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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2018-193

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Ottawa, 30 May 2018

Ethnic Channels Group Limited
Across Canada

Application 2018-0191-0, received 3 April 2018

Zing (formerly Hindi Music TV) – Revocation of licence

  1. Ethnic Channels Group Limited (ECGL) has requested the revocation of its broadcasting licence for the national, niche third-language ethnic specialty Category B service Zing (formerly Hindi Music TV), originally granted in Broadcasting Decision 2013-147, in order to continue its operation as an exempt undertaking, pursuant to Broadcasting Order 2015-88.
  2. Given the licensee’s request and pursuant to sections 9(1)(e) and 24(1) of the Broadcasting Act, the Commission revokes the broadcasting licence issued to Ethnic Channels Group Limited for the above-mentioned undertaking.

Non-compliance by the previously licensed service

  1. ECGL was required by condition of licence to close caption any English-language programming broadcast on the previously licensed service.Footnote 1 Based on its analysis of the program logs filed by the licensee, the Commission finds that ECGL did not close caption any of that programming, and was therefore in non-compliance with the related condition of licence. Under the criteria set out in the appendix to Broadcasting Order 2015-88, all of the English- and French-language programs broadcast over the broadcast day on the newly exempt service must be close captioned. Accordingly, the Commission directs ECGL to provide, by no later than 30 November 2018, proof (i.e., an attestation or affidavit signed by a senior manager) that all programming broadcast in English and/or French on the exempt service is closed captioned. The document must be submitted electronically by using the secured service “My CRTC Account” (Partner Log In or GCKey) and completing the “Broadcasting Cover Page” located on this web page.
  2. In addition, ECGL filed an incomplete annual return for Zing for the 2016-2017 broadcast year, as it did not include the financial statements required by Circular No. 404. Consequently, it was in non-compliance with section 8(1) of the Specialty Services Regulations, 1990 relating to the filing of annual returns. The Commission directs ECGL to file, by no later than 16 July 2018, through the Commission’s Data Collection System (DCS), a complete annual return for the 2016-2017 broadcast year, including the financial statements for that broadcast year.

Reminder

  1. The Commission reminds ECGL that as an operator of an exempt service, it must at all times comply with the criteria contained in Broadcasting Order 2015-88, including those relating to closed captioning and to the submission of simplified annual returns by no later than 30 November of each year. Should ECGL be found in non-compliance for the exempt service with any of the criteria contained in Broadcasting Order 2015-88, the Commission will consider all of its regulatory options to address the non-compliance.

Secretary General

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