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ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 2001-483

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Decision CRTC 2001-483

Ottawa, 10 August 2001

G and M Business News Holdings Limited on behalf of itself and G and M Business News Limited, a general partnership
Across Canada 2001-0561-0

24 July 2001 Public Hearing
National Capital Region

Ownership Change for ROBTv

1.

The Commission approves the application by G and M Business News Holdings Limited, on behalf of itself and G and M Business News Limited, to acquire the 50% partnership interest in Report on Business Television, a general partnership (ROBTv) beneficially owned by Global Communications Limited and currently under a trust arrangement with Mr. Albert Gnat, Q.C. as the trustee.

2.

G and M Business News Holdings Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of G and M Business News Limited, which, in turn, is owned 100% by Mr. Kenneth R. Thomson. G and M Business News Limited holds the other 50% partnership interest in ROBTv. As a result of this transaction, Mr. Thomson will acquire an indirect 100% interest in the new partnership.

3.

Upon surrender of the current licence, the Commission will issue a new licence to G and M Business News Holdings Limited and G and M Business News Limited, with a 50% partnership interest respectively, to continue the operation of the specialty service undertaking known as ROBTv. This new licence will be subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Appendix to this decision, which are the same as those in the current licence for ROBTv.

4.

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 (PN 1992-59).

Secretary General

This decision is to be appended to the licence. It is available in alternative format upon request, and may also be examined at the following Internet site: www.crtc.gc.ca

 

 

Appendix to Decision CRTC 2001-483

 

Terms of licence for the national English-language programming undertaking (specialty television service) known as Report on Business Television (ROBTv)

 

Upon surrender of the current licence, the Commission will issue a new licence to the partners of ROBTv, expiring 31 August 2003 (the current expiry date).

 

Conditions of licence

 

The licence will be subject to the conditions set out below and to any other condition specified in the licence to be issued.

  1. The licensee shall provide a national English-language specialty service consisting of business and financial news and information, and shall draw programs exclusively from Categories 1 (News), 2(a) (Analysis and interpretation), 2(b) (Long form documentary), 3 (Reporting and actualities), 5(b) (Informal education/recreation and leisure), 12 (Interstitials), 13 (Public service announcements), and 14 (Infomercials, promotional and corporate videos) as set out in item 6 of Schedule I of the Specialty Services Regulations, 1990, and as defined in Public Notice CRTC 2000-92 as amended from time to time.
  2. The licensee shall devote to the distribution of Canadian programs not less than 75% of each broadcast day and not less than 75% of the evening broadcast period.
  3. In accordance with the Commission's position on Canadian programming expenditures as set out in Public Notices CRTC 1992-28, 1993-93 and 1993-174:
 

a) In the broadcast year following the first year of operation, and in each subsequent broadcast year, the licensee shall expend on Canadian programs not less than 50% of the previous broadcast year's gross revenues derived from the operation of this service.

 

b) In the broadcast year following the first year of operation, and in each subsequent broadcast year, excluding the final year, the licensee may expend an amount on Canadian programs that is up to five percent (5%) less than the minimum required expenditure for that year calculated in accordance with this condition; in such case, the licensee shall expend in the next broadcast year of the licence term, in addition to the minimum required expenditure for that year, the full amount of the previous year's underexpenditure.

 

c) In the broadcast year following the first year of operation, and in each subsequent broadcast year where the licensee expends an amount on Canadian programs that is greater than the minimum required expenditure for that year calculated in accordance with this condition, the licensee may deduct:

 

(i) from the minimum required expenditure for the next broadcast year of the licence term, an amount not exceeding the amount of the previous broadcast year's overexpenditure; and

 

(ii) from the minimum required expenditure for any subsequent broadcast year of the licence term, an amount not exceeding the difference between the overexpenditure and any amount deducted under (i) above.

 

d) Notwithstanding the above, during the licence term, the licensee shall expend on Canadian programs, at a minimum, the total of the minimum required expenditures calculated in accordance with the licensee's condition of licence.

 

4. a) Subject to subsection (b), the licensee shall not distribute more than twelve (12) minutes of advertising material during each clock hour.

 

b) In addition to the twelve minutes of advertising material referred to in subsection (a) the licensee may distribute during each clock hour, a maximum of 30 seconds of additional advertising material that consists of unpaid public service announcements.

 

c) The licensee shall not distribute any paid advertising material other than national paid advertising.

  5. From the commencement of service, the licensee shall charge each exhibitor of this service a maximum wholesale rate of $0.25 per subscriber per month, where the service is distributed as part of the basic service.
  6. The licensee shall adhere to the guidelines on gender portrayal set out in the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' (CAB's) Sex role portrayal code for television and radio programming, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.
  7. The licensee shall adhere to the provisions of the CAB's Broadcast code for advertising to children, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.
  8. The licensee shall adhere to the guidelines on the depiction of violence in television programming set out in the CAB's Voluntary code regarding violence in television programming, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.
 

For the purpose of these conditions of licence, the terms broadcast day, broadcast year, evening broadcast period and clock hour shall have the same meaning as those set out in the Television Broadcasting Regulations, 1987; first year of operation shall mean the first broadcast year in which the licensee is in operation for a period exceeding 90 days, excluding any free trial period; and paid national advertising shall mean advertising material as defined in the Specialty Services Regulations, 1990 and that is purchased at a national rate and receives national distribution on the service.

Date Modified: 2001-08-10

Date modified: