Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2020-407

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References: Part 1 licence renewal applications posted on 30 October 2020

Ottawa, 22 December 2020

Bell Media Inc.
Various locations across Canada

Public record for these applications: The application numbers are set in Appendix 1 to this decision.

Various commercial radio stations – Licence renewals

1. The Commission has the authority, pursuant to section 9(1) of the Broadcasting 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 Broadcasting Act.
2. Consistent with that authority, the Commission renews the broadcasting licences for the commercial radio programming undertakings listed in Appendix 1 to this decision from 1 March 2021 to 31 August 2027.^{Footnote 1} 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 Appendix 2.

Reminders

Tangible benefits

3. The Commission reminds the licensee that it must pay any remaining tangible benefits stemming from the ownership transaction approved in Broadcasting Decision 2013-310, subject to the revised allocation of certain of those benefits as approved in Broadcasting Decision 2015-243.

Local news and local programming

4. 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.
5. The licensee proposed for the following stations to broadcast the following weekly levels of news:

British Columbia

• CFTK Terrace: 1 hour, 50 minutes
• CHRX-FM Fort St. John and its transmitter CHRX-FM-1 Dawson Creek: 0 hours, 54 minutes
• CHSU-FM Kelowna and its transmitter CHSU-FM-1 Big White Mountain: 0 hours, 0 minutes
• CICF-FM Vernon and its transmitter CICF-4-FM Armstrong/Enderby: 1 hour, 0 minutes
• CILK-FM Kelowna and its transmitter CILK-FM-1 Big White Mountain: 0 hours, 25 minutes
• CJAT-FM Trail and its transmitters CFKC Creston, CJAT-FM-1 Castlegar and CJAT-FM-2 Grand Forks: 1 hour, 40 minutes
• CJDC Dawson Creek and its transmitter CJDC-1-FM Tumbler Ridge: 0 hours, 54 minutes
• CKKC-FM Nelson and its transmitters CKBS-FM Nakusp, CKKC-1-FM Crawford Bay, CKZX-FM New Denver and CKZX-FM-1 Kaslo: 1 hour, 40 minutes
• CKNL-FM Fort St. John: 0 hours, 54 minutes
• CKRX-FM Fort Nelson: 0 hours, 54 minutes
• CKTK-FM Kitimat: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Alberta

• CFBR-FM Edmonton: 0 hours, 0 minutes
• CFMG-FM St. Albert: 0 hours, 0 minutes
• CFRN Edmonton: 0 hours, 28 minutes
• CIBK-FM Calgary: 0 hours, 0 minutes
• CJAY-FM Calgary and its transmitters CJAY-FM-1 Banff and CJAY-FM-3 Invermere: 0 hours, 0 minutes
• CKMX Calgary and its transmitter CFVP-SW Calgary: 0 hours, 0 minutes

Saskatchewan

• CHBD-FM Regina: 0 hours, 47 minutes

Manitoba

• CKMM-FM Winnipeg: 0 hours, 0 minutes
• CKX-FM Brandon: 1 hour, 0 minutes
• CKXA-FM Brandon: 1 hour, 0 minutes

Ontario

• CHAM Hamilton: 0 hours, 0 minutes^{Footnote 2}
• CHRE-FM St. Catharines: 1 hour, 7 minutes
• CHTZ-FM St. Catharines: 0 hours, 0 minutes
• CHVR-FM Pembroke: 1 hour, 32 minutes
• CIQM-FM London: 0 hours, 0 minutes
• CJBX-FM London: 1 hour, 45 minutes
• CKFM-FM Toronto: 0 hours, 0 minutes
• CKLH-FM Hamilton: 1 hour, 7 minutes
• CKOC Hamilton: 0 hours, 0 minutes^{Footnote 3}

Quebec

• CHOM-FM Montréal: 0 hours, 45 minutes
• CIMF-FM Gatineau and its transmitter CIMF-FM-1 Hawkesbury, Ontario: 0 hours, 52 minutes
• CIMO-FM Magog and its transmitter CIMO-FM-1 Sherbrooke: 1 hour, 21 minutes
• CJFM-FM Montréal: 0 hours, 0 minutes.

6. The licensee proposed for the following AM stations to broadcast the following weekly levels of local programming:
   • CKFR Kelowna, British Colombia: 36 hours, 0 minutes
   • CKMX Calgary, Alberta, and its transmitter CFVP-SW Calgary: 3 hours, 30 minutes
   • CHAM Hamilton, Ontario: 11 hours, 30 minutes
   • CJBK London, Ontario: 22 hours, 30 minutes
   • CKOC Hamilton, Ontario: 27 hours, 45 minutes.

7. 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. That public notice also does not specify a minimum level of local programming to be broadcast by AM stations, but it does specify that all licensees will be required, in their licence renewal applications, to address local programming and to describe how the service they provide meets the particular needs and interests of their local communities. In accordance with Broadcasting Public Notice 2006-158, the Commission reminds the licensee that the above-noted stations, in their 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 make available to those communities a reasonable amount of daily local programming, which includes daily local news and information, in order to ensure that the stations provide a satisfactory level of local service.

Force and effect of broadcasting licences

8. Pursuant to section 22 of the Broadcasting 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

9. Because the 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

• Various radio programming undertakings – Administrative renewals, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2020-284, 21 August 2020
• Applications related to tangible benefits, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2015-243, 9 June 2015
• Astral broadcasting undertakings – Change in effective control, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2013-310, 27 June 2013
• Commercial Radio Policy 2006, Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2006-158, 15 December 2006

This decision is to be appended to each licence.

