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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2020-364

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Reference: Part 1 application posted on 20 August 2020

Ottawa, 29 October 2020

Bell Media Radio Atlantic Inc.
Fredericton, New Brunswick

Public record for this application: 2020-0501-6

CKHJ Fredericton – Technical changes

  1. The Commission has the authority, pursuant to section 9(1) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), to issue 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, as well as to amend those conditions on application of the licensee.
  2. Pursuant to this authority, the Commission approves an application by Bell Media Radio Atlantic Inc. (Bell) to change the authorized contours of the English-language commercial AM radio programming undertaking CKHJ Fredericton, New Brunswick, by decreasing the night-time transmitter power from 10,000 to 32 watts and by replacing the existing directional antenna system with a non-directional antenna. All other technical parameters will remain unchanged. The Commission received one intervention from an individual who provided general comments in regard to this application.
  3. The Commission notes that the population served by CKHJ at night will decrease from 55,400 to 990 (a decrease of 98.21%) within the station’s primary (15 mV/m) contour and from 67,900 to 12,500 (a decrease of 81.59%) within its secondary (5 mV/m) contour. The populations served by CKHJ during the day will not change. Although the proposed night-time contour will provide less coverage to the north and south, the licensee indicated that, according to its tests, adequate service to the Fredericton market will be maintained. Moreover, some of the areas that will lose coverage are located within the secondary contours of CKHJ’s rebroadcasting transmitters, CKHJ-1-FM New Maryland and CKHJ-2-FM Oromocto.
  4. When requesting technical changes, a licensee is generally required to demonstrate a technical or economic need. In this case, Bell indicated that the requested technical changes are necessary to permit CKHJ, which currently uses a single non-directional antenna tower during the day and a three-tower directional antenna system at night, to use a single non-directional antenna tower at all times. Bell added that this will simplify the facilities required to operate the station, improve reliability by eliminating pattern switching, and reduce site maintenance costs. The Commission is satisfied that Bell has demonstrated a technical and an economic need for the requested technical changes.
  5. The Commission is also satisfied that the decrease in CKHJ’s coverage will not impact daytime listenership, which comprises the majority of tuning hours, and will be partially mitigated by the station’s transmitters continuing to provide service to some of the affected locations.
  6. Pursuant to section 22(1) of the Act, this authority will only be effective when the Department of Industry notifies the Commission that its technical requirements have been met and that a broadcasting certificate will be issued.
  7. The licensee must implement the technical changes by no later than 29 October 2022. To request an extension, the licensee must submit a written request to the Commission at least 60 days before that date, using the form available on the Commission’s website.

Secretary General
This decision is to be appended to the licence.

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