ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2014-154

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Route reference: 2013-536

Ottawa, 31 March 2014

Ethnic Channels Group Limited
Across Canada

Application 2013-0692-8, received 1 May 2013
Public hearing in the National Capital Region
5 December 2013

ECGL Cricket TV – Specialty Category B service

The Commission approves an application for a broadcasting licence to operate a new specialty Category B service.

The Commission also approves the applicant’s request relating to the broadcast of local and regional advertising.

Application

1. Ethnic Channels Group Limited (ECGL) filed an application for a broadcasting licence to operate ECGL Cricket TV, a national, English-language ethnic specialty Category B service that would be devoted to cricket matches and programming related to the world of cricket, as well as other sports originating from or of particular interest to the South Asian community in Canada. The Commission did not receive any interventions regarding this application.

2. ECGL is controlled by Slava Levin.

3. The applicant proposed to draw programming from the following program categories set out in item 6 of Schedule I to the Specialty Services Regulations, 1990, as amended from time to time: 1, 2(a), 2(b), 3, 6(a), 6(b), 12, 13, 14.

4. ECGL further requested that it be authorized to devote up to 6 of the 12 minutes of advertising material permitted during each clock hour to local and regional advertising.^{Footnote 1}

Commission’s analysis and decision

5. The Commission notes that the applicant did not propose any limits on the requested program categories. However, the Commission is satisfied that the proposed nature of service is sufficiently well-defined to ensure that the service will not be competitive with an existing Category A service.

6. The Commission is satisfied that the application complies with all applicable policies, terms and conditions, including those set out in Public Notice 2000-6, Broadcasting Public Notice 2008-100 and Broadcasting Regulatory Policies 2010-786 and 2010-786-1. Accordingly, the Commission approves the application by Ethnic Channels Group Limited for a broadcasting licence to operate the national, English-language specialty Category B service ECGL Cricket TV. The Commission also approves the applicant’s request to broadcast up to six minutes per hour of local and regional advertising. The terms and conditions of licence are set out in the appendix to this decision.

Reminder

7. The Commission reminds the applicant that distribution of this service is subject to the requirements set out in the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations.

Secretary General

Related documents

• Standard conditions of licence, expectations and encouragements for Category B pay and specialty services – Corrected Appendices 1 and 2, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-786-1, 18 July 2011
• Standard conditions of licence, expectations and encouragements for Category B pay and specialty services, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-786, 25 October 2010
• Regulatory frameworks for broadcasting distribution undertakings and discretionary programming services – Regulatory policy, Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2008-100, 30 October 2008
• Licensing framework policy for new digital pay and specialty services, Public Notice CRTC 2000-6, 13 January 2000

*This decision is to be appended to the licence.

Appendix to Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2014-154

Terms, conditions of licence, expectations and encouragements for the national, English-language ethnic specialty Category B service ECGL Cricket TV

Terms

A licence will be issued once the applicant has satisfied the Commission with supporting documentation that the following requirements have been met:

• the applicant has entered into a distribution agreement with at least one licensed distributor; and
• the applicant has informed the Commission in writing that it is prepared to commence operations and has provided the Commission with a launch date for the service. The undertaking must be operational at the earliest possible date and in any event no later than 48 months from the date of this decision.

The licence will expire 31 August 2020.

Conditions of licence

1. The licensee shall adhere to the conditions set out in Appendix 1 to Standard conditions of licence, expectations and encouragements for Category B pay and specialty services – Corrected Appendices 1 and 2, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-786-1, 18 July 2011, except for condition 7d), which will not apply, and condition 7a), which is replaced by the following:

Except as otherwise provided in subparagraphs b) and c), the licensee shall not broadcast more than 12 minutes of advertising material during each clock hour, no more than 6 minutes of which may consist of local advertising.

For the purposes of this condition of licence, “local advertising” is advertising that does not fall within the definitions of national and regional advertising, i.e. advertising by persons who provide goods or services in more than one market or province.

2. With respect to the nature of service:

(a) The licensee shall provide a national, English-language ethnic specialty Category B service devoted to cricket matches and programming related to the world of cricket, as well as other sports originating from or of particular interest to the South Asian community in Canada.

(b) The programming shall be drawn exclusively from the following program categories set out in item 6 of Schedule I to the Specialty Services Regulations, 1990, as amended from time to time:

1  News
2  (a) Analysis and interpretation
    (b) Long-form documentary
3  Reporting and actualities
6  (a) Professional sports
    (b) Amateur sports
12 Interstitials
13 Public service announcements
14 Infomercials, promotional and corporate videos

3. The service approved hereby is designated as a Category B service.

For the purposes of the conditions of this licence, “broadcast day” means the period of up to 18 consecutive hours, beginning each day not earlier than six o’clock in the morning and ending no later than one o’clock in the morning of the following day, as selected by the licensee, or any other period approved by the Commission.

Expectations

The standard expectations applicable to this licensee are set out in Appendix 1 to Standard conditions of licence, expectations and encouragements for Category B pay and specialty services – Corrected Appendices 1 and 2, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-786-1, 18 July 2011, as amended from time to time.

Encouragements

The standard encouragements applicable to this licensee are set out in Appendix 1 to Standard conditions of licence, expectations and encouragements for Category B pay and specialty services – Corrected Appendices 1 and 2, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-786-1, 18 July 2011, as amended from time to time.

Date modified:

2014-03-31