ARCHIVED -  Decision CRTC 97-293

Decision

Ottawa, 4 July 1997

Decision CRTC 97-293

9044-1569 Québec inc.

Montréal, Quebec - 199616562Montréal, Quebec - 199616497Montréal, Quebec - 199616471Montréal, Quebec - 199616489Laval/Montréal, Quebec - 199616570Montréal, Quebec - 199616604Verdun, Quebec - 199607636

Approval of the application by 9044-1569 Québec inc. for authority to operate a new French-language FM radio programming undertaking at Montréal

Approval of the application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to convert AM station CBF Montréal to the FM band on frequency 95.1 MHz; denial of the five other competing applications to use this frequency

1.  At a public hearing held in Montréal beginning on 24 February 1997, the Commission considered the seven applications named above in accordance with the procedure for applications competing either on the basis of their technical aspects, on marketing grounds, or both. The present applications aroused considerable interest, as shown by the approximately 1,800 interventions submitted to the Commission in connection with this public hearing. The fact that applications from both the public and private broadcasting sectors were competing for the 95.1 MHz frequency, which appears to be the last Class B commercial FM frequency available in Montréal clearly heightened the interest. Accordingly, the Commission had to reconcile the interests of all parties involved, in accordance with the general mandate conferred on it by the Broadcasting Act (the Act) to regulate and monitor all aspects of the Canadian broadcasting system, and in light of the particular mandate conferred on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) by this Act.

2.  This public hearing gave an opportunity for interested persons and organizations from all areas - artists, journalists, record producers, broadcasters and listeners in the region - to speak and express their viewpoint on the applications in this proceeding and on the current broadcasting situation in Montréal. The Commission was, therefore, able to gather all the information necessary to reach its decision.

3.  In December 1995, the Commission received the first application from 9044-1569 Québec inc. (9044-1569) to operate a new Special Interest (Classical music) FM station at Montréal. In accordance with its normal practice, the Commission issued a call for applications from other parties interested in operating a radio programming undertaking at Montréal (Public Notice CRTC 1996-74 dated 5 June 1996).

4.  All of the above applications, except that by 9044-1569, proposed to use the frequency 95.1 MHz. Consequently, the six applications were technically mutually exclusive with each other. Owing to its commercial nature, the application by 9044-1569 was in competition with certain other applications with respect to marketing issues. Four applications were for new commercial French-language FM stations, two were for authority to convert AM stations to FM, and one proposed a change of FM frequency.

The applicants

5.  9044-1569 is a corporation controlled by Jean-Pierre Coallier of Montréal. Mr. Coallier also controls Diffusion Laurentides inc., licensee of CIME-FM Sainte-Adèle, Quebec, and Radio MF C.I.E.L. (1981) inc., licensee of CIEL-FM Longueuil, Quebec. The Commission notes that the frequency proposed by 9044-1569 has hitherto been authorized for use by CIME-FM. The application by 9044-1569 was, therefore, conditional upon Commission approval of another application filed by Diffusion Laurentides inc. which was scheduled for the same public hearing and which proposed a change of frequency for CIME-FM. The latter application is approved in Decision CRTC 97-292, also released today. Moreover, since CIEL-FM serves the Montréal market, 9044-1569 requested an exception to the Commission's policy on multiple ownership, which generally requires that no more than one radio undertaking of the same class serving the same market in the same language be held by the same owner.

6.  The CBC applied to convert CBF Montréal to FM. CBF rebroadcasts the programming of the CBC French-language radio (AM) network. Also considered at the same public hearing were two other CBC applications to convert CBM Montréal and CBV Québec to FM. These two applications are approved in Decisions CRTC 97-294 and 97-295 released today.

7.  Both Nouvelle Musique Country Montréal inc. (Nouvelle Musique Country) and Radio Nord inc. (Radio Nord) proposed to operate a new FM station in the Country format at Montréal. The principal shareholders of Nouvelle Musique Country are Paul Tietolman of Montréal and Metcor inc. Mr. Tietolman has been active in the broadcasting and communications sector for many years. Radio Nord holds the licences for a number of radio and television stations located mainly in the Outaouais and Abitibi regions of Quebec.

