ARCHIVED -  Transcript

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS BEFORE

      THE CANADIAN RADIO‑TELEVISION AND

TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

 

 

 

 

TRANSCRIPTION DES AUDIENCES AVANT

  CONSEIL DE LA RADIODIFFUSION

   ET DES TÉLÉCOMMUNICATIONS CANADIENNES

 

 

SUBJECT:

 

 

 

VARIOUS BROADCAST APPLICATIONS /

PLUSIEURS DEMANDES EN RADIODIFFUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HELD AT:             TENUE À:

 

Fairmont Hotel Vancouver             Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

900 West Georgia Street             900, rue Georgia O.

Vancouver, British Columbia             Vancouver (C.-B.)

 

 

February 28, 2005          Le 28 février 2005

 

 

 

 

 

Transcripts

 

In order to meet the requirements of the Official Languages

Act, transcripts of proceedings before the Commission will be

bilingual as to their covers, the listing of the CRTC members

and staff attending the public hearings, and the Table of

Contents.

 

However, the aforementioned publication is the recorded

verbatim transcript and, as such, is taped and transcribed in

either of the official languages, depending on the language

spoken by the participant at the public hearing.

 

 

 

 

Transcription

 

Afin de rencontrer les exigences de la Loi sur les langues

officielles, les procès‑verbaux pour le Conseil seront

bilingues en ce qui a trait à la page couverture, la liste des

membres et du personnel du CRTC participant à l'audience

publique ainsi que la table des matières.

 

Toutefois, la publication susmentionnée est un compte rendu

textuel des délibérations et, en tant que tel, est enregistrée

et transcrite dans l'une ou l'autre des deux langues

officielles, compte tenu de la langue utilisée par le

participant à l'audience publique.

Canadian Radio‑television and

Telecommunications Commission

 

  Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des

télécommunications canadiennes

 

 

Transcript / Transcription

 

 

        

  VARIOUS BROADCAST APPLICATIONS /

PLUSIEURS DEMANDES EN RADIODIFFUSION

        

 

 

 

 

BEFORE / DEVANT:

 

Charles Dalfen          Chairperson / Président

Andrée Wylie          Commissioner / Conseillère

Ronald Williams          Commissioner / Conseillier

Joan Pennefather          Commissioner / Conseillère

Stuart Langford          Commissioner / Conseillier

 

 

ALSO PRESENT / AUSSI PRÉSENTS:

 

Pierre Lebel     Secretary / Secrétaire

 

Alistair Stewart          Legal Counsel /

Conseillers juridiques

 

Joe Aguiar          Hearing Manager /

Gérant de l'audience

 

 

 

HELD AT:          TENUE À:

 

Fairmont Hotel Vancouver          Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

900 West Georgia Street          900, rue Georgia O.

Vancouver, British Columbia          Vancouver (C.-B.)

 

 

February 28, 2005          Le 28 février 2005

 

TABLE DES MATIÈRES / TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

   PAGE / PARA

 

PHASE I

 

 

PRESENTATION BY / PRÉSENTATION PAR:

 

 

Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. & Radio 1540 Ltd. 8 /   44

 

Sukhvinder Singh Badh (OBCI) 120 /  628

 

South Asian Broadcasting Corporation Inc.    182 / 1149

 

 

 

Vancouver, B.C. / Vancouver (C.‑B.)

‑‑‑ Upon commencing on Monday, February 28, 2005 at

    0930 / L'audience débute le lundi 28 février 2005

    à 0930

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \r 11     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to this public hearing.  My name is Charles Dalfen.  I'm the Chairman of the CRTC.  I will be presiding over this hearing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n2     Joining me on the panel are my colleagues:  Andrée Wylie, to my right, Vice‑Chair Broadcasting; and to her right, Ronald Williams, Regional Commissioner for Alberta and the Northwest Territories; to my left, Commissioner Joan Pennefather; and to her left, Commissioner Stuart Langford.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n3     The Commission team assisting us includes Hearing Manager and Senior Broadcasting Analyst, Joe Aguiar; Alastair Stewart, Legal Counsel; and Pierre LeBel, Hearing Secretary.  Please speak with Mr. LeBel if you have any questions with regard to hearing procedures.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n4     The first part of the hearing will involve an examination of eight applications for licences to operate ethnic radio services in Vancouver.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n5     We will then move on to an application from Rogers Broadcasting Limited to acquire the assets of two licensed television stations, one not yet in operation, and to add a transmitter in Victoria.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n6     Finally, we will examine three applications for licences to operate radio stations in Kamloops.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n7     The panel will review the applications for new radio stations in Vancouver and Kamloops, with a view to ensuring that they meet the cultural, economic, and social objectives set out in the Broadcasting Act, as well as various CRTC policies, such as the Commercial Radio Policy and the policy on ethnic broadcasting.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n8     Our criteria for evaluating the applications will include competition and the diversity of editorial voices in the markets involved and, of course, the quality of the applications.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n9     We will also be looking at the ability of the Vancouver and Kamloops markets to support new radio stations, the financial resources of each applicant and proposed initiatives for Canadian talent development.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n10     On July 21, 2004, the Commission issued a call for applications for licences to operate ethnic radio stations in Vancouver.  Applicants were required to indicate how their proposed programming would affect Vancouver's linguistic diversity as well as its multicultural and multiethnic reality.  The Commission notes that Vancouver is one of the most diverse markets in Canada, with 40 percent of its population composed of people whose mother tongue is neither English nor French.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n11     This proceeding falls within the framework of measures being undertaken by the Commission to increase the choice and diversity of services aimed at ethnic communities in Canada, consistent with paragraph 3(1)(d)(iii) of the Broadcasting Act.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n12     That paragraph declares that the Canadian broadcasting system should "... serve the needs and interests, and reflect the circumstances and aspirations, of Canadian men, women and children ... including the multicultural and multiracial nature of Canadian society ..."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n13     The applicants will be heard in the following order:

