ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 95-622
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Ottawa, 28 August 1995
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Decision CRTC 95-622
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Vidéotron Ltée
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Chicoutimi and surrounding area, Quebec - 941941700
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Licence renewal
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Following a Public Hearing in the National Capital Region held on 17 July 1995, the Commission renews the Class 1 licence held by Vidéotron Ltée, for the cable distribution undertaking serving Chicoutimi, from 1 September 1995 to 31 August 2002.
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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, CFCF-TV (CTV) and CFTU-TV (IND) Montréal as well as CFER-TV (TVA) Rimouski, received via telecommunications, as part of the basic service.
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As part of its licence renewal application, the licensee proposed to continue to distribute CBFT (CBC) Montréal, received via satellite. An intervention was submitted by Radio Saguenay Ltée, licensee of CKRS-TV Jonquière, opposing the distribution of this service. The intervener, an affiliate of the CBC, noted that CKRS-TV broadcasts more than 95% of the CBC's programming schedule and has a mandate to make the CBC's French-language programming available throughout the Saguenay/Lac-St-Jean region.
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In a separate intervention with respect to the distribution of CBFT by Vidéotron Ltée, the CBC recognized the concerns of Radio Saguenay Ltée and confirmed that it would not renew its agreement with Vidéotron Ltée to distribute this service.
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Given those circumstances, the Commission considers that the distribution of CBFT would not be consistent with the guidelines on the cable distribution of distant Canadian television signals first set out in Public Notice CRTC 1985-61 and reiterated in Public Notice CRTC 1993-74. The Commission therefore expects Vidéotron Ltée to withdraw CBFT from its distribution list.
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The licensee is authorized to continue to distribute, at its option, WVNY (ABC) and WCAX-TV (CBS) Burlington, Vermont, as well as WPTZ (NBC) and WCFE-TV (PBS) Plattsburgh (New York), received via telecommunications, as part of the basic service.
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The Commission reaffirms the particular importance it attaches to the development of community programming and has taken note of the licensee's expenses in the last year and of the annual budgets which will be allocated for community programming during the new licence term. The Commission commends the licensee for its efforts and encourages it to continue to develop community programs that reflect subscriber interests and concerns.
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The Commission notes the licensee's commitments with respect to implementation of a Universal, Bidirectional and Interactive (UBI) network, an electronic distribution facility that will offer consumers information, financial payment and transaction services.
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The Commission notes in particular, the licensee's commitment that the costs of implementing the UBI service will not be passed on to subscribers. The licensee also committed to comply with the distribution requirements set out in the regulations and with the distribution and linkage requirements set out in Public Notice CRTC 1994-60, and to distribute the Canadian specialty, pay television and pay-per-view services in accordance with the terms of the Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) "Access Commitment".
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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. In this regard, the Commission 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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Allan J. Darling
Secretary General |
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- Date modified: