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Ottawa, 6 March 1992
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Decision CRTC 92-141
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Multilingual Television (Toronto) Limited
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Toronto, Ontario - 911285500
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Following a Public Hearing in the National Capital Region beginning on 5 November 1991, the Commission renews the broadcasting licence for CFMT-TV Toronto, from 1 September 1992 to 31 August 1999, subject to the conditions specified in the appendix to this decision and in the licence to be issued.
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Multilingual Television (Toronto) Limited (MTV) operates
CFMT-TV as the only ethnic television station in Canada. CFMT-TV was originally licensed in 1978 to provide a multilingual television service to audiences in the Metropolitan Toronto area and to meet the distinct needs of the various linguistic communities and diverse cultural groups in the region.
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CFMT-TV broadcasts 160 hours of programming per week in at least 15 different languages and directed to 18 distinct ethnic groups. In accordance with Public Notice CRTC 1985-139 entitled "A Broadcasting Policy Reflecting Canada's Linguistic and Cultural Diversity", CFMT-TV is authorized to devote up to 40% of the broadcast day to conventional programming, including programs created for commercial, non-Canadian networks or stations. The Commission notes the licensee's statement that being allowed to carry a certain amount of foreign conventional programming has, as intended, generated additional revenues, which have enabled the licensee to produce and acquire better quality Canadian ethnic programming. The Commission considers that this strategy of linking the revenues generated from foreign conventional programming to improvements in CFMT-TV's Canadian ethnic programming has been a useful one. While the Commission considers that this practice merits continuation, it nevertheless intends to monitor this aspect of the licensee's performance over the new licence term with a view to determining whether the level of conventional foreign programming permitted remains appropriate. Moreover, the Commission encourages the licensee to decrease its reliance on foreign conventional programming and to increase the amount of ethnic programming broadcast on CFMT-TV.
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Having reviewed the licensee's annual report for the broadcast year 1990-91, and having assessed CFMT-TV's performance throughout the licence term, the Commission is satisfied that MTV has complied with all of its conditions of licence and met the Commission's expectations and regulatory requirements. Moreover, the Commission considers that the licensee has demonstrated noticeable improvement in its overall performance since its last licence renewal in 1987 (Decision CRTC 87-739 dated 10 September 1987). Accordingly, the Commission considers that a full-term renewal of CFMT-TV's licence is warranted.
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The Commission has also reviewed the information provided by the licensee regarding its expenditures on Canadian programming during the current licence term and its proposed commitments for the new licence term. The Commission notes that the commitments the licensee has made in its Promise of Performance approximate the expenditure levels which might be expected were the formula with respect to Canadian program expenditures to be applied. The Commission expects CFMT-TV to fulfill and, if possible, to exceed its commitments.
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In view of CFMT-TV's unique position as an ethnic broadcaster, and in light of the specific levels of Canadian and ethnic programming required of the station by condition of licence as outlined in the appendix to this decision, the Commission is satisfied that the imposition of a condition of licence regarding Canadian program expenditures is not necessary at this time.
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In its application, MTV described its ethnic programming as follows: prime ethnic programming in Italian, Cantonese and Portugese; and ethnic diversity programming in a variety of other languages and addressed to the Greek, Punjabi, East Asian, Arabic, German, Ukrainian, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Jewish, Macedonian, Caribbean, Maltese and Polish cultures. Because of the large size of the Italian, Chinese and Portuguese communities in the Toronto area, the level of programming and technical expertise available within them, and the interest of advertisers in reaching these communities, CFMT-TV gives prime ethnic programming greater prominence in its program schedule. During the new licence term, the Commission expects the licensee to devote at least four hours per month of the total program schedule to Type B ethnic programs, that is, programs in French or in English directed specifically to racially or culturally distinct groups whose first or common bond language in the country of their national origin is French or English. Moreover, the Commission expects that a majority of the members of MTV's Board of Directors will continue to consist of representatives of ethnic communities.
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The Commission notes MTV's commitment to support independent ethnic program production and its plans to expand its scholarship program for students of ethnic background.
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In view of the seven-year licence term granted herein, the Commission expects the licensee to ensure that its annual expenditures on Canadian programming, independent ethnic program production and on scholarships during the last two years of its new licence term are maintained at levels similar to those proposed in the application for a five-year period.
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With respect to the provision of closed captioning for the deaf and hearing impaired, the Commission notes that CFMT-TV currently offers 17.5 hours of captioned programming weekly. CFMT-TV has indicated that it will computerize its news department within the first year of the new licence term and introduce closed captioning for all news reports made by its news anchors. The Commission expects CFMT-TV to meet and, if possible, exceed these commitments.
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The Commission acknowledges the more than 160 interventions submitted in xsupport of the renewal of CFMT-TV by elected officials, ethnic community leaders and other interested parties.
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Allan J. Darling
Secretary General
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APPENDIX
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The broadcasting licence of Multilingual Television (Toronto) Limited (MTV) for the licence term 1 September 1992 to 31 August 1999 will be subject to the following conditions of licence and to others contained in the licence to be issued.
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1. It is a condition of licence that MTV devote to the broadcasting of ethnic programs
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a) not less than 50% of the total number of hours broadcast monthly between 6 p.m. and midnight; and
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b) not less than 75% of the total number of hours broadcast annually between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
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2. It is a condition of licence that MTV devote to the broadcasting of programs of Types A and B not less than 80% of the total number of hours devoted to the broadcasting of ethnic programs monthly.
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3. It is a condition of licence that MTV broadcast ethnic programs directed toward not less than eighteen distinct ethnic groups monthly.
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4. It is a condition of licence that MTV broadcast ethnic programs in not less than fifteen different languages monthly.
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5. It is a condition of licence that MTV devote to the broadcasting of Canadian programsii
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a) not less than 50% of the total number of hours broadcast annually between 6 a.m. and midnight; and
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b) not less than 40% of the total number of hours broadcast annually between 6 p.m. and midnight.
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6. It is a condition of licence that MTV devote to the broadcasting of non-Canadian, non-ethnic programs
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a) not more than 40% of the total number of hours broadcast annually between 6 a.m. and midnight; and
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b) not more than 50% of the total number of hours broadcast annually between 6 p.m. and midnight.
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7. It is a condition of licence that MTV adhere to the guidelines on sex-role portrayal set out in the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Sex-Role Portrayal Code for Television and Radio Programming, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.
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