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ARCHIVED -  Decision CRTC 95-606

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Decision

Ottawa, 25 August 1995
Decision CRTC 95-606
Westcom TV Group Ltd.
Lethbridge, Burmis, Brooks, Coleman, Pincher Creek and Waterton Park, Alberta - 940952500
Licence renewal for CISA-TV Lethbridge and its transmitters
Following a Public Hearing held in Winnipeg beginning on 5 June 1995, the Commission renews the broadcasting licence for the television programming undertaking consisting of independent television station, CISA-TV Lethbridge and its transmitters CISA-TV-1 Burmis, CISA-TV-2 Brooks, CISA-TV-3 Coleman, CISA-TV-5 Pincher Creek (formerly CHPC-TV-1) and CISA-TV-4 Waterton Park (formerly CJWP-TV-1), from 1 September 1995 to 31 August 2002, subject to the conditions in effect under the current licence as well as to those conditions specified in the appendix to this decision and in the licence to be issued.
Westcom TV Group Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of WIC Western International Communications Ltd. (WIC). The ultimate control of the licensee rests with Western Broadcasting Company Ltd. which, in turn, is controlled by Frank A. Griffiths through a voting trust agreement.
Local reflection
On 24 March 1995, the Commission issued Public Notice CRTC 1995-48 in conjunction with the release of decisions renewing the licences of privately-owned, English-language television stations in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. In that public notice, the Commission reiterated the importance of the principle of local reflection and reminded television licensees that they have a special responsibility to serve the public within the particular geographic areas they are licenced to serve.
(i) Local news
During the current licence term, the licensee not only achieved, but surpassed its commitment to broadcast an average of 11 hours 4 minutes of original, local news each week. According to the Commission's analysis of CISA-TV's program logs, the station broadcast an average of 13 hours 42 minutes of original, local news each week in the broadcast year 1991-1992, and an average of 15 hours 24 minutes each week in 1992-1993, and an average of 12 hours 5 minutes each week in 1993-1994.
For the new licence term, the Commission expects the licensee to adhere to the commitment made in its renewal application to broadcast, at a minimum, an average of 11 hours 30 minutes of original, local news weekly.
In its licence renewal application, the licensee stated that it would continue throughout the new licence term the expanded newscasts which were part of the benefits package of the transfer of control approved in Decision CRTC 89-769 dated 28 September 1989.
(ii) Other local programming
During the current licence term, the licensee co-produced the children's program "Kidstreet" as well as other children's programs, namely "Monty's Travelling Reptile Show", "Ballooner Landing" and "Disney Cartoon". The licensee also co-produced "Inside Trax" and "Up & Coming", music shows which highlighted talent from southern Alberta.
(iii) Native programming
During the current licence term, the licensee co-produced a series called "Buffalo Journal" with Sweetgrass Productions of Standoff, Alberta. Together with Sweetgrass Productions, the licensee also co-produced other programs focusing on issues related to native people, including "Education Crossroads" in 1989; "Issues: The Old Man Dam" and "Clash of Cultures" in 1990; "Indian Government under Attack" in 1993 and "Okhee Water" in 1994.
The Commission notes that the licensee has initiated a program to train native journalists. The licensee indicated that it plans to maintain an on-going relationship with native broadcasting organizations.
Expenditures on Canadian programming
The Commission expects the licensee to expend, in the first year of the new licence term, at a minimum, the amount it was expected to expend in the 1994-1995 broadcast year. In each subsequent year of the licence term, the Commission expects the licensee's Canadian programming expenditures to be adjusted in accordance with the Commission's prescribed formula.
Service to the deaf and hard of hearing
Decision CRTC 89-128 dated 6 April 1989 which last renewed CISA-TV's licence contained the expectation that the licensee provide closed captioning to headlines and appropriate scripted portions of its early evening newscasts. The licensee fulfilled this expectation during the current licence term.
Consistent with its policy approach for closed captioning announced in Public Notice CRTC 1995-48, the Commission expects the licensee, by the end of the new licence term, to caption all local news programming, including live segments, using either real-time captioning or another method capable of captioning live programming. The Commission also expects the licensee to close caption at least 90% of all programming during the broadcast day by the end of the new licence term.
Employment equity
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. The Commission notes, in particular, the licensee's initiative on establishing an in-house training program for native journalists as well as its efforts to recruit staff from the native community. The Commission encourages the licensee to continue these and other efforts in the area of employment equity.
Interventions
The Commission acknowledges the eight interventions submitted in support of the application for CISA-TV's licence renewal. The Commission also acknowledges the comments in two other interventions and the licensee's response thereto.
Allan J. Darling
Secretary General
APPENDIX/ANNEXE
Conditions of licence for CISA-TV Lethbridge and its transmitters CISA-TV-1 Burmis, CISA-TV-2 Brooks, CISA-TV-3 Coleman, CISA-TV-5 Pincher Creek and CISA-TV-4 Waterton Park
1. The licensee shall adhere to the guidelines on gender portrayal set out in the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' (CAB) "Sex-Role Portrayal Code for Television and Radio Programming", as amended from time to time and accepted by the Commission. The application of the foregoing condition of licence will be suspended as long as the licensee remains a member in good standing of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC).
2. The licensee shall adhere to the guidelines on the depiction of violence in television programming set out in the CAB's "Voluntary Code Regarding Violence in Television Programming", as amended from time to time and accepted by the Commission. The application of the foregoing condition of licence will be suspended as long as the licensee remains a member in good standing of the CBSC.
3. The licensee shall adhere to the provisions of the CAB's "Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children", as amended from time to time and accepted by the Commission.

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