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n14     1.  Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. and Radio 1540 Ltd.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n15     2.  Sukhvinder Singh Badh.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n16     3.  South Asian Broadcasting Corporation Inc.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n17     4.  Radio India (2004) Limited.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n18     5.  CHUM Limited.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n19     6.  I.T. Productions Limited.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n20     7.  Mainstream Broadcasting Corporation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n21     8.  Newlife Communications Inc.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n22     We will then review the applications by Rogers Broadcasting Limited to acquire from Trinity Television Inc. the assets of English language radio‑television stations CHNU‑TV Fraser Valley and CIIT‑TV Winnipeg, which is not yet in operation.  The applicant is also proposing to add a transmitter in Victoria in order to broadcast the programming of CHNU‑TV Fraser Valley.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n23     The applicant has valued the transaction at $13 million, and is proposing tangible benefits totalling 10% of the value of the transaction or $1.3 million.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n24     Finally, we will study the applications for licences to operate new English language FM commercial stations in Kamloops in light of the criteria which I have previously stated.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n25     This process is pursuant to the call for broadcasting applications issued by the Commission last July.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n26     We will hear the applications in the following order.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n27     1.  Standard Radio Inc.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n28     2.  Evanov Radio Group Inc.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n29     3.  NL Broadcasting Limited.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n30     This hearing should take one week.  Our days will begin at 9 a.m., starting tomorrow, and will conclude around 6 p.m., except for Tuesday and Wednesday, when we expect to finish later.  We will inform you of any changes in the schedule that may occur.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n31     We ask you to please turn off your cell phones and pagers when you are in the hearing room as they are an unwelcomed distraction for participants and Commission staff and Commissioners.  We would appreciate your cooperation in this regard throughout the hearing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n32     I will now ask the Secretary, Mr. Pierre LeBel, to explain the procedures that we will be following.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n33     MR. LeBEL:   Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  Before we begin, just a few housekeeping matters.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n34     First, I would like to indicate that the Commission's examination room is located in the boardroom located on the floor just below this floor, and public files of the applications being considered at this hearing can be examined there.  The telephone number, as indicated in the agenda, is (604)666‑1132.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n35     Secondly, there's a verbatim transcript of this hearing being taken by the court reporter at the table to my left in the centre.  If you have any questions on how to obtain all or part of this transcript, please approach the court reporter during a break for information.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n36     Next, I would like to indicate that, in its application, Radio India (2004) Limited, item 4 on the agenda, was proposing to operate a transmitter in Abbotsford to broadcast the programs of the proposed FM station.  The Commission was advised by Industry Canada that they will not issue a technical acceptability certificate for the Abbotsford broadcaster of the proposed station; therefore, the applicant was informed that the Commission would not proceed with consideration of the Abbotsford rebroadcaster portion of the application at this hearing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n37     Now, Mr. Chairman, we will proceed with the appearing applications on the agenda.  The first eight items are competing applications to operate ethnic radio stations in Vancouver, and we will proceed as follows:

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n38     First, we will hear each applicant in the agenda order, and each applicant will be granted 20 minutes to make his presentation.  Questions from the Commission will follow each presentation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n39     In phase 2, the applicants will reappear in the same order to intervene on the competing applications, if they wish.  Ten minutes are allowed for this purpose.  Questions from the Commission may follow each intervention.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n40     In phase 3, other parties will appear in the order set out in the agenda to present their intervention, and, again, questions from the Commission may follow.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n41     Phase 4 provides an opportunity for each applicant to reply to all interventions submitted on their application.  Applicants appear in reverse order, and ten minutes are allowed for this reply.  Again, questions may follow.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n42     Now, Mr. Chairman, we will proceed with item 1 on the agenda, which is an application by Rogers Broadcasting Limited and Radio 1540 Limited for a licence to operate a commercial specialty FM ethnic radio programming undertaking in Vancouver.  The new station will operate on frequency 93.1 megahertz, channel 226 C1, with an average effective radiated power of 2,800 watts.  Appearing for the applicant, Mr. Gary Miles, and Mr. Miles will introduce his colleagues.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n43     You have 20 minutes to make your presentation.

