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Decision
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Ottawa, 6 April 1989
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Decision CRTC 89-125
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Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
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Calgary, Banff, Drumheller, Exshaw, Rosemary, Lethbridge, Waterton Park, Burmis, Pincher Creek, Bellevue, Coleman, Cardston, Harvie Heights, Cowley and Coutts-Milk River, Alberta - 881196000
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Following a Public Hearing in Edmonton, Alberta commencing 14 November 1988, the Commission renews the broadcasting licences for CBRT Calgary 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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CBRT has been providing the CBC's English-language television network service to residents of southern Alberta since the station's inception in 1975. Station representatives stated that considerably more than half of CBRT's viewers reside in the city of Calgary and that, as such, the station has traditionally maintained a Calgary focus in its programming. Nevertheless, CBRT strives to meet the programming needs of communities outside of the metropolitan area, predominantly through the coverage in its news and current affairs programming of such regional interests as agriculture and the oil industry.
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In its current Promise of Performance, CBRT is committed to broadcast 11 hours 50 minutes per week of regularly-scheduled original local programming. At the hearing, however, station representatives admitted that present production levels are closer to 9 hours. Due to recent budget cuts, programs such as the country and western talent show "Chinook Country", a weekday community open-line program entitled "Hot Line", and "Business Watch" have been cancelled.
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Most of the station's local production efforts are concentrated in news and information, particularly the weekday supper-hour news and current affairs program. CBRT also produces a late-night half-hour local news report seven days a week, as well as a weekly current affairs program entitled "Crossfire" which is also broadcast on CBXT Edmonton. Incorporating a "hot-seat" format, "Crossfire" examines controversial issues of concern to Albertans, often in the context of a public debate or documentary presentation.
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The Commission notes the licensee's efforts over the current licence term to reflect the interests and concerns of southern Alberta viewers through the station's news and information programming.
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During the current licence term, CBRT has produced several drama specials for the network, most notably "No Winners" and "Tiger Lily", a story about suffragette Nellie McClung. During the current broadcast year, CBRT co-operated with CBXT Edmonton in the production of a half-hour drama entitled "Life in the Country". The licensee noted that the Corporation's regionalization plans will afford the station access to much larger budgets for dramatic programming than were previously allocated at the local level.
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The Commission stresses the important role of local stations in the development and promotion of their respective creative talent communities. It notes the support that CBRT has provided to the Alberta independent production community over the current licence term and encourages the licensee to broadcast on CBRT at least 3 drama programs, produced in Alberta, in each year of the new licence term.
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The Commission notes CBRT's activities with the independent production community over the current licence term, with projects such as the series "Connecting" which dealt with the problems of teenagers, and an hour-long documentary feature on the Banff Television Festival produced for the network in 1987. The station's major initiative in this respect for the new licence term is a proposal for a late-night talk show, which is currently under consideration by the network.
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In terms of the promotion and development of local musical talent, CBRT referred to its production of a series of documentaries on artists during the current licence term, including a profile of the internationally-recognized local pianist Angela Chang. In addition, many of CBRT's community specials, such as the "Christmas Carol Special" and the opening gala performance of the Calgary Centre of Performing Arts have served as a platform for local artistic talent.
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The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) submitted an intervention expressing concern about the importance of maintaining a professional pool of creative talent for local production 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 that during the current licence term CBRT's only regularly-scheduled variety/talent program "Chinook Country" was cancelled. Nevertheless, the station intends in the new licence term to promote the national exposure of local artists. An initiative currently underway is a proposal for a children's opera, entitled "Noah's Flood", which the station intends to produce in conjunction with the Calgary Youth Orchestra.
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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 that period local entertainment programming designed to develop and feature Alberta performers.
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In terms of contributions to programming at the network level, station representatives noted CBRT's contributions in sports as well as in news and information programming, and emphasized that they expect this role to be strengthened further once the CBC's specialty news service is launched. The Commission also notes that CBRT has participated in covering special events of national interest, such as the 1988 Winter Olympics and the Calgary Stampede, and has contributed to such network drama series as "The Best Years".
