Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-206
Ottawa, 13 July 2023
Public record: 1011-NOC2023-0206
Notice of hearing
14 September 2023
National Capital Region
Deadline for submission of interventions/comments/answers: 14 August 2023
[Submit an intervention/comment/answer or view related documents]
The Commission will hold a virtual hearing on 14 September 2023 at 11:00 a.m. in the National Capital Region. The Commission intends to consider the following applications, subject to interventions, without the appearance of the parties:
Applicant/Licensee and Locality
- The Miracle Channel Association
Across Canada
Application 2023-0248-8 - Arsenal Media Inc.
Joliette, Quebec
Application 2021-0457-9 - Radio Nord-Joli inc.
Joliette, Quebec
Application 2023-0178-7 - United Christian Broadcasters Media Canada
Medicine Hat, Alberta
Application 2023-0303-0
1. The Miracle Channel Association
Across Canada
Application 2023-0248-8
Application by The Miracle Channel Association for a broadcasting licence to operate its national English-language discretionary service known as Corco.
The service commenced operations on 26 August 2021 further to Exemption order respecting discretionary television programming undertakings serving fewer than 200,000 subscribers, Broadcasting Order CRTC 2015-88, 12 March 2015 (the Exemption Order).
The applicant indicated that the programming of its service is devoted to exclusive original content and proven favourites that will entertain and encourage the whole family.
The service has exceeded 210,000 subscribers for more than three consecutive months, making it ineligible to operate under the terms of the Exemption Order. The current application is to obtain a licence for the applicant to continue its operations.
The applicant stated that it would adhere to the standard conditions of service for discretionary services set out in Appendix 2 to Standard requirements for television stations, discretionary services and on-demand services, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2016-436, 2 November 2016.
Applicant address:
1389 Niakwa Road East
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R2J 3T3
Telephone: 204-894-0564
E-mail: adam.mcpherson@miraclechannel.ca
E-mail to request electronic version of application: adam.mcpherson@miraclechannel.ca
2. Arsenal Media Inc.
Joliette, Quebec
Application 2021-0457-9
Application by Arsenal Media Inc. for a broadcasting licence to operate a French-language commercial FM radio station in Joliette.
The station would operate at 107.9 MHz (channel 300B1) with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 14,912 watts (maximum ERP of 25,000 watts with an effective height of the antenna above average terrain [EHAAT] of 93.1 metres).
The applicant proposes to broadcast 126 hours of programming per broadcast week, of which 42 hours would be devoted to local programming.
The applicant also proposes a country and folk music format targeting the adult population of Joliette.
This application is published as part of this non-appearing hearing pursuant to the Commission’s determination set out in Findings regarding market capacity and the appropriateness of issuing a call for radio applications to serve Joliette, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2023-16, 23 January 2023.
The Commission may withdraw this application from the public hearing if it is not advised by the Department of Industry (also known as Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada), at least 20 days prior to the hearing, that the application is technically acceptable.
Applicant's address:
662 Victoria Avenue
Saint-Lambert, Quebec
J4P 2J6
Fax: 514-846-1227
E-mail: schamberland@arsenalmedia.com
E-mail to request electronic version of application: michellorain15@gmail.com
3. Radio Nord-Joli inc.
Joliette, Quebec
Application 2023-0178-7
Application by Radio Nord-Joli inc. for a broadcasting licence to operate a French-language community FM radio station to serve a geographical area located in Lanaudière North including Joliette.
Should this application be approved, Radio Nord-Joli is requesting to transfer the authorization to operate its rebroadcasting transmitter in St-Zénon to the licence of the new radio station and will request the revocation of the licence currently in force for CFNJ-FM Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon, Quebec. The licensee states that these three requests, namely the request for the new licence, the application for the transfer of the rebroadcasting transmitter in St-Zénon and the request for the revocation of the current licence are non-severable.
The station would operate at 99.1 MHz (channel 256B1) with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 6,860 watts (maximum ERP of 10,500 watts with an effective height of the antenna above average terrain [EHAAT] of 143.5 metres).
The applicant proposes to broadcast 126 hours of programming per broadcast week, of which 117 hours and 15 minutes would be devoted to local programming.
The applicant plans to use HD technology.
This application is published as part of this non-appearing hearing pursuant to the Commission’s determination set out in Findings regarding market capacity and the appropriateness of issuing a call for radio applications to serve Joliette, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2023-16, 23 January 2023.
The Commission may withdraw this application from the public hearing if it is not advised by the Department of Industry (also known as Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada), at least 20 days prior to the hearing, that the application is technically acceptable.
Applicant's address:
331 Richard Street
Joliette, Quebec
J6E 2S8
Fax: 450-835-3581
E-mail: nicolas.bellemare@cfnj.net
E-mail to request electronic version of application: francois@octavecom.ca
4. United Christian Broadcasters Media Canada
Medicine Hat, Alberta
Application 2023-0303-0
Application by United Christian Broadcasters Media Canada (UCB Canada) for authority to acquire from Vista Radio Ltd. the assets of the English-language commercial specialty (Religious music) radio station CJLT-FM Medicine Hat.
UCB Canada is also requesting a new broadcasting licence to continue the operation of the undertaking under the same terms and conditions as those in effect under the current licence.
UCB Canada is controlled by its board of directors.
UCB Canada proposes to purchase the assets of the undertaking for $20,000. The applicant proposes a value of the transaction of $185,437.40, which includes assumed leases. The applicant requested an exception from the requirement to pay tangible benefits, indicating that the undertaking has experienced financial losses over a period of at least five consecutive years. It also argued that maintaining the station’s presence in the community would serve the public interest.