8.  Radio Zone inc. (Radio Zone) proposed to operate a new FM station in the Pop, Rock and Dance format aimed mainly at young listeners between the ages of 12 and 19. Radio Zone is controlled indirectly and jointly by André Morrow of Montréal and Michel Lafond of Laval, who are involved in communications, advertising design, marketing and strategic planning.

9.  The application by Radio Communautaire Francophone de Montréal inc. (Radio Communautaire) proposed to amend the licence of the community radio station CIBL-FM Montréal by changing its frequency and increasing its effective radiated power from 221 watts to 6,300 watts. CIBL-FM has been operating in Montréal for the past 16 years.

10.  Métromédia CMR Montréal inc. (Métromédia) proposed to convert CKVL Verdun to the FM band and operate in the Talk specialty programming format. Métromédia also holds the licences for the French-language station CKOI-FM Verdun and English-language stations CIQC and CFQR-FM Montréal. As Métromédia is already the licensee of CKOI-FM, its application included a request for an exception to the Commission's multiple ownership policy as mentioned above.

The market

11.  With over 3.2 million residents, the Montréal metropolitan area has the second-largest population of all Canadian urban centres. From 1989 to 1996, the area's population expanded by 13.3%, and the Conference Board of Canada forecasts that it will increase by a further 5% between 1998 and 2003.

12.  Montréal now has 26 radio stations. Fifteen of these are commercial undertakings, of which eight broadcast in French, six broadcast in English, and one station is multilingual. There are also four CBC stations and seven community and campus stations.

13.  As mentioned earlier, four of the seven competing applications proposed to operate a new commercial FM station in Montréal. In this context, three licensees who currently operate commercial radio stations in Montréal appeared at the public hearing to oppose these applications. They were Télémédia Communications inc. (Télémédia), Radiomutuel inc. (Radiomutuel) and Cogeco Communications inc. (Cogeco). The interveners cited the weakness of the economy, the fact that certain Télémédia and Radiomutuel stations in Montréal were restructured recently, the continuing fragile health of radio industry, and the fact that advertising revenues of French-language radio stations in Montréal have been declining for the last five years.

14.  In the radio market policy contained in Public Notice CRTC 1991-74 dated 23 July 1991, the Commission set out three criteria that it would generally use as primary indications of the capacity of a given market to support additional commercial stations. The Commission notes that the French-language radio market in Montréal has met two of these criteria over the last five years, with positive results for group profitability (11.3%) and individual profitability (68%). The market, however, was less successful in terms of revenue growth, posting a decline of 1.5% - a sign that the market is not in the best of health.

15.  The Commission notes that the French-language radio market in Montréal improved substantially in 1996, with combined AM/FM profits before interest expense and taxes (PBIT) of 15.31%. The FM stations are profitable, and the AM stations have improved slightly, although their situation is still far from satisfactory. While the Conference Board of Canada forecasts steady growth for the Montréal market over the next seven years, it is not expected to be very strong.

16.  The Commission assessed the applications in the light of these factors and considerations as well as the Act's provisions noted above. Among other things, it examined whether it was possible in the current circumstances to expand the number of French-language radio services in Montréal without compromising the viability of existing services and without hampering their capacity to deliver quality programming.

Assessing the applications

17.  To gauge the potential impact on the market of the four applications proposing new commercial stations, the Commission compared the advertising revenues forecast by each applicant in their fifth year of operation. While 9044-1569 forecast annual advertising revenues of $650,000, Radio Zone, Nouvelle Musique Country and Radio Nord forecast $2.8 million, $3.8 million and $5.7 million, respectively.

18.  In view of the current state of the Montréal market and its limited prospects for growth, the Commission considers that it would not be able to support a new radio station of the kind proposed by Nouvelle Musique Country, Radio Nord or Radio Zone. The Commission is of the view that the amount of advertising revenue that these stations would draw from the market is likely to unduly affect the existing stations and diminish their capacity to continue to discharge their responsibilities.

19.  The Commission notes the quality of the applications filed by Nouvelle Musique Country and Radio Nord. In denying these applications, however, the Commission was concerned that the market studies filed by these two applicants did not clearly demonstrate that there currently exists a noticeable demand for a Country format station in Montréal. Moreover, the Commission is concerned that the French-language country music repertoire is not large enough to support this type of station.

