,000 news items per year, as well as CBKST's on-going contributions to "Countryside" and various CBKT specials.
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With respect to children's programming, the Commission notes the termination of CBKT's Sunday morning program "Fine Science" following the 1986/87 season. The Commission further notes the 30-minute reduction of the weekly edition of the CBKT-produced program "Switchback", which is broadcast in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. The licensee stated however, that the program's budget was increased in the 1987/88 season and that it intends to continue production of this successful series over the new licence term.
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CBKT has committed to produce 11 hours per week of original local production during the new licence term. The Commission notes CBKT's commitment to maintain its level of news programming and to continue production of "Switchback". In terms of special local programming produced by CBKT, the Commission notes the success of documentary programs such as "Saskatchewan Reflections, A Celebration of the Arts" and "Back to Batoche" and notes that the licensee plans to continue such programming over the new licence term, as well as broadcast special events such as local parades, telethons and forums. The Commission expects the licensee to ensure that CBKT, as a minimum, achieves the level of local production set out in the Promise of Performance submitted as part of its licence renewal application.
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The Commission notes that CBKT will be producing a pilot for the network in 1989 and has submitted proposals for two drama productions which are currently under consideration by the CBC. At the hearing, CBKT also indicated that it is presently assessing six or seven proposals from various independent producers, which it intends to submit for future network consideration.
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According to the expenditure projections set out in its renewal application, CBKT will spend $6,932,000 on Canadian programming in the first year of the new licence term, increasing to $7,910,000 in year five. According to percentage allocations for local productions filed by the licensee, the Commission notes that 94% of these funds are to be spent on programs to be produced by CBKT itself, with the remainder allocated for independent productions.
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The Commission notes that CBKT has recently hired a new manager, whose primary responsibility is to obtain sponsorships from community organizations throughout the province, and to co-ordinate the development of co-production projects with independent producers and federal agencies such as Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board.
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The Commission notes CBKT's commitment to budget for capital expenditures of approximately $750,000 over the next three years, most of which will be allocated for the acquisition of new studio equipment.
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While CBKT made no specific commitment to provide access to its programming for the hearing impaired, the Commission notes the CBC's plans with regard to its regional stations, as discussed in the Public Notice introducing the decisions released today. In this respect, the Commission expects CBKT to acquire, as soon as possible, the necessary equipment to caption, at a minimum, headlines and appropriate scripted portions of its early evening newscasts during the new licence term.
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In renewing these licences, the Commission also authorizes CBKT to make use of the Vertical Blanking Interval. The Commission expects the licensee to adhere to the guidelines set out in Appendix A to Public Notice CRTC 1989-23 dated 23 March 1989 entitled "Services Using the Vertical Blanking Interval (Television) or Subsidiary Communications Multiplex Operation (FM)".
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The Commission also expects CBKT to obtain a telephone device for the deaf (TDD) during the first year of the new licence term and install it wherever it is most appropriate, such as in the master control room, to ensure access to the station by deaf and hearing-impaired viewers over the entire broadcast day.
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Representatives of the Government of Saskatchewan, in an oral intervention at the hearing, stated that Saskatchewan viewers have seen few dramatic or entertainment programs which accurately reflect the lifestyles and concerns of the region and requested that "reasonable" regional representation as depicted in programming other than news and current affairs be considered a condition of CBC television licences. In addition, the intervener noted the inadequacy or the lack of the CBC Saskatchewan regional television service in northern portions of the province.
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The CBC's response to this intervention included its assurances that additional resources in the form of both personnel and equipment will be allocated to Saskatchewan in the not-too-distant future, as well as the re-instatement of a national reporter's position in the province. With respect to the provision of service to northern regions of the province, the CBC expressed the hope that although too costly at the present time, it would eventually be able to provide Saskatchewan regional service to several remote communities which now receive CBC television from Manitoba.
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The Commission notes the intervention submitted by the Canadian Television Producers and Directors Association which stated that, in its opinion, the CBC has failed to fulfill its mandate to serve regional needs, and asked that the Corporation reassess the role of local stations and regional production and restructure its commitments and priorities accordingly.
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In response, station representatives explained that:
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...for the first time, as the chief programmers in our area, we have a real role to play in what goes on the full network, what the makeup of the schedule is, and what is the content of those programs. We have been able to maintain and develop talent within our regions, even in the first year of Canadianization.
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Having assessed CBKT's past accomplishments, including the station's enhanced local news and information service and its growing relationship with the Saskatchewan independent production community, and taking into account the licensee's commitments for the next five years particularly in terms of community programming in the form of location productions, public forums and live specials, the Commission is satisfied that this licence should be renewed for a full term.
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Fernand Bélisle
Secretary General
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APPENDIX
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Conditions of licence for CBKT Regina and its rebroadcasting undertakings CBKT-1 Moose Jaw, CBKT-2 Willow Bunch, CBKT-3 Fort Qu'Appelle, CBKGT Gravelbourg and CBKPT Patuanak, Saskatchewan
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1. The licensee shall adhere to the CBC guidelines on sex-role stereotyping, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission. Until such time as the Commission has approved the revised CBC guidelines, the CBC shall adhere to its current guidelines on sex-role stereotyping (as set out in Part C of Appendix A to Public Notice CRTC 1986-351 dated 22 December 1986) and, as a minimum, to the CAB's guidelines on sex-role stereotyping, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.
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2. The licensee shall adhere to the standards for children's advertising set out in the Corporation's Advertising Standards Policy C-5 dated 4 June 1986 and entitled "Advertising Directed to Children Under 12 Years of Age", as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission, provided that the policy meets as a minimum the standards set out in the CAB's The Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children revised in January 1988, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.
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Further, the licensee shall not broadcast any commercial message during any child-directed programming or any child-directed commercial message between programs directed to children of pre-school age. For the purpose of this condition, programs directed to children and scheduled before 12:00 noon during school-day morning hours will be deemed to be programs directed to children of pre-school age.
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