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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2021-12

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

Ottawa, 18 January 2021

Bell Media Inc. and 8384819 Canada Inc., partners in a general partnership carrying on business as Bell Media Regional Radio Partnership
Various locations in British Columbia and Ontario

Public record for these applications: 2019-0792-4, 2019-0825-3, 2019-0826-1, 2019-0828-7, 2019-0845-1, 2019-0846-9, 2019-0848-5, 2019-0852-6 and 2019-0853-4

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 English-language commercialradio programming undertakings listed below 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 the appendix to this decision.
    Call sign and Locality Application
    CFAX Victoria, British Columbia 2019-0828-7
    CFTE Vancouver, British Columbia 2019-0825-3
    CHQM-FM Vancouver, British Columbia 2019-0826-1
    CFGO Ottawa, Ontario 2019-0845-1
    CFRA Ottawa, Ontario 2019-0792-4
    CHUM Toronto, Ontario 2019-0852-6
    CHUM-FM Toronto, Ontario 2019-0853-4
    CJMJ-FM Ottawa, Ontario 2019-0846-9
    CKPT-FM Peterborough, Ontario 2019-0848-5

Reminders

Tangible benefits

  1. 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

  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. The licensee proposed for the following stations to broadcast the following weekly levels of news:
    • CHQM-FM Vancouver, British Columbia: 0 hours, 40 minutes
    • CFGO Ottawa, Ontario: 1 hour, 0 minutes
    • CHUM Toronto, Ontario: 0 hours, 0 minutesFootnote 2
    • CHUM-FM Toronto, Ontario: 0 hours, 0 minutes
    • CJMJ-FM Ottawa, Ontario: 0 hours, 0 minutes
    • CKPT-FM Peterborough, Ontario: 0 hours, 42 minutes
  3. In addition, for CFTE Vancouver, the licensee proposed to broadcast each week two hours and 12 minutes of news (non-localFootnote 3) and three hours of local programming.
  4. 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 ensure that a reasonable amount of daily local news and information is made available to those communities to provide a satisfactory level of local service.

Force and effect of broadcasting licences

  1. 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

  1. 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

This decision is to be appended to each licence.

Appendix to Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2021-12

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

  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.
  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 CFGO Ottawa

  1. 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 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 of licence:

    • the terms “broadcast week,” “content category” and “musical selection” shall have the same meanings as those set out in section 2 of the Regulations; and
    • content category 2 (Popular Music) is defined in Revised content categories and subcategories for radio, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-819, 5 November 2010.

Additional condition of licence applicable to CKPT-FM Peterborough and CHUM Toronto

  1. 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 the licensee broadcasts are selections released before 1 January 1981, the licensee shall devote 30% or more of its musical selections from content category 2 throughout the broadcast week and between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Monday to Friday 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.

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