20.  As for the application by Radio Zone, the Commission acknowledges the innovative quality of this youth-oriented proposal. Nevertheless, in this case as well, the Commission was not satisfied that existence of a demand was clearly demonstrated. The Commission further considers that Radio Zone did not adequately demonstrate that its proposal would add to the musical diversity which exists now in the market.

21.  Next, the Commission considered the other three competing applications proposing to use frequency 91.5 MHz, namely those by Radio Communautaire, Métromédia and the CBC.

22.  Having examined the application filed by Radio Communautaire, the Commission is not convinced that it would be appropriate to grant the last available commercial FM frequency in Montréal to a community radio station. The Commission notes that, by virtue of the definition and specific mandate of community radio, CIBL-FM, like the other community radio stations in the Montréal area, is required to offer programming based on community access which reflects the special interests and needs of the listeners it is licensed to serve. The Commission notes that CIBL-FM enjoys great popularity among its listeners. The Commission is not convinced that CIBL-FM needs a signal that would cover all of Montréal to continue to fulfill its community mandate. Accordingly, the Commission is not convinced in this case that approval of this application would be the best possible use for the only remaining FM commercial frequency available in Montréal. In this regard, the Commission notes that operating the station at the proposed effective radiated power of only 6,300 watts would also represent under-utilization of the frequency. The application of Radio Communautaire is accordingly denied.

23.  With regard to the application by Métromédia, the Commission considers that an exception to its multiple ownership policy is not justified in this case. The Commission notes that CKVL operates in conditions similar to those of many other Canadian commercial AM stations, including the requirement that the station reduce its transmitting power at night pursuant to international agreements. The Commission also considered the fact that the Métromédia group is profitable. The Commission also notes that CKVL was able to increase its audience share in the Montréal market from 1990 to 1996, and that, although the station still loses money, its advertising revenues have been rising consistently since 1993. Consequently, the application by Métromédia is denied.

24.  For reasons described in greater detail in the next two sections, the Commission has decided to approve the applications by 9044-1569 and the CBC.

Approval of the 9044-1569 application

25.  The Commission approves the application by 9044-1569 for a broadcasting licence to carry on a French-language FM Specialty (classical music) radio programming undertaking in Montréal on the frequency 99.5 MHz, channel 258B, with an effective radiated power of 8,700 watts.

26.  Subject to the requirements of this decision, the Commission will issue a licence expiring 31 August 2003. This licence will be subject to the conditions specified in this decision and in the licence to be issued.

27.  It is a condition of licence that this station be operated within the Specialty format as defined in Public Notice CRTC 1995-60, or as amended from time to time by the Commission.

28.  The applicant made a commitment to broadcast 126 hours of local programming weekly, for the most part consisting of classical music programs. Describing the proposed service at the public hearing, the applicant indicated that [TRANSLATION] "it will not only broadcast classical music, but it will also popularize it and make it accessible to the public at large; it will help people to learn about classical music and to love it". Music broadcast in peak listening hours will have a broader appeal and program hosts will broadcast live during the morning, noon-hour and late afternoon slots. At other times during the day, hosts will talk less and will be pre-recorded. It is a condition of licence that the station broadcast a minimum of 42 hours a week of local programming.

29.  To illustrate the level of interest in classical music among the Montréal audience, the applicant submitted data from a study by the Quebec Department of Culture and Communications showing that 26.5% of the population of Greater Montréal listens to classical music. The applicant also cited a BBM finding that Francophones represent 50% of the Montréal audience of CBC Stereo, the Corporation's English-language FM network, which is widely known to broadcast a great deal more music than its French-language counterpart.

30.  With regard to the eventual impact of its proposed undertaking on the market, the applicant stated: [TRANSLATION] "To remain in operation, our station needs less than 1% of the yearly radio advertising budget of the Montréal market. That will not upset the balance of the radio market." The applicant also noted its plans to establish a mixed advertising regime, consisting of both conventional advertising and sponsorship. It expects that sponsorship revenues could represent up to half of the new station's annual revenues. In view of the realistic forecasts and the relatively modest revenue requirement of the applicant's proposal, the Commission considers that it is possible for the proposed service to enter the Francophone radio market in Montréal without unduly affecting the existing French-language radio stations.

