ARCHIVED -  Public Notice CRTC 1998-80

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ARCHIVED - Public Notice CRTC 1998-80 | CRTC
 

Public Notice

  Ottawa, 30 July 1998
  Public Notice CRTC 1998-80
 

Proposed Regulations Amending the Radio Regulations, 1986 -Commercial Radio Programming

  1.  The Commission proposes to make amendments to sections 2 and 8, as well as to the schedule, of the Radio Regulations, 1986, SOR/86-982, as amended (the existing regulations). A copy of the proposed Regulations Amending the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the proposed amendments) is appended to this public notice.
  2.  The proposed amendments result from the process initiated by the Commission in Public Notice CRTC 1997-104 to review its commercial radio policy. Following a two-stage written comment process, a round for submission of research, an oral hearing that took place in December 1997 and a round for final argument, the Commission issued Public Notice CRTC 1998-41, dated 30 April 1998 and entitled Commercial Radio Policy 1998, setting out its revised policy for conventional commercial radio stations.
  3.  The proposed amendments are intended to implement the Commission's policies as set out in Public Notice CRTC 1998-41 relative to the requirements for Canadian and French-language musical selections to be broadcast on commercial radio stations and the logging requirements for non-Canadian programming. They are proposed to come into effect on 3 January 1999.
  4.  In Public Notice CRTC 1998-81 issued today, the Commission is also proposing amendments to section 11 of the existing regulations with respect to transactions requiring the Commission's approval where the licensee of a radio station acquires a level of equity in another radio station operating in the same language and in the same market. These proposed amendments are intended to come into effect on the date of their registration.
  5.  In addition to the proposed regulatory requirements expressly set out in Public Notice CRTC 1998-41, the proposed amendments include a number of provisions that the Commission considers necessary to properly implement its new regulatory framework. These additional proposals are highlighted below.
  DEFINITION OF COMMERCIAL STATION
  6.  The proposed definition of commercial station is intended to exclude all AM and FM stations that do not fall within the purview of the Commission's commercial radio policy set out in Public Notice CRTC 1998-41. As announced in Public Notice CRTC 1997-105 entitled An Agenda for Review of the Commission's Policies for Radio, the Commission will be reviewing its approach to the various other types of radio programming undertakings within the next two years.
  MEDLEYS AND MONTAGES
  7.  In Public Notice CRTC 1998-41, the Commission determined that the definition of a musical selection as "music of one minute in length or more, broadcast uninterrupted" should be maintained. Accordingly, this definition has been incorporated into the proposed regulations.
  8.  As contemplated in Public Notice CRTC 1998-41, the proposed amendments provide that Canadian musical selections from content Category 2, as well as French- language musical selections from content Category 2, must be played in their entirety for the purpose of meeting the prescribed Canadian content and French-language music levels.
  9.  The proposed definition of "musical selection" expressly includes medleys and montages. This inclusion is necessary to ensure that medleys and montages of one minute or more in duration are classified as musical selections for the purpose of calculating compliance with the regulations.
  10.  The proposed amendments include definitions of "medley" and "montage" that are consistent with the definitions set out in Circular No. 343, dated 11 May 1988 and entitled Analysis by the Commission of medleys and montages.
  11.  Sections 2.2(11) and (12) of the proposed amendments specify two basic regulatory requirements that must be met in order for a montage to be considered a single musical selection played in its entirety. These requirements are summarized below.
  a ) the total duration of the excerpts of Canadian musical selections from content category 2, or of the excerpts of vocal musical selections in the French-language from content category 2, as the case may be, must be greater than 50 per cent of the total duration of the montage; and,
  b ) the total duration of the montage must be 4 minutes or more.
  12.  The first requirement reflects the Commission's current policy, as outlined in Circular No. 343, whereby the duration of the predominant type of material contained in a montage is used to determine the main content of a montage. The combined effect of these two requirements will be to ensure that the total duration of the excerpts of Canadian selections or of French-language vocal musical selections contained in a montage is over 2 minutes if the montage is to count as a Canadian or as a French-language musical selection played in its entirety. In the Commission's view, these requirements should preserve an incentive to play Canadian and French-language musical selections in their entirety.
