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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2020-279

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Reference: Part 1 licence renewal applications posted on 5 June 2020

Ottawa, 18 August 2020

Vista Radio Ltd.
Various locations in British Columbia and Alberta

Public record for these applications: 2019-0759-4, 2019-0761-9, 2019-0763-5, 2019-0764-3, 2019-0766-9, 2019-0767-7, 2019-0769-3, 2019-0790-9, 2019-0791-6, 2019-0799-0 and 2019-0801-3

Various commercial radio stations – Licence renewals

  1. The Commission has the authority, pursuant to section 9(1) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), to issue and renew licences for such terms not exceeding seven years and subject to such conditions related to the circumstances of the licensee as it deems appropriate for the implementation of the broadcasting policy set out in section 3(1) of the Act.
  2. Consistent with that authority, the Commission renews the broadcasting licences for the English-language commercial radio programming undertakings listed below from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2027. The Commission did not receive any interventions in regard to these applications. The terms and conditions of licence for these stations are set out in the appendix to this decision.
    Call sign and location Application
    CFCP-FM Courtenay, British Columbia 2019-0759-4
    CFPW-FM Powell River, British Columbia 2019-0801-3
    CIQC-FM Campbell River, British Columbia and its transmitter CJGR-FM Gold River 2019-0764-3
    CJCI-FM Prince George, British Columbia 2019-0761-9
    CJSU-FM Duncan, British Columbia 2019-0763-5
    CFNA-FM Bonnyville, Alberta 2019-0791-6
    CFRI-FM Grande Prairie, Alberta 2019-0766-9
    CJOC-FM Lethbridge, Alberta 2019-0767-7
    CKBD-FM Lethbridge, Alberta 2019-0790-9
    CKLM-FM Lloydminster, Alberta 2019-0799-0

Licence amendment for CFCP-FM Courtenay

  1. Sections 3(1)(e) and 3(1)(s)(i) of the Act declare that each element of the Canadian broadcasting system shall contribute in an appropriate manner to the creation and presentation of Canadian programming and that private networks and programming undertakings should, to an extent consistent with the financial and other resources available to them, contribute significantly to the creation and presentation of Canadian programming. In accordance with this aspect of the broadcasting policy and pursuant to its authority in section 9(1), the Commission has imposed conditions of licence requiring programming undertakings to contribute in various ways to the creation of Canadian programming, including imposing Canadian content development (CCD) requirements.
  2. CFCP-FM currently has a condition of licence that requires it to make an annual over-and-above CCD contribution of $2,600 to FACTOR, as set out in Appendix 15 to Broadcasting Decision 2013-460. The licensee requested the deletion of this condition of licence in a Part 1 application (2019-0769-3) posted on 5 June 2020.
  3. It is the Commission’s general practice to require that radio stations make over-and-above CCD contributions over seven consecutive broadcast years, upon commencement of operations.
  4. The Commission notes that CFCP-FM has been subject to an over-and-above CCD condition of licence since its conversion to the FM band in 1998 and has therefore made contributions for well beyond the required seven consecutive broadcast years. Consequently, the Commission finds that it would be appropriate to delete CFCP-FM’s over-and-above CCD condition of licence for the next licence term, and approve the licensee’s request in this regard.

Reminders

Tangible benefits – CJOC-FM Lethbridge and CKBD-FM Lethbridge

  1. The licensee must fulfill all the remaining tangible benefits resulting from the acquisition of all the issued and outstanding shares of Clear Sky Radio Inc. by Vista Radio Ltd., which was approved administratively in a Commission letter dated 11 December 2018.

Local programming – CFRI-FM Grande-Prairie

  1. Local radio stations are an important daily source of local news and information for communities. Holding a broadcasting licence comes with conditions, regulatory obligations and responsibilities, which include contributing to the Canadian broadcasting system by ensuring that Canadians have access to local programming that reflects their needs and interests and informs them of important current issues.
  2. For CFRI-FM, the licensee proposed to broadcast 1 hour 51 minutes of news each week.
  3. Although Broadcasting Public Notice 2006-158 does not specify a minimum level of weekly news to be broadcast, it does specify the type of spoken word material that must be included as part of a station’s local programming. In accordance with that public notice, the Commission reminds the licensee that the above-noted station, in its local programming, must incorporate spoken word material of direct and particular relevance to the communities served, and that this programming must include local news, weather, sports coverage, and the promotion of local events and activities. In addition, the Commission encourages the licensee to ensure that a reasonable amount of daily local news and information is made available to those communities.

Force and effect of broadcasting certificates

  1. Pursuant to section 22 of the Act, the broadcasting licences renewed in this decision will cease to have any force or effect if the broadcasting certificates issued by the Department of Industry lapse.

Employment equity

  1. Because this licensee is subject to the Employment Equity Act and files reports concerning employment equity with the Department of Employment and Social Development, its employment equity practices are not examined by the Commission.

Secretary General

Related documents

This decision is to be appended to each licence.

Appendix to Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2020-279

Terms, conditions of licence and expectation for the English-language commercial radio programming undertakings for which the broadcasting licences are renewed in this decision

Terms

The licence will expire 31 August 2027.

Conditions of licence applicable to all stations

  1. The licensee shall adhere to the conditions of licence set out in Conditions of licence for commercial AM and FM radio stations, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2009-62, 11 February 2009, as well as to the conditions set out in the broadcasting licence for the undertaking.

Additional condition of licence applicable to CJOC-FM Lethbridge, CFNA-FM Bonnyville and CKLM-FM Lloydminster

  1. The licensee shall, as an exception to the percentage of Canadian musical selections set out in section 2.2(8) of the Radio Regulations, 1986, in each broadcast week, devote a minimum of 40% of its musical selections from content category 2 (Popular Music) to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety.


    For purposes of this condition, “broadcast week,” “Canadian selection,” “content category,” and “musical selection” shall have the same meanings as those set out in the Radio Regulations, 1986.

Additional condition of licence applicable to CKBD-FM Lethbridge

  1. To fulfill its outstanding commitments to Canadian content development (CCD) set out in the appendix to CKVN-FM Lethbridge – Acquisition of assets, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2014-400, 31 July 2014, the licensee shall contribute $12,316 by no later than 31 August 2021 (2020-2021 broadcast year). This contribution is in addition to the basic CCD contributions required under section 15 of the Radio Regulations, 1986.


    Of this amount, not less than 20% per broadcast year shall be devoted to FACTOR or MUSICACTION. The remainder shall be allocated to parties and initiatives fulfilling the definition of eligible initiatives set out in paragraph 108 of Commercial Radio Policy 2006, Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2006-158, 15 December 2006.

Expectation applicable to all stations

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

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