31.  In Public Notice CRTC 1995-60, the Commission indicated that it will generally continue to limit ownership by licensees to a maximum of one AM and one FM station in the same language in the same market. Departures from this approach will continue to be permitted only in exceptional circumstances.

32.  The Commission carefully considered the arguments for authorizing the same owner to operate both the proposed new station and CIEL-FM Longueuil in the Montréal market, and has concluded that an exception to its multiple ownership policy is warranted in the circumstances. In addition to the fact that the introduction of the new station should have minimal impact on the market, the Commission took into account the station's unique nature, specifically the fact that its proposed Special Interest classical music format is not available from any other commercial radio station in Montréal. The Commision has also accepted the applicant's argument that this case of multiple ownership does not raise concern regarding domination by one licensee which could result in a decrease in true competition in Montréal's francophone market. Approval of this application will thus provide greater diversity on Montréal radio and allow the Commission the latitude of granting frequency 95.1 MHz to another party.

33.  The applicant also submitted that the success of the new station would depend on the support of its sister station CIEL-FM. It referred to the potential synergies in administration, information technology, technical operations, and advertising. In view of the new station's Specialty format and the limited revenue potential that will be available to it given the current state of the Montréal market, the Commission agrees with the applicant that the support of CIEL-FM will enhance the undertaking's chances of success. The applicant also indicated in its application that the two stations would have separate programming services and would not broadcast any programming in common.

34.  With regard to support for Canadian talent, the applicant plans to broadcast, on a weekly basis, two one-hour blocks of classical music programming recorded by the major music schools in the province of Quebec. The applicant also intends to offer bursaries to talented young Canadians beginning in its first year of operation. It is a condition of licence that the licensee allocate a minimum of $25,000 annually to direct expenditures for the development and promotion of Canadian talent.

35.  It is a condition of licence that the applicant 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.

36.  It is also a condition of licence that the licensee 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.

37.  In Public Notice CRTC 1992-59 dated 1 September 1992 and entitled Imple-mentation 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 applicant to consider employment equity issues in its hiring practices and in all other aspects of its management of human resources.

38.  This authority will only be effective and the licence will only be issued at such time as construction of the undertaking is completed and it is prepared to commence operation. If the construction is not completed within twelve months of the date of this decision or, where the applicant applies to the Commission within this period and satisfies the Commission that it cannot complete construction and commence operation before the expiry of this period, and that an extension of time is in the public interest, within such further periods of time as are approved in writing by the Commission, the licence will not be issued. The applicant is required to advise the Commission (before the expiry of the twelve-month period or any extension thereof) in writing, once it has completed construction and is prepared to commence operation.

39.  The Department of Industry has advised the Commission that this application is conditionally technically acceptable, and that a Broadcasting Certificate will only be issued once it has been determined that the proposed technical parameters will not create any unacceptable interference with aeronautical NAV/COM services.

40.  In accordance with subsection 22(1) of the Broadcasting Act, the Commission will only issue the licence and the authority will only be granted at such time as written notification is received from the Department of Industry that its technical requirements have been met, and that a Broadcasting Certificate will be issued.

Approval of the CBC Application

41.  The Commission approves the application by the CBC for a broadcasting licence to carry on a French-language FM radio programming undertaking in Montréal on the frequency 95.1 MHz, channel 236B, with an effective radiated power of 17,030 watts.

42.  The applicant currently operates the AM radio programming undertaking CBF Montréal. This application was filed with a view to converting the station to FM.

43.  The Commission notes that the Promise of Performance for the new FM station will be identical in all respects to that of CBF. The applicant also indicated that it will carry on the operation of the 18 currently authorized transmitters.

44.  Subject to the requirements of this decision, the Commission will issue a licence expiring 31 August 2001, subject to the conditions specified in this decision and in the licence to be issued.

45.  The licence term granted herein, while less than the maximum of seven years permitted under the Act, will enable the Commission to consider the renewal of this licence in accordance with the Commission's regional plan for CBC radio programming undertakings.

