Application to obtain a broadcasting licence to operate a developmental radio programming undertaking - Form 118

Overview

Before completing this application form, please ensure that you have first applied to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada [ISED] (also known as the Department of Industry) to receive a broadcasting certificate (which includes the assignment of a frequency and the approval of a call sign). To do this, contact ISED at 1-800-328-6189 or visit the Broadcasting Certifications Webpage.

The Commission established a regulatory framework for low-power developmental stations in Public Notices CRTC 2000-12 and 2000-13. It then updated this framework in Campus and community radio policy, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-499, 22 July 2010. The Commission has further amended it in Modernization of radio processes , Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2025-265, 10 October 2025,, by announcing that it is possible for campus, community and commercial developmental stations to obtain licences for a maximum term of five (5) years, if they comply with certain conditions. After the five (5) year term, these licences may be renewed as regular indefinite licences.

The operator of a developmental station wishing to continue operations beyond this five (5) year period shall submit an application for the renewal of a radio station licence of the same type (campus, commercial or community) at least nine (9) months prior to the expiry date of its developmental station licence.

Operators of developmental radio stations will only be issued to stations that have a transmitter power of 50 watts or less (AM) or an effective radiated power (ERP) of 50 watts or less (FM).

Operators of developmental stations will be required to comply, depending on the type of station, with the various applicable policies, including the following:

Campus and community stations:

• Campus and Community Radio Policy, Regulatory Policy 2010-499, 22 July 2010 (Regulatory Policy 2010-499)

Commercial stations:

• Revised Commercial Radio Policy, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2022-332, 7 December 2022 (Regulatory Policy 2022-332)

Ethnic stations:

• Ethnic Broadcasting Policy, Public Notice CRTC 1999-117, 16 July 1999

Religious stations:

• Religious Broadcasting Policy, Public Notice CRTC 1993-78, 3 June 1993

Licensees of developmental radio stations will be subject to basic requirements stemming from the Radio Regulations, 1986, including Canadian content requirements, keeping and retaining logs and records, Canadian ownership, and technical certification by ISED.

Filing

Please file your application electronically via My CRTC Account by attaching the application to the Broadcasting and Online News Act Cover Page. My CRTC Account allows you to securely submit documents to the Commission with a user ID and password. Therefore, a signature is not required when using My CRTC Account.

Applicants who are unable to submit their applications electronically using My CRTC Account can contact the Commission at 1-877-249-CRTC (2782).

Applicants who require additional information related to CRTC processes may contact the Commission at 1-866-781-1911.

Instructions

You may complete the downloaded form by inserting your response in bold letters immediately following the question. You may add lines to the tables, if necessary, but do not alter or delete any text from the form.

The application must be divided into sections as set out in the form and include the numbered questions followed by the corresponding response. Responses must be provided, at a minimum, in a 10-font size.

Book of supporting documents and naming conventions for electronic documents

The following documents should be submitted as separate electronic documents using the naming convention specified below. The document number (Doc#) indicates the ascending order in which the documents should appear on the public file. The documents should also be submitted in an accessible format as set out in Filing submissions for Commission proceedings in accessible formats, Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2015-242, 8 June 2015.

All information requested throughout the application form with an asterisk (*) is required.

1. *General information

*Type of station:

AM FM

*Campus Community Commercial Commercial religious Commercial ethnic

*Location of undertaking:

1.1 Identification of applicant

*Not-for-profit corporation Individual Corporation to be incorporated Corporation Other

If other, specify:

*Name:

*Address:

*City:

*Province/Territory:

*Postal code (A1A 1A1):

*Telephone (999-999-9999):

Fax (999-999-9999):

*Email (corporationname@yourdomain.com):

Contact person representing the applicant

(If there is no appointed designated representative under question 1.3)

*Name:

*Title:

*Telephone (999-999-9999):

*Email (corporationname@yourdomain.com):

1.2 Sent by

* Name:

* Telephone (999-999-9999):

* Email (yourname@yourdomain.com):

1.3 Appointment of designated representative

*Is there a designated representative?

• Yes
• No

I, *_________________________, the applicant, hereby designate____________________ as my designated representative for and on my behalf and in my name to sign, file and complete (if necessary) an application with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (the Commission) and to sign and file a reply with respect thereto and I do hereby ratify, confirm and adopt as my own act, such application and all replies made thereto.

*Date:

*Location: (city, province or territory)

Signature: (a signature is not required when submitting electronically)

*Address of designated representative:

*Title:

*Telephone (999-999-9999):

Fax (999-999-9999):

*Email (yourname@yourdomain.com):

1.4 Declaration of the applicant or its designated representative

I, *__________________________________, solemnly declare that:

• I am the designated representative of the applicant named in this application brief and as such have knowledge of all matters declared therein.
• The statements made in this application or in any document filed pursuant to any request for further information by the Commission are (will be) to the best of my knowledge and believed to be true in all respects.
• The opinions and estimates given in this application or in any document filed pursuant to any request for further information by the Commission are (will be) based on facts as known to me.
• I have examined the provisions of the Broadcasting Act and the broadcasting regulations and policies relevant to this application.

