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Ottawa, 31 August 1993
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Decision CRTC 93-553
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Rogers Ottawa Limited/Limitée
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Part of Ottawa, Ontario - 921374500
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Licence renewal
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Pursuant to Public Notice CRTC 1993-14 dated 24 February 1993, the Commission renews the Class 1 licence held by Rogers Ottawa Limited/Limitée, for the cable distribution undertaking serving part of Ottawa, from 1 September 1993 to 31 August 2000. The operation of this undertaking is regulated pursuant to Parts I and II of the Cable Television Regulations, 1986 (the regulations) and the licence will be subject to the conditions in effect under the current licence, as well as to those conditions specified in this decision and in the licence to be issued.
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In addition to the services required or authorized to be distributed pursuant to the applicable sections of the regulations, the licensee is authorized, by condition of licence, to continue to distribute, at its option, CHRO-TV Pembroke, CFCF-TV, CBMT and CFTM-TV Montréal and CKWS-TV Kingston, received via microwave, as part of the basic service.
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The licensee is also authorized to continue to distribute, at its option, WROC-TV (CBS), WHEC-TV (NBC) and WOKR (ABC), Rochester, New York, received via microwave, as part of the basic service, as well as the audio signal of The Arts and Entertainment Network, received via satellite, on an audio channel of this undertaking. Consistent with Decision CRTC 93-54 dated 15 February 1993, the Commission authorizes the substitution, at the licensee's option, of the signals of WNED-TV (PBS), WGRZ-TV (NBC), WIVB-TV (CBS) and WKBW-TV (ABC) Buffalo, New York for the signal of WNPE-TV (PBS) Watertown and for the Rochester signals authorized above.
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The Commission notes that this substitution of signals will only take place when all of the following three criteria are met:
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- the Rochester or Watertown signals are of poor quality;
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- the program carried on both the Buffalo and Rochester/Watertown stations is the same (episode for episode); and
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- the program distributed by the licensee is not subject to a program substitution request by a local or regional Canadian broadcaster.
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Further, the licensee is authorized to continue to distribute, at its option, without advertising material, the following special programming services: the Carleton University service, a selection of open-captioned programs originally received as signals carrying closed captions for hearing-impaired persons, and the service consisting of pay television promotional material.
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Consistent with Decision CRTC 89-49 dated 15 February 1989, the licensee is authorized to use contra, credit and sponsorship messages, on the special programming channel of this undertaking, in accordance with section 13 of the regulations, when community programming as defined in section 2 of the regulations is being broadcast.
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The Commission reaffirms the particular importance it attaches to the development of community programming and has taken note of the annual budgets that will be allocated for this purpose during the new licence term. The Commission encourages the licensee to continue its efforts to develop community programs that reflect subscriber interests and concerns.
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In Public Notice CRTC 1992-59 dated 1 September 1992 and entitled "Implementation of an Employment Equity Policy", the Commission announced that the employment equity practices of broadcasters would be subject to examination by the Commission. It encourages the licensee to consider employment equity issues in its hiring practices and in all other aspects of its management of human resources.
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In Decision CRTC 91-317, the Commission authorized the transfer of effective control of the licensee company, then named Skyline Cablevision Limited, to Rogers Communications Inc. Among the commitments put forward by the purchaser as benefits of that transaction was its undertaking to direct $750,000 over five years to support the introduction and operation of a regional facility in Ottawa to complement the national operations of the National Broadcast Reading Service Incorporated (Voice/Print). Voice/Print is a charitable organization that provides an audio reading service to persons who are blind, visually-impaired or print-handicapped.
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The Commission notes that a regional service has yet to be established by Voice/Print in the Ottawa area. With the Commission's approval, however, the licensee has to date redirected a total of $200,000 of the original commitment to fund the main (national) operations of Voice/Print. In a letter dated 16 August 1993, the licensee has advised the Commission that Voice/Print now plans to establish a regional facility either later this year or early in 1994. Accordingly, the licensee has proposed to discharge the remainder of its original financial commitment by further contributions to Voice/Print of $75,000 in 1993 and of $95,000 in each of the following five years. The Commission accepts the licensee's plans in this regard and expects it to adhere to its proposed funding schedule.
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Allan J. Darling
Secretary General
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