Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2016-62

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Reference: Part 1 application posted on 28 October 2015

Ottawa, 19 February 2016

Bell Media Radio (Toronto) Inc. and 4382072 Canada Inc., partners in a general partnership carrying on business as Bell Media Radio G.P.
Dawson Creek and Bullhead Mountain, British Columbia

Application 2015-1226-0

CJDC-TV Dawson Creek and its transmitter CJDC-TV-2 Bullhead Mountain - Disaffiliation from the CBC English-language television network

1. The Commission approves an application by Bell Media Inc. (Bell), on behalf of Bell Media Radio (Toronto) Inc. and 4382072 Canada Inc., partners in a general partnership carrying on business as Bell Media Radio G.P., to amend the broadcasting licence for the English-language conventional television station CJDC-TV Dawson Creek and its transmitter CJDC-TV-2 Bullhead Mountain in order to delete the station’s condition of licence 3 set out in Appendix 1 to Broadcasting Decision 2012-244, which reads as follows:

   The licensee shall operate this broadcasting undertaking as an affiliate of the English-language television network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

2. Through this amendment, the station will disaffiliate from the English-language television network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), effective 22 February 2016.^{Footnote 1} The Commission did not receive any interventions in regard to this application.

3. Bell stated that it and the CBC have agreed to terminate the affiliation agreement by the above-noted date. It added that while CBC network-supplied programming currently offered would no longer be carried as of that date, such programming would continue to be available through cable and direct-to-home satellite subscriptions. Moreover, the affected communities and surrounding areas would continue to receive local news, sports, and current events programming along with programming airing on Bell’s CTV Two stations that is currently unavailable in those markets.

4. In regard to the availability of CBC programming, section 3(1)(m)(vii) of the Broadcasting Act states that the programming provided by the CBC should be made available throughout Canada by the most appropriate and efficient means and as resources become available for the purpose. The Commission considers that the responsibility to provide the CBC’s services rests with the CBC, not with private broadcasters. In this respect, although the CBC’s programming will no longer be available over-the-air in the affected markets following disaffiliation, it will remain available on the basic service provided by cable and satellite operators.

Secretary General

Related documents

• CJDC-TV Dawson Creek and its transmitters CJDC-TV-1 Hudson Hope and CJDC-TV-2 Bullhead Mountain, and CFTK-TV Terrace and its transmitter CFTK-TV-1 Prince Rupert - Licence renewals, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2012-244, 26 April 2012

• Standard conditions of licence, expectations and encouragements for conventional television stations, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2011-442, 27 July 2011

*This decision is to be appended to the licence.

Date modified:

2016-02-19