And I have signed

Signature: (a signature is not required when submitting electronically)

*Date:

Witnessed by

Signature: (a signature is not required when submitting electronically)

*Name:

*Date:

*At: (city, province or territory)

1.5 Procedural request

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure (the Rules of Procedure) allow an interested person to request that the Commission exercise a power under the Rules of Procedure or change the Rules of Procedure for a specific proceeding (sections 5 and 7). This is generally called a procedural request. You may consult Implementation of new Rules of Practice and Procedure, Broadcasting and Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-958, 23 December 2010, and Guidelines on the CRTC Rules of Practice and Procedure, Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-959, 23 December 2010, for more information.

*Is the applicant requesting that the Commission make an exception to its Rules of Procedure in the treatment of this application?

• Yes
• No

*If yes, please indicate which section of the Rules of Procedure you wish to vary and provide a detailed rationale as to why this request should be granted:

1.6 Application

The Commission will return the application if it is incomplete. The onus will be on the applicant to submit a complete application that provides all the relevant information, to identify all regulatory issues raised in the application and to provide supporting documentation.

*Submit a website address or email address where an electronic copy of the application may be requested:

Website:
Example: www.mycorporation.com

Email:
Example: no-reply@no-reply.com

NOTE: In Change to the processing time for applications and complaints relating to radio undertakings, Broadcasting Information Bulletin CRTC 2023-278, 22 August 2023 (Information Bulletin 2023-278) the Commission announced the deferral of the examination of any new radio application for a period of approximately two years subject to the applicant demonstrated exceptional circumstances, with supporting evidence, justifying the need to process the application.

In Processing of radio applications and complaints that have been placed on hold to date, Broadcasting Information Bulletin CRTC 2026-11, 15 January 2026 (Information Bulletin 2026-11), the Commission has announced that it will continue to require the applicant to demonstrate exceptional circumstances to justify the need to process the application until the publication date of the upcoming audio policy initiated in The Path Forward – Supporting Canadian and Indigenous audio content, Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-52, 20 February 2025.

*Please describe the exceptional circumstances that lead you to file your application with the Commission and provide evidence to support your position.

Please note that if you do not answer this question, or if the nature of your request is not deemed exceptional, the review of your request may be deferred . Should the Commission determine that you have demonstrated exceptional circumstances, please be advised that processing times may nevertheless be longer than usual and as a result the Commission’s service objectives may not be met:

2. *Ownership

2.1 Legal name of the licensee or proposed licensee : _________________

Note: The legal name refers to the name on the certificate of incorporation, or the name of the individual.

2.2. Type of Application - Is the application for a:

Documents

Please submit as Appendix 2B the following documents that are not already in the Commission’s logs:

• If the holder is a corporation, a copy of the incorporation documents (e.g., certificate and articles of incorporation, by-laws, partnership agreement, etc.) to:
  • the applicant (if not yet incorporated, please provide a draft of the documents);
  • the parent corporation and each corporation or legal entity listed in Table C of Appendix 2A that directly or indirectly owns 10% or more of the voting interests of the corporation to which Table C relates,
• A copy of any agreement that affects the control of the licensee, including shareholders’ agreement, funding agreement, trust agreement, local management agreement, etc. Please attach a draft when the signed copy is not available.

3. Technical information

Applicants should consult with their technical experts to complete this section to ensure consistency of the information provided with the engineering brief (or application for a broadcasting certificate) filed with ISED.

3.1 Filing with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

*Note that all required technical documents must be filed with ISED prior to submitting your application.

• *Indicate the date of filing (YYYY-MM-DD);
• *You are required to provide an email or courier pick-up receipt of the technical documents filed with ISED as Appendix 3A;
• *I hereby authorize the Commission to include as part of this application any document or correspondence filed with ISED with respect to this application.
  • Yes
  • No

  If no, explain:

3.2 *Technical parameters

*Provide the following information:

3.3 National Public Alerting System

Amendments to various regulations, the standard conditions of license for video-on-demand undertakings and certain exemption orders - Provisions requiring the mandatory distribution of emergency alert messages, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2014-444, 29 August 2014 (Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2014-444), and Broadcasting Orders 2014-445, 2014-446, 2014-447 and 2014-448, set out the requirements related to the implementation of the National Public Alerting System (NPAS). In addition, pursuant to section 16 of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations), as applicable, the broadcasters shall have an operational public alerting system on all undertakings that they are licensed to operate.

In light of the above, please comment on the possibility of the Commission making an order requiring the applicant to comply with the following proposed condition of service relating to the NPAS on the proposed undertaking.

