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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2021-293

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Reference: Part 1 application posted on 28 May 2021

Ottawa, 19 August 2021

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Sudbury and Elliot Lake, Ontario

Public record for this application: 2021-0337-3

CBON-FM Sudbury and its transmitter CBON-FM-5 Elliot Lake – Technical changes

  1. The Commission has the authority, pursuant to subsection 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 the Commission deems appropriate for the implementation of the broadcasting policy set out in subsection 3(1) of the Act, as well as to amend those conditions on application of the licensee.
  2. Consistent with this authority, the Commission approves the application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to change the authorized contours of CBON-FM-5 Elliot Lake, Ontario, a rebroadcasting transmitter of the French-language radio programming undertaking CBON-FM Sudbury, Ontario, by increasing the average effective radiated power (ERP) from 1,000 to 7,245 watts (maximum ERP from 2,640 to 17,622 watts), increasing the effective height of the antenna above average terrain from 141.0 to 165.3 metres, and amending the coordinates of the transmitter site. All other technical parameters will remain unchanged.
  3. The Commission received one comment from an individual, to which the CBC replied, regarding a possible overlapping of the contours of the rebroadcasting transmitter CBON-FM-5 with those of CBON-FM-6 Blind River, Ontario.
  4. When requesting technical changes, licensees are generally required to demonstrate a technical or economic need justifying the changes. The CBC indicated that the requested technical changes are required to replace the existing timeworn tower and that it is taking the opportunity to replace the transmitter and antenna at the same time. The licensee also proposed to increase the parameters, within the allowed limits, to reach a larger audience in Elliot Lake. The new antenna will be co-located with CBEC-FM Elliot Lake (Radio One).
  5. The Commission is satisfied that the licensee has demonstrated a technical need for the requested technical changes.
  6. Pursuant to subsection 22(1) of the Act, this authority will be effective only 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 19 August 2023. 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.
  8. As set out in section 16 of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations), licensees have obligations relating to the broadcast of emergency alert messages received from the National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System. In regard to the changes to CBON-FM-5’s authorized contours approved in this decision, the Commission reminds the licensee that continued compliance with section 16 of the Regulations may require that any alert broadcast decoders (e.g., ENDEC) used for the purposes of broadcasting emergency alert messages on CBON-FM, or on any rebroadcasting transmitters that may appear on the broadcasting licence for that station, be reprogrammed to properly account for the new authorized contours.

Secretary General

This decision is to be appended to the licence.

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