46.  The Commission examined the CBC application in the context of the guidelines set out for the first time in 1983 and reiterated in Public Notice CRTC 1991-102 entitled Review of CBC Long Range Radio Plan. In that notice, the Commission concluded that the Corporation's basic radio service should continue to be delivered on the AM band wherever possible, including large cities like Montréal and in areas where FM frequencies are in short supply. With regard to the replacement of the Corporation's AM transmitters by FM, the Commission indicated it would be prepared to consider applications on a case-by-case basis, and it set out the criteria it would use to assess such applications, these being the existence of poor night-time coverage and where replacement would result in a significant improvement in service, and where coverage deficiencies could not be corrected by other means.

47.  At the public hearing, the CBC stated that it wishes to continue to play an important role in the radio landscape and to remain a relevant radio service, and that one of the key elements of this strategy for the future is to reach all listeners wherever they may be by the best available means. In this regard, it cited subparagraph 3(1)(m)(vii) of the Act, which states that "the programming provided by the Corporation should be made available throughout Canada by the most appropriate and efficient means and as resources become available for the purpose". When asked at the Public Hearing whether the application complied with the guidelines set out in Public Notice CRTC 1991-102, the President of the CBC stated that the special situation of Montréal must be considered. He added: [TRANSLATION] "it is not our intention to ask you to transfer all the stations on our networks from AM to FM".

48.  The CBC's argument is essentially that, given the current state of radio in Montréal, the AM band is no longer the most appropriate or efficient means of delivering its public broadcasting service to the population. Based on its own analyses of the situation as well as BBM data, the CBC noted in this regard that French-language AM listenership in Montréal was 64% in 1980, but has now dropped to less than half that figure, 29%. It added that 85% of the under-24 age group, and 75% of the 25-34 age group, never listen to AM. In these circumstances, the CBC is concerned about the future of public radio because of the great difficulty it will face in renewing audience in the coming years. The CBC also cited the listenership problems affecting AM broadcasting, particulary in large urban centres, noting that 26% of CBF listeners occasionally have signal reception problems, especially in downtown Montréal. The Corporation also noted that, since its French-language AM service is non-commercial, its conversion to the FM band will have no impact on the advertising base of the other broadcasters in Montréal.

49.  The CBC further submitted that digital radio, which should be introduced in Montréal by the end of 1997 and is expected eventually to replace existing analog radio services, will not be available to the public at large for another 10 to 20 years. It argued that it must, therefore, continue to deliver its programming via analog broadcast during the transition period.

50.  As noted above, in reaching its decision to approve the CBC's application, the Commission took into consideration the current status of the broadcasting market in Montréal, which has experienced major upheavals in recent years, including the closing of two stations, CJMS Montréal and CKLM Laval. In its intervention, Radiomutuel pointed out that the situation is still precarious, even though the restructuring it undertook in 1994-95 together with Télémédia had strengthened the advertising market for French-language radio. Futhermore, Cogeco, in its intervention, gave its support to the CBC application precisely because it is a non-commercial service, which is likely to have the least impact on the market.

51.  The Commission also took into account the special nature of radio listenership in the French-language market in Montréal. It notes that listenership for CBC programs broadcast on the AM band remained relatively stable from 1986 to 1996, according to BBM data. However, according to the same data, since 1986, Montréal's French-language market already has the highest rate of FM band listenership in Canada, by a considerable margin. Moreover, according to BBM's listenership data for the Montréal market in the fall of 1996, 68.4% of listenership for French-language radio was devoted to stations broadcasting on the FM band; this is still among the highest in Canada.

52.  With regard to the technical questions related to broadcasting on the AM band, the CBC acknowledged at the Public Hearing that the primary goal of its application was not to correct technical problems associated with its present AM frequency, but to be able to reach the largest possible number of listeners, as a national public broadcaster. However, the Commission noted its arguments concerning the AM reception problems in large buildings in downtown Montréal, and the fact that the quality of its AM band is becoming less and less able to meet the demands of its listeners.

53.  The Commission also took into account the special role played by the CBC in the Canadian broadcasting system and its special obligations under the Act. As a national public broadcaster, the CBC must, in particular, provide a radio service that is made available to the greatest possible number of Canadians, and that includes a broad range of programming, likely to meet the needs and interests of all segments of the Canadian public. The Commission considers that adding the French-language CBC Radio (AM) network service to the FM band will bring new diversity to the broadcasting services already offered on this band in Montréal and that this approval is also likely to make a potential new audience more readily available to the national public service, particularly among young people, who listen more to the FM band.

