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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2022-169

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Reference: Part 1 application posted on 21 April 2022

Ottawa, 23 June 2022

Crossroads Television System
Hamilton, Ontario

Public record: 2022-0159-9

CITS-DT Hamilton – Technical changes

  1. The Commission has the authority, pursuant to subsection 9(1) of the Broadcasting Act (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 Crossroads Television System to change the authorized contours of CITS-DT Hamilton, Ontario, by increasing the maximum effective radiated power (ERP) from 289,000 to 691,300 watts, increasing the average ERP from 130,290 to 144,400 watts, increasing the effective height of the antenna above average terrain (EHAAT) from 324.8 to 337.3 metres and amending the existing coordinates of the transmitter site. 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. The licensee stated that its tower is now surrounded by residential and other build-up, which has triggered the advisability of moving the tower. Moving the transmitter site to the requested location will allow it to continue to use the same tower as CHCH-DT Hamilton.Footnote 1 The licensee also submitted that the new proposed transmitter location and parameters have been chosen to ensure that CITS-DT’s existing coverage will be duplicated as much as possible, thereby ensuring a continuity of reception for viewers. The Commission is satisfied that the licensee has demonstrated a technical need for the requested technical changes.
  5. Pursuant to subsection 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.
  6. The licensee must implement the technical changes by no later than 23 June 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.
  7. As set out in section 18 of the Television Broadcasting Regulations, 1987 (the Regulations), licensees have obligations regarding the broadcasting of emergency alert messages received from the National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System. In regard to the changes to CITS-DT’s authorized contours approved in this decision, the Commission reminds the licensee that continued compliance with section 18 of the Regulations may require that any alert broadcast decoders (e.g., ENDEC) used for the purposes of broadcasting emergency alert messages on CITS-DT, or on any rebroadcasting transmitters that may appear on the broadcasting licence for this 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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