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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2023-166

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References: Part 1 licence renewal applications posted on 29 September 2022

Ottawa, 1 June 2023

Bell Media Regional Radio Partnership
Various locations in British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia

Public record: 2022-0563-2, 2022-0565-8, 2022-0567-4 and 2022-0589-8

Various commercial radio stations in British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia – Licence renewals

  1. The Commission has the authority, pursuant to subsection 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 subsection 3(1) of the Broadcasting Act.
  2. Consistent with that authority, the Commission renews the broadcasting licences for the English-language commercial radio programming undertakings listed below from 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2030.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.


    Commercial radio station operating in British Columbia

    Call sign and locality Application
    CFBT-FM Vancouver 2022-0589-8

    Commercial radio stations operating in Ontario

    Call sign and locality Application
    CIMX-FM Windsor 2022-0567-4
    CKKW-FM Kitchener 2022-0565-8

    Commercial radio station operating in Nova Scotia

    Call sign and locality Application
    CJCH-FM Halifax 2022-0563-2

Reminders

Intangible benefits

  1. The Commission reminds the licensee that in regard to CFBT-FM and CJCH-FM, it must file yearly reports regarding its emerging artists airplay commitments, as set out in Appendix 5 to Broadcasting Decision 2013-310.

Local news

  1. 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. Although Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2022-332 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. In accordance with that regulatory policy, the Commission reminds the licensee that its 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.

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 (also known as Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) lapse.

Employment equity

  1. Because this licensee is subject to the Employment Equity Act and files reports concerning employment equity with the Department of Employment and Social Development (also known as Employment and Social Development Canada), its employment equity practices are not examined by the Commission.

Practical guide for radio licence renewals

  1. To learn more about the Commission’s review of compliance with requirements relating to radio licences, and about the radio renewal process, please consult the Commission’s Practical guide to radio licence renewals.

Secretary General

Related documents

This decision is to be appended to each licence.

Appendix to Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2023-166

Terms, conditions of licence and expectations for the commercial radio programming undertakings for which the broadcasting licences have been renewed in this decision

Terms

The licence will expire 31 August 2030.

Conditions of licence applicable to all stations

  1. The licensee shall adhere to the conditions of licence set out in Revised conditions of licence for commercial AM and FM radio stations, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2022-334, 7 December 2022, 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 to unrelated telecommunications service providers.

Additional conditions of licence applicable to CJCH-FM Halifax, Nova Scotia

  1. The licensee shall, as an exception to the percentage of Canadian musical selections set out in subsections 2.2(8) and 2.2(9) of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations):
    • 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; and
    • in those periods of content 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 the date of composition of the selections it broadcasts. The licensee shall also identify periods of pre-1956 station-originated programming whenever requested by the Commission and submit information concerning the station’s broadcasting of Canadian music.

    For the purposes of this condition, the terms “Canadian selection,” “content category” and “musical selection” shall have the same meanings as those set out in the Regulations. Further, “weekly average” is to be calculated over the broadcast week, consistent with the meaning of “broadcast week” as set out in the Regulations.

  2. The licensee shall, as an exception to the percentage of Canadian musical selections set out in subsections 2.2(8) and 2.2(9) of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations), in any broadcast week where at least 90% of the musical selections from content category 2 (Popular Music) that it broadcasts are selections released before 1 January 1981:
    • devote, in that broadcast week, a minimum of 30% of its musical selections from content category 2 to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety; and
    • devote, between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., in the period from Monday to Friday of the same broadcast week, a minimum of 30% 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, the terms “broadcast week,” “Canadian selection,” “content category” and “musical selection” shall have the same meanings as those set out in the Regulations.

Additional conditions of licence applicable to CIMX-FM Windsor, Ontario

  1. The licensee shall, as an exception to the percentage of Canadian musical selections set out in subsections 2.2(8) and 2.2(9) of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations), in any broadcast week:
    • devote, in that broadcast week, a minimum of 20% of its musical selections from content category 2 (Popular Music) to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety; and
    • devote, between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., in the period from Monday to Friday of the same broadcast week, a minimum of 20% of its musical selections from content category 2 to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety.
  2. During each broadcast week, the licensee shall devote a minimum of 5% of all programming to spoken word programming.
  3. During each broadcast week, the licensee shall devote a minimum of 1 hour and 30 minutes to news programming.

For the purposes of these conditions, 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.

Expectations applicable to all stations

Cultural diversity

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

Indigenous musical selections

Consistent with the Commission’s determination set out in Revised Commercial Radio Policy, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2022-332, 7 December 2022 (Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2022-332), the Commission expects the licensee to include Indigenous musical selections on the station’s playlist. The licensee should report annually on the amount of Indigenous content aired on the station throughout the broadcast year (i.e., from 1 September to 31 August), including the percentage of Indigenous musical selections out of the total number of musical selections that were aired, and the number of distinct artists whose music has been aired. The licensee should also be able to provide, upon request, information such as a list of all titles, artists, and International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) numbers.

For the purposes of the above paragraph, the licensee may use the provisional definition of “Indigenous-Canadian musical selection” set out in paragraph 441 of Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2022-332 to determine whether a musical selection can be considered an Indigenous musical selection.

Additional expectation applicable to CIMX-FM Windsor and CKKW-FM Kitchener, Ontario

Canadian emerging artists

Consistent with the Commission’s determination set out in Revised Commercial Radio Policy, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2022-332, 7 December 2022 (Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2022-332), the Commission expects the licensee to devote, in each broadcast week, at least 5% of the station’s musical selections to selections from Canadian emerging artists broadcast in their entirety. The licensee should report annually on how it has met this expectation, including the percentage of selections from Canadian emerging artists out of the total number of musical selections that were aired, and the number of distinct artists whose music has been aired. The licensee should also be able to provide, upon request, information such as a list of all titles, artists, and International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) numbers.

For the purposes of the above paragraph, the definition of “Canadian emerging artist” is the same as that set out in paragraph 346 of Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2022-332.

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