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Decision
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Ottawa, 6 April 1989
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Decision CRTC 89-151
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Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
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Halifax, Liverpool, Shelburne, Yarmouth, Sheet Harbour, New Glasgow, Middleton, Digby, Truro, Caledonia, Weymouth, Mulgrave, Lochaber, Goshen, Aspen, Country Harbour, Sherbrooke, Sunnybrae, Blue Mountain and Garden of Eden, Nova Scotia - 881242200
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Following a Public Hearing in Halifax on 6 December 1988, the Commission renews the broadcasting licences for CBHT Halifax and its rebroadcasting undertakings from 1 September 1989 to 31 August 1994, subject to the conditions specified in the appendix to this decision and in the licences to be issued.
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CBHT is the CBC's principal English-language television station in the Maritime region. Together with CBIT Sydney, CBCT Charlottetown and the English-language CBC affiliate CHSJ-TV in Saint John, it provides service to all of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. Station representatives described CBHT's role as threefold in that it serves as "a strong, daily local service in Halifax/Dartmouth and the province of Nova Scotia; a regional production centre for all three Maritime provinces; and a significant contributor to network programming".
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In its current Promise of Performance CBHT is committed to broadcast 9 hours 55 minutes per week of local production, of which almost 8 hours consists of news and information programming. As the "cornerstone" of its programming for Nova Scotians, CBHT's daily news service is comprised of its supper-hour program "First Edition" which concentrates on provincial issues and concerns, its late night news "The Maritimes Tonight", which draws from all four of the supper-hour programs in the region, and two weekend newscasts.
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A number of improvements have been made in this area over the current licence term, in particular a broadening of the focus of CBHT's news coverage from Halifax/Dartmouth issues to a more provincial scope. CBHT has also hired a weekend reporter and allocated increased technical resources to enhance its two weekend news programs in response to the Commission's expectation in CBHT's last major licence renewal to the effect that the CBC review its weekend news policy to ensure audience needs were being met (Decision CRTC 82-927 dated 30 September 1982).
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CBHT also produces a weekly half-hour information program entitled "Land and Sea" which examines issues arising from the region's resource sector and their impact on the social and environmental life of Maritimers. CBHT indicated that it will continue to produce "Land and Sea" over the new licence term and that the program will be telecast in New Brunswick beginning this year. The Commission acknowledges the audience success achieved by "Land and Sea" over the current licence term as well as the recognition the program has received from the broadcasting industry, and commends CBHT for its efforts in this regard.
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The Commission notes that budget cuts imposed on the CBC in recent years have had considerable effect on the production of local programming. In the Maritime region alone, television operations have sustained a loss of $3.4 million and 58 staff positions since 1985. CBHT absorbed the majority of these cuts with a loss of $2.5 million and 49 personnel, resulting most notably in the cancellation of the documentary series "Inquiry". Recognizing the need for such programming, CBHT has produced a number of documentaries, some of which were inserted into CBHT's regularly-scheduled news and information programs while others were produced as specials. Of note amongst the latter productions is the one-hour documentary entitled "Mom Sues", profiling the matriarch of Nova Scotia's black community, CBHT's first programming initiative other than news reports to reflect the concerns and interests of the province's black population. Station representatives stated that the program's success will ensure that more productions of this type are made over the new licence term.
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CBHT has played an extensive role in entertainment programming, particularly with its development, in co-operation with the independent production community, of the pilots for "Codco" and "Blizzard Island", both of which have evolved into network series. Over the past four years, CBHT has contributed seven drama programs to the CBC network, including "Hero of the Family" and "The Lamplighter". Over the new licence term CBHT plans to continue its support for drama development with the assistance of a recently hired script editor and an allocation of $20,000 per year for script and concept development. In this respect, the Commission refers the licensee to the program development expenditure criteria set out in the Public Notice introducing this and other television renewal decisions released today.
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The Commission acknowledges CBHT's increased activity with the independent production community in recent years, which the station attributes to the establishment of the CBC's Eastern Program Development Office in Halifax. Station representatives noted that prior to 1984, CBHT had undertaken virtually no production with independent producers. The station now ranks third in the country among CBC owned and operated stations in terms of the volume of co-production projects, and in the 1987/88 broadcast year CBHT developed 17 proposals out of 109 received. In addition, it has produced numerous documentaries and community specials in conjunction with the independent production sector. The Commission notes that CBHT intends to play a major role in the CBC's Canadianization plan, predominantly through its co-operation with independent producers, and encourages the licensee to continue its efforts to develop co-production activities at the local and regional level.
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CBHT's music programs over the current licence term have included productions with the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra, coverage of the Maritime Oldtime Fiddling Championships and the annual "Children's Miracle Network Telethon", which provides a showcase for a broad range of regional talent. In addition, Maritime comedy talent was featured on CBHT's pilot for a comedy series entitled "Touch Wood". CBHT also features an arts and entertainment segment in its supper-hour news program every Friday, which provides regular exposure for the Nova Scotia performing arts community.