*The licensee shall implement the National Public Alerting System (NPAS) by the station’s launch in the manner set out in section  16 of the Regulations, in Amendments to various regulations, the standard conditions of licence for video-on-demand undertakings and certain exemption orders – Provisions requiring the mandatory distribution of emergency alert messages, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2014-444, and Broadcasting Orders 2014-445, 2014-446, 2014-447 and 2014-448, 29 August 2014, as amended from time to time.

The licensee shall file a letter with the Commission to attest to the implementation date of its NPAS within 14 days after the installation. This letter must contain evidence that the system is properly configured to receive and distribute alerts from the National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System (e.g., an attestation by a Chief Executive Officer, president or person exercising a similar supervisory role in the licensee’s operations, as to the installation of functioning alerting equipment). The letter should be filed electronically by using the secured service My CRTC Account.

Are you requesting an exception to these conditions?

• Yes
• No

If you answered “Yes”, please submit your proposal and a rationale for the proposed exceptions:

Supporting document to be appended:

*Appendix 3A

A copy of the email or courier pick-up receipt of the technical documents filed with ISED.

*Appendix 3B

Documentation supporting the availability of the proposed transmitter site.

4. *Conditions of service

There are standard conditions of service that generally apply to all radio stations in a certain category.

An applicant may request an exception to a standard condition of service. In doing so, they should explain the reasons for the request in clear and convincing terms and, where appropriate, propose a feasible alternative. Please understand that the Commission may grant or deny such a request.

Commercial stations only (including commercial religious stations and commercial ethnic stations):

Please provide comments on the possibility of the Commission issuing an order imposing the following conditions on the operation of the undertaking:

The applicant will adhere to all policies and standard conditions of service for a developmental commercial radio station, as set out in:

• Revised conditions of licence for commercial AM and FM radio stations, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2022-334, 7 December 2022 (Regulatory Policy 2022-334).

Are you requesting an exception to these conditions?

• Yes
• No

If you answered “Yes”, please submit your proposal and a rationale for the proposed exceptions:

Campus or community stations:

*Please provide comments on the possibility of the Commission issuing an order imposing the following conditions on the operation of the undertaking, where applicable:

The applicant will comply with all standard policies and conditions of service for a campus station/community station, as set forth in:

• Standard conditions of licence for campus and community radio stations, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2012-304, 22 May 2012 (Regulatory Policy 2012-304)

Are you requesting an exception to these conditions?

• Yes
• No

If you answered “Yes”, please submit your proposal and a rationale for the proposed exceptions:

4.1 *Language(s) of programming

• The principal language of programming will be:
• Other languages of programming (if applicable):

  Languages	Minimum per Broadcast Week
  	Hours:minutes	%
  English
  French
  Indigenous Canadian Languages (specify)
  Third-languages** (specify)

  **Designates programs in languages other than English, French or of languages of Indigenous Canadians.

• *If the station, in addition to the principal language of programming, intends to broadcast programming in one or both official language(s) (French or English) or in one or more Indigenous Canadian language(s), confirm that the applicant is also requesting to have a condition of service authorizing it to do so in the amount specified above.
  • Yes
  • No

5. Request for documents to be designated as confidential

Section 25.3 of the Broadcasting Act as well as Sections 30 to 34 of the Rules of Procedure set out a process by which parties to Commission proceedings may file information on the record of a public proceeding in confidence.

A party filing information can “designate” it as confidential at the time it is filed with the Commission (section 31) if it falls into one of the following categories:

• Information that is a trade secret;
• Financial, commercial, scientific or technical information that is confidential and that is treated consistently in a confidential manner by the person who submitted it; or
• Information the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected:
  • to result in material financial loss or gain to any person;
  • to prejudice the competitive position of any person; or
  • to affect contractual or other negotiations of any person.

At the time that the party files the information it designates as confidential, it must provide an abridged version of the document along with an explanation of how the information falls into a category of information listed in section 31. The party must provide a detailed rationale to explain why the disclosure of the information is not in the public interest (section 32(1)).

The confidential version of the document must be filed separately and must be marked “confidential” on each page. If the document is filed electronically, each file containing confidential information must include “confidential” in the file name.

The abridged version of the document and the reasons for the designation of information as confidential will be placed on the public record of the proceeding.

Please consult Implementation of new Rules of Practice and Procedure, Broadcasting and Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-958, 23 December 2010, and Procedures for filing confidential information and requesting its disclosure in Commission proceedings, Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-961, 23 December 2010, for the complete process for filing confidential information.

*Are you requesting for some information to be designated as confidential?

• Yes
• No

If yes, you must provide a detailed rationale to explain why the disclosure of the information is not in the public interest and provide an abridged version of each confidential document:

CRTC Form 118 - Application to obtain a broadcasting licence to operate a developmental radio programming undertaking

***End of Document***

Date modified:

2026-05-14