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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2006-465
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Ottawa, 6 September 2006
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Radio Miracadie inc.
Miramichi, New Brunswick
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Application 2006-0160-1
Public Hearing in Edmonton, Alberta
19 June 2006
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Community radio station in Miramichi
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The Commission approves an application for a broadcasting licence to operate a French-language Type A community FM radio station in Miramichi, New Brunswick.
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The application
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1.
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The Commission received an application from Radio Miracadie inc. (Radio Miracadie) for a broadcasting licence to operate a French-language Type A community FM radio programming undertaking in Miramachi, New Brunswick. The station would operate at 93.7 MHz (channel 229B1) with an effective radiated power of 11,000 watts.
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2.
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The station would air 126 hours of programming during each broadcast week with a minimum of 57 hours devoted to programming produced by the station. The programming would also include programs acquired from other community radio stations, i.e., CKRO-FM Pokemouche and CJSE-FM Shediac, and from the Réseau francophone d'Amérique (RFA). Although French would be the main language of broadcast, the applicant would devote, in each broadcast week, no more than 2.5% of programming, or approximately three hours, to English-language programming.
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3.
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Music programming would largely be composed of a mix of several styles, such as folk, country, blues, jazz, popular and classical music.
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4.
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The applicant indicated its intent to conduct an extensive promotional campaign to recruit as many volunteers as possible, including information booths and soliciting volunteers on the air, on the station's Web site and in various regional Francophone media. The applicant also stated that it would offer the station's volunteers professional training by asking other community radio stations in the province and graduates of the New Brunswick Community College journalism program to contribute their expertise. New volunteers would be supervised by experienced volunteers.
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5.
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With respect to local talent development, the applicant indicated that, with the entry of Radio Miracadie, Francophone and Acadian artists would have an opportunity to be heard and discovered. Radio Miracadie is also planning to showcase local artists in an amateur talent competition called Star Miracadie, and would broadcast a one-hour show each month profiling a local finalist in the annual Star Radio Miracadie event.
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Interventions
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6.
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The Commission received interventions in support of the application.
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The Commission's analysis and determinations
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7.
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The Commission has considered the application in light of the provisions of the Community radio policy,Public Notice CRTC 2000-13, 28 January 2000 (Public Notice 2000-13), and finds that the application complies with that policy.
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8.
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Accordingly, the Commission approves the application by Radio Miracadie inc. for a broadcasting licence to operate a French-language Type A community FM radio programming undertaking in Miramichi. The station will operate at 93.7 MHz (channel 229B1) with an effective radiated power of 11,000 watts.
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9.
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In accordance with Public Notice 2000-13, a community radio licence will be granted to Radio Miracadie inc., a not-for-profit organization without share capital, whose structure provides for membership, management, operation and programming by members of the community at large. The board of directors is ultimately responsible for control of the undertaking and for compliance with the Radio Regulations, 1986 and the station's conditions of licence.
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10.
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In accordance with Public Notice 2000-13 and with the applicant's commitment, the Commission expects the applicant to devote a minimum of 15% of the programming broadcast in each broadcast week to community-oriented spoken word programming.
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11.
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The licence will expire 31 August 2013 and will be subject to the conditions set out in New licence form for community radio stations,Public Notice CRTC 2000-157, 16 November 2000.
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Issuance of the licence
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12.
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The Department of Industry (the Department) has advised the Commission that, while this application is conditionally technically acceptable, it will only issue a broadcasting certificate when it has determined that the proposed technical parameters will not create any unacceptable interference with aeronautical NAV/COM services.
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13.
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The Commission reminds the licensee that, pursuant to section 22(1) of the Broadcasting Act, no licence may be issued until the Department notifies the Commission that its technical requirements have been met, and that a broadcasting certificate will be issued.
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14.
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The licence for this undertaking will be issued once the licensee has informed the Commission in writing that it is prepared to commence operations. The undertaking must be operational at the earliest possible date and in any event no later than 24 months from the date of this decision, unless a request for an extension of time is approved by the Commission before 6 September 2008. In order to ensure that such a request is processed in a timely manner, it should be submitted at least 60 days before that date.
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Employment equity
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15.
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The Commission considers that community radio stations should be particularly sensitive to employment equity issues in order to reflect fully the communities they serve. It encourages the applicant to consider these issues in its hiring practices and in all other aspects of its management of human resources.
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Secretary General
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This decision is to be appended to the licence. It is available in alternative format upon request, and may also be examined in PDF format or in HTML at the following Internet site: www.crtc.gc.ca
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Date Modified: 2006-09-06