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The Commission notes the intervention submitted by 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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In this regard, the Commission acknowledges the initiatives of CBHT in the areas of drama and independent production, and CBHT's plans to continue to produce variety specials. Moreover, the Commission notes the licensee's statement at the hearing to the effect that "we are active in assessing the talent base ... and will continue to develop it as best we can". The Commission encourages CBHT to produce programming that showcases Maritime talent in various fields of the performing arts, including musical talent.
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In fulfilling its responsibility to convey the interests and concerns of the Maritimes to the rest of the country, CBHT provides the network with the "Codco" and "Blizzard Island" series previously mentioned, the occasional drama special and numerous items for insertion into network news programs. CBHT expects its role in the latter respect to be strengthened further once the CBC's specialty news and information service is launched.
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As the major production centre for the three Maritime provinces, CBHT co-operates to a significant extent with the CBC's other owned and operated stations in the region. Among the initiatives in this area are daily exchanges of news items, the production of an annual "Telethon" and regular contributions by CBIT and CBCT to "Land and Sea" and "Switchback". In addition to the latter program, initiatives by CBHT in the area of children's programming include contributions to "Sesame Street" and the recent production of a pilot for a consumer show for children, which is under consideration by the network as a future series.
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Although CBHT does not produce any regularly-scheduled programming for native viewers, the Commission acknowledges the active role the station has taken in its coverage of the issues and concerns of this significant segment of CBHT's viewing audience. In this respect, the Commission notes the "Land and Sea" documentary on the Purple Heart and CBHT's extensive coverage of the Marshall Inquiry.
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CBHT has committed to increase its level of local production over the new licence term by 2 hours 55 minutes, for a total of 12 hours 20 minutes per week of original local production. The Commission also notes that CBHT intends to improve its Sunday newscast and to produce distinctive Maritime programs including long-form journalism, variety, drama and children's programming. Noting that the regionalization plan will afford CBHT access to much larger programming budgets than were previously allocated at the local level, station representatives claimed at the hearing that "we have quite deliberately chosen to do fewer programs within the region, addressed to the region, in order that we can do a greater number of programs from the region for the network". The Commission expects the licensee to ensure that CBHT, 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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The Commission encourages the licensee to explore further means of increasing CBHT's regional programming and of adding to the diversity of its local programming as resources become available. To this end, the Commission encourages CBHT to increase, as soon as possible, the amount of programming that reflects the needs and interests of viewers in the communities served by the station and its rebroadcasting undertakings. In this regard, the Commission notes CBHT's plans, as contained in its application, to reinstate a local community program series in the latter years of the new licence term.
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According to projections in its renewal application, CBHT has committed to spend $11,813,000 on Canadian programming in the first year of the new licence term, increasing to $13,569,000 in year five. In accordance with the percentage allocations for local productions filed by the licensee, virtually all of these expenditures will go towards CBHT's locally-produced programming, with the exception of 6.5% per year of the above amounts to be spent on projects with the independent production community.
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The Halifax CBC outlet has also committed to budget $4,775,000 for improvements to studio and transmission facilities during the first three years of the new licence term.
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While CBHT's renewal application made no 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 CBHT 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 this licence, the Commission also authorizes CBHT 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 CBHT to acquire 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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Two interveners appeared at the hearing. Representatives of the Halifax and Newfoundland and Labrador branches of the Canadian Television Producers & Directors Association (CTPDA) noted CBHT's diminished community role as a result of recent budget cuts. While supporting the general intent of Canadianization, the CTPDA asked the CBC to reassess the role of regional production and local stations to ensure that sufficient air time and resources are made available for effective operation at the local level.
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Replying to the concerns of the CTPDA, network representatives noted certain measures that the CBC has taken to avoid centralization, including the imposition in its program schedule of a quota for regional programs, the establishment of regional program development budgets and the appointment of development officers for such productions, and the provision of training programs at the local and regional level. Further, the CBC reiterated its "commitment to restore the programs lost through Canadianization as soon as we can".
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The Metro Coalition against the Free Trade Deal conveyed its concern that CBHT provides inadequate coverage of the views and activities of local community organizations. In response, CBHT rejected the idea that its coverage of free trade during the fall 1988 election campaign was biased, noting its broadcast of a two-part "Free Trade Forum" and the fact that a prominent activist against free trade declined an invitation by the station to appear on its supper-hour program.
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Having assessed CBHT's past accomplishments, such as its initiatives to co-operate with the independent production sector, particularly through the establishment of the Eastern Program Development Office, and its efforts to increase the volume of drama production, and taking into account the licensee's commitments in respect of CBHT for the next five years, notably increases in the level of local production, the Commission is satisfied that CBHT's 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 CBHT Halifax and its rebroadcasting undertakings CBHT-1 Liverpool, CBHT-2 Shelburne, CBHT-3 Yarmouth, CBHT-4 Sheet Harbour, CBHT-5 New Glasgow, CBHT-6 Middleton, CBHT-7 Digby, CBHT-8 Truro, CBHT-9 Caledonia, CBHT-10 Weymouth, CBHT-11 Mulgrave, CBHT-12 Lochaber, CBHT-13 Goshen, CBHT-14 Aspen, CBHT-15 Country Harbour, CBHT-16 Sherbrooke, CBHT-17 Sunnybrae, CBHT-18 Blue Mountain and CBHT-19 Garden of Eden, Nova Scotia
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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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