  13.  In view of the fact that medleys are, by definition, compilations created by artists or musicians in a single performance, the Commission considers that only those medleys that are played in their entirety should qualify as Canadian or French-language musical selections. Moreover, as stated in Circular No. 343, a medley may be characterized as a Canadian or a French- language musical selection depending on the predominant type of material it contains.
  CONDITIONS OF LICENCE RELATING TO CANADIAN CONTENT
  14.  As noted above, the Commission intends the increase in the required level of Canadian content to 35% to take effect on 3 January 1999. The Commission notes that an exception to this requirement would be permitted by way of condition of licence that would come into force after 2 January 1999. Licensees who are currently subject to a condition of licence allowing for a minimum Canadian content level (category 2) of less than 30% may apply for such a condition of licence, thereby allowing them to continue to operate at their current levels beyond 3 January 1999. As stated in Public Notice CRTC 1998-41, licensees who are currently subject to conditions of licence specifying levels of Canadian content higher than 35% are expected to continue to operate in accordance with their current commitments.
  NON-CANADIAN PROGRAMMING
  15.  Consistent with the Commission's determination in Public Notice CRTC 1998-41, section 8(1)(c)(iv)(E) of the proposed amendments requires licensees to identify, where applicable, all non-Canadian programming in their program logs or records. In order to exclude programming that is produced outside of Canada exclusively for the station, as is the case for some sporting events originating outside of Canada, non-Canadian programming has been defined for the purpose of the regulations as programming that originates outside of Canada other than local programming, as defined in Public Notice CRTC 1993-38 dated 19 April 1993. In the Commission's view, the proposed definition should enable it to monitor effectively the levels of non-Canadian programming, and to assess whether a station's performance in this area raises any concerns.
  OTHER MATTERS
  16.  The Commission wishes to draw to the attention of interested parties that the proposed amendments include a new provision to replace section 14(1) of the French-language version of the existing regulations. This serves to correct an error in a previous amendment to the regulations, SOR/91-517, as adopted on 27 August 1991.
  COMMENTS
  17.  Interested parties are invited to present their comments as to whether the proposed amendments accurately reflect the Commission's policy set out in Public Notice CRTC 1998-41. Comments should be sent to the Secretary General, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2, by 15 September 1998. To be considered as part of the proceeding, a submission must be actually received by the Commission and not merely mailed by that date. While receipt of submissions will not be acknowledged, they will be considered by the Commission and will form part of the public record of the proceeding.
  Laura M. Talbot-Allan
Secretary General
  This document is available in alternative format upon request.
  JUS-600459
(CG-I/GC-I)
  REGULATIONS AMENDING THE RADIO REGULATIONS, 1986
  amendments
  1. Section 2 of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (1) is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order:
  " campus station" means an A.M. station or an F.M. station that is licensed as a campus station. (station de campus)
  " commercial station" means an A.M station or an F.M. station other than a station owned and operated by a not-for-profit corporation, a campus station, a community station, a native station, an ethnic station or a station owned and operated by the Corporation. (station commerciale)
  " community station" means an A.M. station or an F.M. station that is licensed as a community station. (station communautaire)
  " medley" means a compilation of one minute or more in duration in which artists or musicians combine excerpts from several musical selections within a single performance. (pot-pourri)
  " montage" means a compilation of one minute or more in duration containing excerpts from several musical selections but does not include a medley. (montage)
  " musical selection" means any live or recorded music of one minute or more in duration, broadcast uninterrupted. It includes a medley and a montage. (pièce musicale)
  " native station" means an A.M. station or an F.M. station that is licensed as a native station. (station authochtone)
  2. (1) Subsection 2.2(3) (2) of the Regulations is replaced by the following:
  (3) Except as otherwise provided under a licensee's condition of licence, an A.M. or F.M. licensee shall, in any broadcast week, devote 10 per cent or more of its musical selections from content category 3 to Canadian selections and schedule those selections in a reasonable manner throughout each broadcast day.
