ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2013-145
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Route reference: Part 1 application posted on 29 November 2012
Ottawa, 21 March 2013
Bell aliant regional communications, limited partnership1
Greater Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Application 2012-1480-9
Licence amendment to add a terrestrial broadcasting distribution undertaking to a regional broadcasting licence
1. The Commission approves an application by Bell Aliant Regional Communications Inc., (the general partner), as well as limited partner with 6583458 Canada Inc. (the limited partners), carrying on business as Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership to amend the regional broadcasting licence of its terrestrial broadcasting distribution undertaking (BDU) serving Greater Sudbury, Ontario in order to add a new terrestrial BDU to serve subscribers in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The Commission did not receive any interventions in connection with this application.
2. In accordance with the licensee’s request, the licence will be subject to the same conditions as the terrestrial BDU serving Greater Sudbury,2 which are set out in the appendix to this decision.
Secretary General
*This decision is to be appended to the licence.
Appendix to Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2013-145
Terms, conditions of licence, requirements, expectations and encouragement relating to the regional broadcasting licence to operate a terrestrial broadcasting distribution undertaking to serve Greater Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Terms
The operation of this undertaking will be regulated pursuant to the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations and all related policies.
The licence will expire 31 August 2018.
Conditions of licence
- The licensee is authorized to distribute, as part of the basic service, the signals of WBZ-TV (CBS), WHDH-TV (NBC) and WCVB-TV (ABC) Boston, Massachusetts, WUHF (FOX) Rochester, New York and WMED-TV (PBS) Calais, Maine, or alternatively for each signal, the signal of a different affiliate of the same network located in the same time zone as that of the licensed area and included on the List of non-Canadian programming services authorized for distribution, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.
- The licensee shall provide one or more simple means of accessing described programming, whether in an open or embedded format, that requires little or no visual acuity.
- The licensee shall caption 100% of original licensee-produced programming on its community channel by the end of the licence term.
- The licensee shall provide audio description for all the key elements of information programs, including news programming on its community channel (that is, the voice-over of key textual, graphic design and still image elements, such as telephone numbers, stock information or weather maps that are posted on the screen).
Requirements
The licensee is required to promote information on all of its disability-specific services and products, in the accessible manner(s) of its choice.
The licensee is required to incorporate an easy-to-find home page link to the special needs/disability sections of its website, if its website includes such sections.
The licensee is required to make the information on its website accessible to the point of providing reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. Examples of what the Commission considers to be reasonable accommodations are listed in paragraph 66 of Accessibility of telecommunications and broadcasting services, Broadcasting and Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2009-430, 21 July 2009.
Where customer service functions on its website are not accessible, the licensee is required to ensure that persons with disabilities will not incur a charge or otherwise be disadvantaged if they use an alternate avenue of customer service.
The licensee is required to make accessible any customer service functions that are available solely over its website.
The licensee is required to make its general call centers accessible to the point of providing reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities by:
a) training customer service representatives in handling enquiries from persons with disabilities and familiarizing them with the service provider’s products and services for persons with disabilities; and
b) making its Interactive Voice Response systems accessible.
Expectations
The Commission expects the licensee to ensure that subscribers are able to identify programming with described video in the electronic program guide.
The Commission expects the licensee to make information available in alternative formats to subscribers regarding, among other things, the programming and services offered and the channel line-up.
The Commission expects the licensee to ensure that 100% of original access programming aired on its community channel is captioned by the end of the licence term.
Encouragement
The Commission encourages the licensee to ensure that accessible set-top boxes are available to subscribers with vision and fine motor skill disabilities.
[1] The licence for a broadcasting undertaking operated under a partnership agreement is issued to every partner of that agreement.
[2] See Regional broadcasting licence for a terrestrial broadcasting distribution undertaking to serve Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2012-342, 22 June 2012.
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