Appendix 1 to Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2020-407

Radio programming undertakings for which the broadcasting licences are renewed in this decision

Appendix 2 to Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2020-407

Terms, conditions of licence and expectation for the commercial radio programming undertakings for which the broadcasting licences have been 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 into the broadcasting licence for the undertaking.
2. The licensee shall provide commercially reasonable access to advertising availabilities to unrelated operators of broadcasting undertakings and telecommunications service providers.
3. a) The licensee shall pay tangible benefits in respect of any shortfall in the tangible benefits for the radio broadcasting undertakings to be divested by BCE Inc. (BCE) in accordance with Astral broadcasting undertakings – Change of effective control, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2013-310, 27 June 2013, between $11.05 million attributed to those undertakings and the aggregate value of the tangible benefits to be paid by purchasers of those undertakings as determined by the Commission in the decision approving the transfer of those undertakings by BCE (“shortfall”)

   b) In the event of a shortfall, the licensee shall file with the Commission a proposal for the payment of the resulting tangible benefits within 30 days of the Commission’s decisions approving the transfer of the last of those undertakings by BCE.

   .

Additional condition of licence applicable to CFRN Edmonton, and CKMX Calgary, Alberta and its transmitter CFVP-SW Calgary

4. The licensee shall, as an exception to the percentage of Canadian musical selections set out in sections 2.2(8) and 2.2(9) of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations), in any broadcast week where at least 90% of musical selections from content category 2 (Popular Music) that it broadcasts are selections released before 1 January 1981:
   • in that broadcast week, devote 30% or more of its musical selections from content category 2 to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety; and
   • between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., in the period beginning on Monday of that week and ending on Friday of the same broadcast week, devote 30% or more of its musical selections from content category 2 to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety.

The licensee shall specify, on the music lists it provides to the Commission, the year of release for all musical selections it broadcasts.

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

Additional condition of licence applicable to CIBK-FM Calgary, Alberta

5. The licensee shall devote, in each broadcast week, a minimum of 40% of its musical selections from content category 2 (Popular Music) to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety.

   For the purposes of this condition of licence, the terms “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 CHBD-FM Regina, Saskatchewan

6. The licensee shall, as an exception to the percentage of Canadian musical selections set out in sections 2.2(8) and 2.2(9) of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations), in any broadcast week:

   (a) devote, in that broadcast week, a minimum of 40% of its musical selections from content category 2 (Popular Music) to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety; and

   (b) devote, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., in the period from Monday to Friday of the same broadcast week, 40% or more of its musical selections from content category 2 to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety.

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

Additional condition of licence applicable to CKFM-FM Toronto, Ontario

7. The licensee is authorized to use Subsidiary Communications Multiplex Operation (SCMO) channels to distribute ethnic programming in the Chinese and Greek languages.

Additional condition of licence applicable to CKLH-FM Hamilton, Ontario

8. The licensee is authorized to use a Subsidiary Communications Multiplex Operation (SCMO) channel to distribute ethnic programming in the German language.

Additional condition of licence applicable to CKOC Hamilton, Ontario

9. The licensee shall, as an exception to the percentage of Canadian musical selections set out in sections 2.2(8) and 2.2(9) of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations), in any broadcast week where at least 90% of musical selections from content category 2 (Popular Music) that it broadcasts are selections released before 1 January 1981:
   • in that broadcast week, devote 30% or more of its musical selections from content category 2 to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety; and
   • between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., in the period beginning on Monday of that week and ending on Friday of the same broadcast week, devote 30% or more of its musical selections from content category 2 to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety.

The licensee shall specify, on the music lists it provides to the Commission, the year of release for all musical selections it broadcasts.

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

Additional condition of licence applicable to CKTB St. Catharines, Ontario

10. The licensee shall, as an exception to the percentage of Canadian musical selections set out in sections 2.2(8) and 2.2(9) of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations):

    (a) in those periods of content category 2 (Popular Music) music consisting exclusively of music composed before 1956, devote a weekly average of 2% or more of its musical selections from content category 2 broadcast during those periods to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety. The licensee shall identify those broadcast periods and the dates of composition of the music selections broadcast during those periods when requested by the Commission.

    (b) in those periods of category 2 music consisting of 90% or more but not exclusively, of music composed before 1956, devote a weekly average of 10% or more of its musical selections from content category 2 broadcast during those periods to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety. The licensee shall identify those broadcast periods and the dates of composition of the music selections broadcast during those periods when requested by the Commission.

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

Additional condition of licence applicable to CFEI-FM Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec

11. The licensee shall, as an exception to the percentage of Canadian musical selections set out in sections 2.2(8) and 2.2(9) of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations), in any broadcast week where at least 90% of musical selections from content category 2 that it broadcasts are selections released before 1 January 1981
    • devote, in that broadcast week, 30% or more of its musical selections from content category 2 to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety; and
    • devote, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., in the period from Monday to Friday of the same broadcast week, 30% or more of its musical selections from content category 2 to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety.

The licensee will also be responsible for specifying, on the music lists it provides to the Commission, the year of release for all musical selections it broadcasts.

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

Expectation applicable to all stations

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

Date modified:

2020-12-22