  (2) Subsections 2.2(5) 3 and (6) (2) of the Regulations are replaced by the following:
  (5) Except as otherwise provided under a licensee's condition of licence, an A.M. or F.M. licensee licensed to operate a commercial station in the French language shall, in any broadcast week, devote 65 per cent or more of its vocal musical selections from content category 2 to musical selections in the French language broadcast in their entirety.
  (6) An A.M. or F.M. licensee may, in any broadcast week, reduce the proportion of its Canadian musical selections from content category 2 referred to in subsection (7), (8) or (9) to
  (a)  not less than 20 per cent, scheduled in a reasonable manner throughout each broadcast day, where, in that broadcast week, the licensee devotes not less than 35 per cent and not more than 49 per cent of all its musical selections to instrumental selections; and
  (b)  not less than 15 per cent, scheduled in a reasonable manner throughout each broadcast day, where, in that broadcast week, the licensee devotes 50 per cent or more of all its musical selections to instrumental selections.
  (7) Except as otherwise provided under a licensee's condition of licence, and subject to subsection (6), an A.M. or F.M. licensee licensed to operate a station other than a commercial station shall, in any broadcast week, devote 30 per cent or more of its musical selections from content category 2 to Canadian selections and schedule those selections in a reasonable manner throughout each broadcast day.
  (8) Except as otherwise provided under a licensee's condition of licence that applies after January 2, 1999, and subject to subsection (6), an A.M. or F.M. licensee licensed to operate a commercial station shall, in any broadcast week, devote 35 per cent or more of its musical selections from content category 2 to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety.
  (9) Except as otherwise provided under a licensee's condition of licence, and subject to subsection (6), an A.M. or F.M. licensee licensed to operate a commercial station shall, between six o'clock in the forenoon and six o'clock in the afternoon, in any period beginning on Monday of a week and ending on Friday of the same week, devote 35 per cent or more of its musical selections from content category 2 to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety.
  (10) Except as otherwise provided under a licensee's condition of licence, an A.M. or F.M. licensee licensed to operate a commercial station in the French language shall, between six o'clock in the forenoon and six o'clock in the afternoon, in any period beginning on Monday of a week and ending on Friday of the same week, devote 55 per cent or more of its vocal musical selections from content category 2 to musical selections in the French language broadcast in their entirety.
  (11) For the purposes of this section, a montage shall be deemed to be a Canadian selection broadcast in its entirety if
  (a)  the total duration of the excerpts of Canadian selections from content category 2 is greater than 50 per cent of the total duration of the montage; and
  (b)  the total duration of the montage is 4 minutes or more.
  (12) For the purposes of this section, a montage shall be deemed to be a musical selection in the French language broadcast in its entirety if
  (a)  the total duration of the excerpts of vocal musical selections in the French language from content category 2 is greater than 50 per cent of the total duration of the montage; and
  (b)  the total duration of the montage is 4 minutes or more.
  3. Subparagraph 8(1)(c)(iv) of the Regulations is amended by striking out the word "and" at the end of clause (C) and by adding the following after clause (D):
  (E) where  applicable, the code set out in the schedule identifying non- Canadian programming, and
  4. Subsection 14(1) of the French version of the Regulations is replaced by the following:
  14. (1) Il est interdit au titulaire M.F. qui détient également une licence M.A. de diffuser simultanément sur les ondes de sa station M.F., au cours de la journée de diffusion, la matière radiodiffusée sur les ondes de sa station M.A. lorsqu'il y a chevauchement de toute partie du périmètre de rayonnement de 3 mV/m de la station M.F. et du périmètre de rayonnement de jour de 15 mV/m de la station M.A.
  5. The title (4) of the schedule to the Regulations is replaced by the following:
  CODES INDICATING ORIGIN, LANGUAGE, TYPE AND GROUP OF PROGRAMMING AND NON- CANADIAN PROGRAMMING
  6. The schedule to the Regulations is amended by adding the following after Part D:
  E. Code Identifying Non-Canadian Programming
  Column I Column II
  Item Code Description
  1. NC Programming that  originates outside of Canada other than local programming, as defined in Public Notice CRTC 1993-38 dated April 19, 1993, published in the Canada Gazette, Part I on May 1, 1993, as amended from time to time coming into force
  7. These Regulations come into force on January 3, 1999.
  __________________
1 SOR/86-982
2 SOR/96-324
3 SOR/93-517
4 SOR/91-517
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