ARCHIVED -  Decision CRTC 95-618

Decision

Ottawa, 28 August 1995

Decision CRTC 95-618

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Moncton, Fredericton/Saint John, Edmundston, Neguac/Allardville, Grand Falls, Campbellton, Saint-Quentin, Kedgwick and Fredericton, New Brunswick; Charlottetown and St. Edward/St. Louis, Prince Edward Island; Halifax, Yarmouth, Mulgrave, Sydney, Chéticamp, Middleton, Digby, New Glasgow and Weymouth, Nova Scotia - 941309700

Licence renewal for CBAFT and its transmitters

Following a Public Hearing in Halifax beginning on 4 April 1995, the Commission renews the broadcasting licence for the television programming undertaking consisting of CBAFT Moncton, CBAFT-1 Fredericton/ Saint John, CBAFT-2 Edmundston, CBAFT-3 Neguac/ Allardville, CBAFT-4 Grand Falls, CBAFT-7 Campbellton, CBAFT-8 Saint-Quentin, CBAFT-9 Kedgwick and CBAFT-10 Fredericton, New Brunswick; CBAFT-5 Charlottetown and CBAFT-6 St. Edward/St. Louis, Prince Edward Island; CBHFT Halifax, CBHFT-1 Yarmouth, CBHFT-2 Mulgrave, CBHFT-3 Sydney, CBHFT-4 Chéticamp, CBHFT-5 Middleton, CBHFT-6 Digby and CBHFT-7 New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, from 1 September 1995 to 31 August 2000, 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.

This term will enable the Commission to consider the renewal of this licence following its consideration of the renewal of the CBC English- and French-language television network licences, which will expire 31 August 1999. CBAFT Moncton is owned and operated by the CBC and, for the most part, broadcasts the programming of the CBC French-language television network, as well as local programming.

Local production

The Commission expects the licensee to adhere to its Promise of Performance commitment to broadcast a minimum average of 6 hours and 5 minutes per week of original local news programming during the new licence term.

The Commission encourages the licensee to continue to produce local programs providing a reflection of the area served by CBAFT to be aired in the regional time periods which are made available.

Violence in television programming

In Decision CRTC 94-437 which renewed the CBC English-language and French-language television network licences, the Commission set out its expectation that the CBC fulfil its commitment to submit a proposed code respecting violence to the Commission, within three months of that decision. The Corporation has now met this expectation and its revised self-regulatory guidelines on violence have been submitted to the Commission for review and approval.

The licensee shall adhere, by condition of licence, once Commission approval has been obtained, to its revised self-regulatory guidelines on violence in television programming, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.

Until such time as the Commission has approved the revised guidelines, it is a condition of licence that the licensee adhere to its current self-regulatory guidelines on violence in television programming and, as a minimum, to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' (CAB) "Voluntary Code Regarding Violence in Television Programming", as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.

In the case of most private broadcasters, the application of codes respecting violence is overseen by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC). Since the CBC is not a member of the CBSC, the Commission will oversee the application of any code respecting violence governing the CBC.

Service to the deaf and hard of hearing

In Decision CRTC 89-155 which last renewed the licence for CBAFT, the Commission encouraged the licensee, at a minimum, to provide its deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers with access to local news headlines through captioning (open or closed) or signing during the new licence term.

In the course of consultation held pursuant to section 23 of the Broadcasting Act, particularly with respect to closed captioning of local/regional programs, the CBC stated that the cost of real-time captioning of one hour of French-language programming was more than twice that for English-language programming because the technology was still in the development stage. The CBC indicated that this had prompted it to provide captioning of a wider range of network programs, thereby enabling it to reach a larger number of viewers all across the country. It noted that 35.5% of the programs on the French network schedule were now captioned.

The CBC states that it intends to continue its efforts in this regard and to increase the number of captioned programs for the network. It adds that, should it receive more financial resources, it would give priority to captioning local and regional programs at stations CBVT Quebec City, CBOFT Ottawa and CBAFT Moncton.

The Commission observes that it has not received any intervention in this connection.

While not unmindful of the budget restraints imposed upon the CBC, the Commission reaffirms the importance that it attaches to services to the deaf and hard of hearing. In view of the foregoing, therefore, the Commission expects CBAFT, as a minimum, to provide its deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers with access to local news headlines through captioning (open or closed) or signing during the new licence term.

At the time of CBAFT's last licence renewal, the Commission also stated that it expected the licensee to ensure access to the station by means of a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD). The Commission notes that a TDD has been acquired and installed.

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. In the case of the CBC, the Commission has reviewed these matters in detail at the public hearing held in connection with the renewal of the CBC's television network licences, and it is satisfied with the CBC's commitments in this area.

Allan J. Darling
Secretary General

APPENDIX / ANNEXE

Conditions of licence for CBAFT Moncton and its transmitters

1. The licensee shall adhere, once Commission approval has been obtained, to its revised self-regulatory guidelines on violence in television programming, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.

 Until such time as the Commission has approved the revised guidelines, the licensee shall adhere to its current self-regulatory guidelines on violence in television programming and, as a minimum, to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' (CAB) "Voluntary Code Regarding Violence in Television Programming", as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.

2. The licensee shall adhere to its "Revised CBC Guidelines on Sex-Role Portrayal" dated 12 August 1991 as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission and, as a minimum, to the CAB's "Sex-Role Portrayal Code for Television and Radio Programming", as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.

3. The licensee shall adhere to the standards for children's advertising set out in the Corporation's Advertising Standards Policy C-5 dated 9 May 1990 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 "Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children", as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.

 In addition, the licensee shall not broadcast any commercial message during any child-directed programming nor 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.