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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2024-279

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Reference: Part 1 application posted on 30 August 2024

Ottawa, 7 November 2024

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Prince Rupert and Stewart, British Columbia

Public record: 2024-0389-8

CFPR Prince Rupert – New transmitter in Stewart

  1. The Commission has the authority, pursuant to subsection 9(1) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), to issue licences for the carrying on of broadcasting undertakings and to amend those licences.
  2. Consistent with this authority, the Commission approves the application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to amend the broadcasting licence for the English-language radio programming undertaking CFPR Prince Rupert, British Columbia, in order to operate a new FM transmitter in Stewart, British Columbia. The new transmitter will replace the existing AM transmitter CBKA Stewart and will rebroadcast the programming of CBC’s national English-language network Radio One. The new transmitter (CBUI-FM) will operate on the frequency 98.1 MHz (251 A1) with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 202 watts (non-directional antenna with the effective height of antenna above average terrain (EHAAT) of -973.4 metres).
  3. The Commission did not receive any interventions with regard to this application.
  4. When a licensee of a radio station files an application for technical amendments, the Commission requires the licensee to present compelling technical or economic evidence justifying the requested amendments. In this case, the CBC indicated that the requested FM transmitter will replace the old existing AM antenna, CBKA Stewart, which is at risk of signal loss. The new FM transmitter will allow the CBC to provide a higher quality signal and greater geographic coverage in Stewart and its vicinity. The Commission is satisfied that the licensee has demonstrated a technical need for the requested technical amendments.
  5. Pursuant to subsection 22(1) of the Act, this authority will only be effective when the Department of Industry (also known as Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) notifies the Commission that its technical requirements have been met and that a broadcasting certificate will be issued.
  6. The transmitter must be in operation by no later than 7 November 2026. 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 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 authorized contours of CBUI-FM resulting from the implementation of the technical amendments 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 CFPR, 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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