54.  The Commission also considers that the approval granted herein should not have a negative effect on the current balance in the French-language broadcasting market in Montréal, in view of both the current and forecasted state of the radio market in the area. Given its decision to approve the application by 9044-1569 to operate a new commercial specialty FM station in Montréal and the limited prospects for growth in this radio market in the coming years, the Commission considers it unlikely that the market will be capable of supporting any additional commercial stations in the short or medium term.

55.  Having weighed all of the available evidence, a majority of the Commission has determined that the use of the 95.1 MHz frequency will lead to a significant improvement of the service offered by the CBC to the population of the largest Francophone city in Canada and that it is, therefore, in the public interest. Accordingly, the Commission has concluded that an exception to its policy with regard to the conversion to the FM band of the CBC French-language Radio (AM) network service broadcast by CBF Montréal is justified in the circumstances. In addition, after analysing each of the competing applications on its own merits, the Commission has concluded that the CBC's proposal represents the best possible use of the 95.1 MHz frequency in the circumstances.

56.  When asked at the public hearing about its current and proposed signal coverage areas, the CBC indicated that there will be no loss of signal for its audience. It indicated that listeners will be able to receive its signal from Montréal or from its transmitters at Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke or Saint-Jovite, which rebroadcast exactly the same programming. The Commission further notes that the CBC committed to make the necessary corrections if its signal is deficient in certain areas, either by modifying the radiation pattern or installing additional transmitters.

57.  The CBC has also indicated that it intends to shut down its AM transmitter within six months of the date on which the new transmitter becomes operational. During this six-month transition period, the CBC will simulcast CBF's programming on the new FM station and on the AM band. The Commission expects the CBC to cease the operation of CBF within this time frame and to inform listeners during this period of the changes herein approved.

58.  It is a condition of licence that the CBC not broadcast any commercial message of Category 5 (Advertising) except

a)  during programs that are available to the licensee only on a sponsored basis, or

b)  as required to fulfil the requirements of the legislation of the Parliament of Canada pertaining to elections, or

c)  in communities where there is no other programming undertaking broadcasting in the same language.

59.  It is a condition of licence that 50% or more of the category 2 music selections broadcast each broadcast week be Canadian and that these selections be scheduled in a reasonable manner throughout the broadcast day.

60.  It is a condition of licence that 20% or more of the category 3 music selections broadcast each broadcast week be Canadian.

61.  It is a condition of licence that the licensee adhere to its self-regulatory guidelines on sex-role portrayal as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission and, as a minimum, to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Sex-Role Portrayal Code for Television and Radio Programming, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.

62.  The Commission notes that this licensee is subject to the Employment Equity Act that came into effect on 24 October 1996 (1996 EEA), and therefore files reports concerning employment equity with Human Resources Development Canada. As a result of a consequential amendment to the Act, the Commission no longer has the authority to apply its employment equity policy to any undertaking that is subject to the 1996 EEA.

63.  This authority will only be effective and the licence will only be issued at such time as construction of the undertaking is completed and it is prepared to commence operation. If the construction is not completed within twelve months of the date of this decision or, where the applicant applies to the Commission within this period and satisfies the Commission that it cannot complete construction and commence operation before the expiry of this period, and that an extension of time is in the public interest, within such further periods of time as are approved in writing by the Commission, the licence will not be issued. The applicant is required to advise the Commission (before the expiry of the twelve-month period or any extension thereof) in writing, once it has completed construction and is prepared to commence operation.

64.  The Department of Industry has advised the Commission that this application is conditionally technically acceptable, and that a Broadcasting Certificate will only be issued once it has been determined that the proposed technical parameters will not create any unacceptable interference with aeronautical NAV/COM services.

65.  In accordance with subsection 22(1) of the Broadcasting Act, the Commission will only issue the licence and the authority will only be granted at such time as written notification is received from the Department of Industry that its technical requirements have been met, and that a Broadcasting Certificate will be issued.

66.  The seven applications in competition at this public hearing generated considerable interest, as evidenced by the very large number of interventions filed with the Commission. The Commission thanks each and every intervener for participating in this proceeding.

This decision is to be appended to the licence of 9044-1569 and to the CBC's licence.

Laura M. Talbot-Allan
Secretary General

This document is available in alternative format upon request.

DEC97-293_0