ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 2000-262
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Decision CRTC 2000-262 |
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Ottawa, 12 July 2000 |
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Tri-Tel Communications Inc. Timmins, Ontario – 199912903 |
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9 May 2000 Public Hearing in Kingston |
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Summary |
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| The Commission denies the application for a broadcasting licence for an English-language low-power FM radio programming undertaking at Timmins. The applican had proposed to offer an "all hits" music format. The Commission considers that the programming budget and staff levels proposed would not be sufficient to produce high quality local programming that would be commensurate with the size and needs of the Timmins community. | |
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1. |
The Timmins commercial radio market is currently served by English-language stations, CJQQ-FM and CKGB, and by French-language station, CKOY. CHIM-FM, a non-commercial, low-power FM Christian music service also serves Timmins. |
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The Commission's local programming policy for radio set out in Public Notice CRTC 1998-41 is intended to ensure that commercial stations provide adequate and high quality local programming that corresponds to the size and needs of the communities they serve.If they wish to solicit or accept local advertising, licensees of commercial FM stations in markets served by more than one private commercial radio station generally must devote at least one-third of the station's weekly programming to local programming. This requirement is imposed as a condition of licence. |
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The policy also requires that, as part of their local programming, licensees should provide spoken word material of direct and particular relevance to the community served, such as local news, weather and sports, and the promotion of local events and activities. |
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As part of the application process, the Commission asked the applicant to describe how the proposed station would comply with the policy. The applicant responded that all of the programming would be station-produced and local (126 hours each week). It indicated that the spoken word component of its local programming would include news, weather and sports as well as public service and community announcements. The Commission notes, however, that the applicant proposed a limited budget to produce this programming. |
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The applicant also indicated that only two full-time and one part-time staff members would be assigned to the production of local programming. These staff would be responsible for producing and airing all local news, weather and sports, commercials, interviews, and announcements regarding local community events as well as introductions of song titles and artists. Their duties would also include drafting music playlists, scheduling commercials and maintaining all station logs. |
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The Commission notes that the applicant's projected programming expenditures and its proposed programming staff levels are much lower that the programming budgets and staff of other commercial FM stations serving small-or medium-sized markets, including the commercial stations currently serving Timmins. |
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The applicant is seeking a licence to operate a commercial low-power FM station in a competitive market. The Commission has, in the past, licensed popular music stations that proposed to operate on a reduced scale. The applicants in those cases were seeking to serve very small communities that could not support larger operations. In the present case, however, the Commission considers that the minimal programming budget and staff levels proposed in the application would not be adequate to fulfil the requirement that the station produce an amount of high-quality local programming commensurate with the size and needs of the Timmins community. |
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Based on all of the foregoing, the Commission has denied this application. |
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Related CRTC document |
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Secretary General |
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| This decision is available in alternative format upon request, and may also be examined at the following Internet site: www.crtc.gc.ca |
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