ARCHIVED -  Decision CRTC 95-646

Decision

Ottawa, 29 August 1995

Decision CRTC 95-646

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Quebec City, Aguanish/Natashquan, Baie-Comeau, Baie-Johan-Beetz, Beauceville, Blanc-Sablon, Cap-Chat, Carleton, Causapscal, Chandler, Cloridorme, Gaspé, Gethsémanie/La Romaine, Grande Vallée, Gros-Morne, Harrington Harbour, Havre-Saint-Pierre, Lac-Etchemin, Lac-Humqui, Lac-Mégantic, L'Anse-à-Valleau, La Tabatière, Latour, La Tuque, Les Méchins, Longue-Pointe, Marsoui, Matane, Mont-Climont, Mont-Louis, Mont-Louis-en-Haut, Murdochville, Old Fort Bay, Percé, Port-Daniel, Rimouski, Rivière-à-Claude, Rivière-au-Renard, Rivière-au-Tonnerre, Rivière-Saint-Paul, Sept-Iles, Saint-Augustin-Saguenay, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, Saint-Fabien-de-Panet, Saint-René-de-Matane, Stoneham, Tête-à-la-Baleine, Tewkesbury and Thetford Mines, Quebec - 940696800

Licence renewal for CBVT and its transmitters

Following a Public Hearing in Montréal beginning on 11 October 1994, the Commission renews the broadcasting licence for the television programming undertaking consisting of CBVT Quebec City and the transmitters listed in the appendix to this decision, from 1 September 1995 to 31 August 1997, 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.

Although the licence term granted herein is less than the maximum of seven years permitted by the Broadcasting Act, this term is not reflective of any Commission concern regarding the licensee's performance. It will rather enable the Commission to consider the next licence renewal of this undertaking at the same time as that of the private sector French-language television networks and of most of the individual stations whose licences were renewed in 1992. More specifically, the Commission will evaluate at that time the impact of the economic situation and technological change on the performance of French-language broadcasters across Quebec.

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

The Commission acknowledges CBVT's efforts in increasing its local presence by producing a local affairs program aimed at young people between the ages of 18 and 25. The Commission also acknowledges the station's increased participation in network programming on a regular basis.

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

In Decision CRTC 94-437 which last 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.

It is a condition of licence that the CBC 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.

It is a condition of licence that the CBC 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, it is a condition of licence that the CBC 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.

The Commission will evaluate the progress made by the CBC with regard to providing captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing when it considers the renewal of French-language television stations across Quebec in 1997.

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.

In accordance with subsection 22(1) of the Broadcasting Act, this renewal is subject to the issuance of a Broadcasting Certificate by the Department of Industry.

The Commission draws the licensee's attention to subsection 22(4) which provides that any broadcasting licence issued, amended or renewed in contravention of section 22 is of no force or effect.

The Commission acknowledges the concerns set out in the interventions to this application as well as the licensee's reply thereto.

Allan J. Darling
Secretary General

APPENDIX / ANNEXE

CBST-7 Aguanish/Natashquan
CBST-19 Baie-Comeau
CBST-8 Baie-Johan-Beetz
CBVT-6 Beauceville
CBST-17 Blanc-Sablon
CBGAT-6 Cap-Chat
CBGAT-14 Carleton
CBGAT-5 Causapscal
CBGAT-15 Chandler
CBGAT-16 Cloridorme
CBGAT-17 Gaspé
CBST-9 Gethsémanie/La Romaine
CBGAT-3 Grande Vallée
CBGAT-9 Gros-Morne
CBST-11 Harrington Harbour
CBST-1 Havre-Saint-Pierre
CBVT-4 Lac-Etchemin
CBGAT-19 Lac-Humqui
CBVT-3 Lac-Mégantic
CBGAT-18 L'Anse-à-Valleau
CBST-13 La Tabatière
CJBR-TV-1 Latour
CBVT-2 La Tuque
CBGAT-23 Les Méchins
CBST-18 Longue-Pointe
CBGAT-8 Marsoui
CBGAT Matane
CBGAT-1 Mont-Climont
CBGAT-4 Mont-Louis
CBGAT-10 Mont-Louis-en-Haut
CBGAT-2 Murdochville
CBST-15 Old Fort Bay
CBGAT-20 Percé
CBGAT-21 Port-Daniel
CJBR-TV Rimouski
CBGAT-13 Rivière-à-Claude
CBGAT-22 Rivière-au-Renard
CBST-6 Rivière-au-Tonnerre
CBST-16 Rivière-Saint-Paul
CBST Sept-Iles
CBST-14 Saint-Augustin-Saguenay
CBGAT-11 Sainte-Anne-des-Monts
CBVT-5 Saint-Fabien-de-Panet
CBGAT-7 Saint-René-de-Matane
CBVT-8 Stoneham
CBST-12 Tête-à-la-Baleine
CBVT-7 Tewkesbury
CBVT-9 Thetford Mines