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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2018-150

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Reference: 2017-381

Ottawa, 8 May 2018

Faith Baptist Church of Sydney
Greater Sydney Area, Nova Scotia

Public record for this application: 2016-1248-2
Public hearing in the National Capital Region
11 January 2018

Christian music FM radio station in the Greater Sydney Area

  1. The Commission approves the application by Faith Baptist Church of Sydney (Faith Baptist) for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language specialty (Christian music) FM radio programming undertaking in the Greater Sydney Area, Nova Scotia. The terms and conditions of licence are set out in the appendix to this decision.
  2. The Commission did not receive any interventions regarding this application. However, the applicant filed letters of support as part of its application.
  3. The new station will operate at 90.7 MHz (channel 214A) with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 1,863 watts (maximum ERP of 3,000 watts with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 68.7 metres).
  4. Faith Baptist is a not-for-profit organization controlled by its board of directors.
  5. The station will offer a specialty Christian music and Interdenominational religious spoken word format and will broadcast 126 hours of programming each broadcast week, of which 80 hours will be devoted to local programming. Faith Baptist committed to devote, by condition of licence, at least 95% of its weekly musical selections to selections from subcategory 35 (Non-classic religious) as defined in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2010-819. It also committed to devote, by condition of licence, at least 25% of its category 3 (Special Interest Music) selections in each broadcast week to Canadian selections. Conditions of licence to that effect are out in the appendix to this decision.
  6. Faith Baptist also stated that it would not solicit any revenue from commercial advertisers and that all of its revenues would come from church and business sponsorships, as well as listener donations. In this regard, it agreed to adhere to a condition of licence limiting the station’s advertising to sponsorships drawn from content subcategories 52 (Sponsor identification) and 53 (Promotion with sponsor mention), as set out in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2010-819. A condition of licence to that effect is set out in the appendix to this decision.
  7. Finally, Faith Baptist confirmed that it would adhere to the Commission’s guidelines on balance and ethics as set out in Public Notice 1993-78, in which the Commission stated that stations that broadcast religious programming have an obligation to offer differing views on matters of public concern, including religious matters. A condition of licence to that effect is set out in the appendix to this decision.

Secretary General

Related documents

This decision is to be appended to the licence.

Appendix to Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2018-150

Terms, conditions of licence, expectation and encouragement for the English-language specialty (Christian music) FM radio programming undertaking in Greater Sydney, Nova Scotia

Terms

The licence will expire 31 August 2024.

The station will operate at 90.7 MHz (channel 214A) with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 1,863 watts (maximum ERP of 3,000 watts with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 68.7 metres).

Pursuant to section 22(1) of the Broadcasting Act, no licence may be issued until the Department of Industry notifies the Commission that its technical requirements have been met and that a broadcasting certificate will be issued.

Further, the Commission will only issue a licence for this undertaking once the applicant has informed the Commission in writing that it is prepared to commence operations. The undertaking must be in operation by no later than 8 May 2020. To request an extension, the applicant must submit a written request to the Commission at least 60 days before that date, using the form available on the Commission’s website.

Conditions of licence

  1. The licensee shall adhere to the conditions set out in Conditions of licence for commercial AM and FM radio stations, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2009-62, 11 February 2009, with the exception of condition of licence 7, as well as to the conditions set out in the licence for the undertaking.
  2. The licensee shall operate the station within the specialty format as defined in A Review of certain matters concerning radio, Public Notice CRTC 1995-60, 21 April 1995, and Revised content categories and subcategories for radio, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-819, 5 November 2010.
  3. The licensee shall devote at least 95% of all musical selections broadcast during each broadcast week to selections drawn from content subcategory 35 (Non-classic religious).
  4. As an exception to the percentage of Canadian music selections set out section 2.2(3) of the Radio Regulations, 1986, the licensee shall devote at least 25% of all selections from content category 3 (Special Interest Music) broadcast in each broadcast week to Canadian selections.
  5. Where the licensee broadcasts religious programming as defined in Religious Broadcasting Policy, Public Notice CRTC 1993-78, 3 June 1993, the licensee shall adhere to the guidelines set out in sections III.B.2.a) and IV of that public notice with respect to the provision of balance and ethics in religious programming.
  6. The licensee shall not broadcast any advertising material other than that drawn from content subcategories 52 (Sponsor identification) and 53 (Promotion with sponsor mention), as defined in Revised content categories and subcategories for radio, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-819, 5 November 2010.

Expectation

The Commission expects the licensee to reflect the cultural diversity of Canada in its programming and employment practices.

Encouragement

In accordance with Implementation of an employment equity policy, Public Notice CRTC 1992-59, 1 September 1992, 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.

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