Following the closing of the transaction, UCB Canada would become the licensee of CJLT-FM Medicine Hat.
Applicant's address:
10A Dundas St. West
Belleville, ON
K8P 1A1
Fax: 613-966-3211
E-mail: john.roeper@ucbmedia.ca
E-mail to request electronic version of application: john.roeper@ucbmedia.ca
Procedure
Deadline for interventions, comments or answers
14 August 2023
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure (the Rules of Procedure) apply to the present proceeding. The Rules of Procedure set out, among other things, the rules for content, format, filing and service of interventions, answer, replies and requests for information; the procedure for filing confidential information and requesting its disclosure; and the conduct of public hearings. Accordingly, the procedure set out below must be read in conjunction with the Rules of Procedure and related documents, which can be found on the Commission’s website under “Statutes and Regulations.” Guidelines on the CRTC Rules of Practice and Procedure, Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-959, 23 December 2010, provides information to help interested persons and parties understand the Rules of Procedure so that they can more effectively participate in Commission proceedings.
An intervention or an answer from a respondent must be filed with the Commission and served on the applicant on or before the above-mentioned date. An answer from a respondent must also be served on any other respondent.
Interventions and answers must clearly identify the application referred to and indicate whether parties support or oppose the application, or, if they propose changes to it, include the facts and grounds for their proposal.
Interested persons are permitted to coordinate, organize, and file, in a single submission, interventions by other interested persons who share their position. Information on how to file this type of submission, known as a joint supporting intervention, as well as a template for the covering letter to be filed by the parties, can be found in Changes to certain practices for filing interventions – Expansion of filing practices to include the filing of joint supporting comments for broadcasting policy proceedings, Broadcasting Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-28-1, 10 December 2010.
The Commission encourages interested persons and parties to monitor the record of the proceeding, available on the Commission’s website, for additional information that they may find useful when preparing their submissions.
Submissions longer than five pages should include a summary. Each paragraph of all submissions should be numbered, and the line ***End of document*** should follow the last paragraph. This will help the Commission verify that the document has not been damaged during electronic transmission.
Pursuant to Filing submissions for Commission proceedings in accessible formats, Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2015-242, 8 June 2015, the Commission expects incorporated entities and associations, and encourages all Canadians, to file submissions for Commission proceedings in accessible formats (for example, text-based file formats that allow text to be enlarged or modified, or read by screen readers). To provide assistance in this regard, the Commission has posted on its website guidelines for preparing documents in accessible formats.
Submissions must be filed by sending them to the Secretary General of the Commission using only one of the following means:
by completing the
[Intervention/comment/answer form]
or
by mail to
CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2
or
by fax at
819-994-0218
A true copy of each intervention or answer from a respondent must be sent to the applicant and, in the case of a respondent to an application, to any other respondent.
Parties who send documents electronically must ensure that they will be able to prove, upon Commission request, that filing, or where required, service of a particular document was completed. Accordingly, parties must keep proof of the sending and receipt of each document for 180 days after the date on which the document is filed or served. The Commission advises parties who file or serve documents by electronic means to exercise caution when using email for the service of documents, as it may be difficult to establish that service has occurred.
In accordance with the Rules of Procedure, a document must be received by the Commission and all relevant parties by 5 p.m. Vancouver time (8 p.m. Ottawa time) on the date it is due. Parties are responsible for ensuring the timely delivery of their submissions and will not be notified if their submissions are received after the deadline. Late submissions, including those due to postal delays, will not be considered by the Commission and will not be made part of the public record.
The Commission will not formally acknowledge submissions. It will, however, fully consider all submissions, which will form part of the public record of the proceeding, provided that the procedure for filing set out above has been followed.
In the event that an application to be considered during the non-appearing phase of the hearing is brought to an oral phase of the hearing, and if parties wish to appear, they must provide reasons why their written interventions or answers are not sufficient and why an appearance is necessary. Parties requiring communication support must state their request on the first page of their intervention. Only those parties whose requests to appear have been granted will be contacted by the Commission and invited to appear at the public hearing.
Important notice
All information that parties provide as part of this public process, except information designated confidential, whether sent by postal mail, fax, email or through the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca, becomes part of a publicly accessible file and will be posted on the Commission’s website. This information includes personal information, such as full names, email addresses, postal/street addresses, telephone and fax numbers, etc.
The personal information that parties provide will be used and may be disclosed for the purpose for which the information was obtained or compiled by the Commission, or for a use consistent with that purpose.
Documents received electronically or otherwise will be put on the Commission’s website in their entirety exactly as received, including any personal information contained therein, in the official language and format in which they are received. Documents not received electronically will be available in PDF format.
The information that parties provide to the Commission as part of this public process is entered into an unsearchable database dedicated to this specific public process. This database is accessible only from the web page of this particular public process. As a result, a general search of the Commission’s website with the help of either its own search engine or a third-party search engine will not provide direct access to the information that was provided as part of this public process.
Availability of documents
Electronic versions of the applications are available on the Commission’s website at ww.crtc.gc.ca by selecting the application number within this notice. They are also available from the applicants, either on their websites or upon request by contacting the applicants at their email addresses, provided above.
Links to interventions, replies and answers filed for this proceeding, as well as other documents referred to in this notice, are available on the Commission’s “Consultations and hearings: have your say” page.
Documents are available upon request during normal business hours by contacting:
Documentation Centre
Examinationroom@crtc.gc.ca
Tel.: 819-997-4389
Fax: 819-994-0218
Client Services
Toll-free telephone: 1-877-249-2782
Toll-free TTY: 1-877-909-2782
Secretary General
- Date modified: