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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2022-122

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Reference: Part 1 application posted on 10 January 2022

Ottawa, 6 May 2022

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Saguenay and Chibougamau, Quebec

Public record: 2021-0841-4

CBJ-FM Saguenay and its transmitter CBJ-FM-1 Chibougamau – 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 CBJ-FM-1 Chibougamau, Quebec, a rebroadcasting transmitter of the French-language radio programming undertaking CBJ-FM Saguenay, Quebec, by changing the transmitter class from A to B, increasing the maximum effective radiated power (ERP) from 420 to 30,682 watts, increasing the average ERP from 420 watts to 12,075 watts, replacing the existing non-directional antenna with a new directional elliptically polarized antenna and by decreasing the effective height of the antenna above average terrain from 110.0 to 108.5 metres. All other technical parameters will remain unchanged.
  3. The Commission did not receive any interventions in regard to this application.
  4. When requesting technical changes, licensees are generally required to demonstrate a technical or economic need. In regard to the present application, the licensee stated that the proposed amendments will allow it to replace a timeworn antenna, to reduce maintenance and operating costs, to maintain an excellent coverage in the region of Chibougamau as well as serve the region of Chapais and its surroundings. It also stated that this antenna will be co-located with the one for CBVC-FM Chibougamau (Radio One). It added that these technical amendments will allow it to close the rebroadcasting transmitter AM CBJ-2 Chapais, Quebec, after confirming with extensive testing, that the population of Chapais is well served by the CBJ-FM-1 Chibougamau station.
  5. The Commission is satisfied that the licensee has demonstrated a technical need for the requested technical changes.
  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 6 May 2024. 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 CBJ-FM-1’s authorized contours resulting from the implementation of the technical changes 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 CBJ-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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