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In a period of diminishing resources, the Commission notes that many of the CBC's owned and operated television stations undertake co-operatively produced programming as an effective means of improving the quality and quantity of local programming. In this respect, CBRT undertakes extensive activity with CBXT Edmonton, predominantly in the news and current affairs area, as well as in the production of dramatic programming. In addition, CBRT and CBXT co-operate in the production of community specials such as Lions Club Telethons and share mobile production facilities for the coverage of amateur and professional sporting events including football and hockey.
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CBRT is a regular contributor to the regional edition of "Switchback", which is produced at CBUT Vancouver and stated in its application that it hopes to increase its production of children's programming. In this respect, the Commission notes CBRT's proposal for the children's opera mentioned previously.
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CBRT has committed to produce 9 hours per week of original local production during the new licence term. The Commission notes in this respect that CBRT intends to concentrate on improving its news programming and will continue to strengthen its "business reporting and local sports journalism". CBRT also plans to make further use of the public debate format on its "Crossfire" program and to include more community experts as guest panelists. The Commission expects the licensee to ensure that CBRT, at 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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With respect to the CBC's regionalization plan, the Commission notes that the network has contributed to CBRT's production of "Life in the Country" and the statements at the hearing by station representatives that they intend to produce more drama, entertainment and children's programming.
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According to the expenditure projections set out in its renewal application, CBRT will spend $6,206,000 on Canadian programming in the first year of the new licence term, increasing to $7,088,000 in year five. The Commission notes that in accordance with percentage allocations for local productions filed by the licensee, these amounts are allocated for CBRT's local projects, and exclude network funds for the production of programs intended for network distribution, as well as funds that may be spent on co-production activities.
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Over the new licence term, CBRT also plans to initiate a number of studio and transmission improvements for an approximate capital expenditure of $1,775,000. The Commission notes that these improvements include the replacement of the transmitter mobile VTR, lighting and automation equipment, as well as an upgrade for the effects unit.
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While CBRT's renewal application did not include specific commitments to provide access to its programming for the hearing impaired, the Commission notes the CBC's plans with regard to its owned and operated stations, as discussed in the Public Notice introducing the decisions released today. In this respect, the Commission expects CBRT to acquire, as soon as possible, the necessary equipment to caption, at a minimum, headlines and appropriate scripted portions of its early evening newscast during the new licence term.
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In renewing this licence, the Commission also authorizes CBRT 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 CBRT to acquire a telephone device for the deaf (TDD) during the first year of the new licence term and install it wherever 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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Having reviewed CBRT's past performance over the current licence term, the Commission recognizes the station's local news and information programming efforts, its contributions to the network, and the drama and documentary productions it has undertaken, many in co-operation with CBXT Edmonton. In light of the above and taking into account the licensee's commitments in terms of its projected expenditures for local programming and planned initiatives with the independent production community, the Commission is satisfied that this licence should be renewed for a full term.
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The Commission notes the letters of support submitted in response to CBRT's renewal application from the Easter Seal Ability Council and the Banff Television Foundation and Festival.
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Fernand Bélisle
Secretary General
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APPENDIX
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Conditions of licence for CBRT Calgary and its rebroadcasting undertakings CBRT-1 Banff, CBRT-2 Drumheller, CBRT-3 Exshaw, CBRT-5 Rosemary, CBRT-6 Lethbridge, CBRT-7 Waterton Park, CBRT-8 Burmis, CBRT-9 Pincher Creek, CBRT-10 Bellevue, CBRT-11 Coleman, CBRT-12 Cardston, CBRT-13 Harvie Heights, CBRT-14 Drumheller, CBRT-15 Cowley, CBRT-16 Coutts-Milk River and CBRT-17 Exshaw
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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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