PRESENTATION / PRÉSENTATION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n44     MR. MILES:   Mr. Chair, members of the Commission, I'm Gary Miles, CEO, Rogers Radio.  It is a pleasure to appear before you today to present a joint application by Rogers and CHIN Radio for a new ethnic radio station in Vancouver.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n45     With me are Lenny Lombardi, President and CEO, CHIN Radio; Joe Mulvihill, Executive Vice‑President and COO, CHIN Radio; Madeline Ziniak, Vice‑President and General Manager, OMNI Television; and Alain Strati, Vice‑President, Business and Regulatory Affairs.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n46     At the next table we have Steve Edwards, Vice‑President Corporate Engineering and Technology, Rogers Broadcasting; Paul Fisher, Vice‑President and Marketing Manager, Rogers Radio in Vancouver; Del Ehret, Business Director, Rogers Radio, Vancouver; Rael Merson, President, Rogers Broadcasting; Renato Zane, Vice‑President News, OMNI Television; and Paritosh Mehta, Independent Production Manager, OMNI Television.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n47     You have before you a number of different local applications proposing to develop a new ethnic radio station for Vancouver.  Each applicant has proposed to develop a new station that will focus its programming on local, underserved, South Asian communities, and is certainly worthy of the Commission's consideration for a new licence.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n48     This morning, we would like to take this opportunity to explain to you why we are applying for an ethnic station in this market and why we are partnering with CHIN.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n49     We believe the ethnic communities here in Vancouver need a foundation ethnic station.  By "foundation," we mean a station that will use programming to larger groups as a platform upon which to support the expansion of service, not only to more groups, but also to other critical ethnic programming initiatives.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n50     With 63 hours of programming per week, we are proposing that our station focus on service to the South Asian communities.  However, we are also proposing that our station provide fair and balanced access for many other smaller ethnic and linguistic groups, communities who might not otherwise have access to broadcast media.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n51     And we are proposing to establish a strong commitment to cross‑cultural programming, to bring people together and to create opportunities for dialogue and interaction between different communities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n52     Rogers and CHIN are each pioneers in Canadian ethnic media.  In the 1960s, CHIN launched the very first ethnic radio station.  In the 1970s, Rogers produced third‑language ethnic programming on its cable community channels, and in the 1980s took over the operation of CFMT, an ethnic television station in Toronto.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n53     Both companies have dedicated substantial resources and effort to establish a foundation to the successful development of ethnic broadcasting in Canada.  Both companies are operating stations which provide local communities with the opportunity to express themselves efficiently and objectively within the Canadian broadcasting system.  Both companies have sought to expand their role in ethnic broadcasting to meet the expectations and demands of the audiences they serve.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n54     We believe the strength of our application in Vancouver lies not just in the programming commitments we have made, but perhaps even more importantly, as a result of the combination of the collective resources that we have in OMNI and CHIN.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n55     Lenny?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n56     MR. LOMBARDI:   I would like to explain why CHIN Radio has decided to join Rogers in this application and to set out what we believe we can contribute to an ethnic radio station here in Vancouver.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n57     My father, Johnny Lombardi, was an independent radio producer with big dreams in Toronto in the late '40s and early '50s.  He always felt indebted to two individuals who helped him realize those dreams.  One is Alan Waters, broadcasting on 1050 CHUM.  My father was provided his first opportunity to produce third language programs and test his dreams for multicultural programming in Toronto.  The other is Ted Rogers.  Ted and my father were partners very early on in the joint application for AM‑1540.  My father became a director of that station and seized the opportunity to produce multicultural programs for that station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n58     Ted had promised my dad that if he could find another AM frequency, he would give my dad the first right to purchase the assets of AM‑1540.  Ted made good on that promise, and when he found AM‑680, my father made an application for AM‑1540 and won the licence for the first multicultural radio station in Toronto in 1966.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n59     Through stations in Toronto and, more recently, in Ottawa, CHIN has over 38 years of ethnic broadcasting experience.  In four significant ways, we believe that experience will be an important asset to the station we have proposed in partnership with Rogers.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n60     1.  CHIN will directly participate in the management team.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n61     2.  CHIN will actively participate in the development and implementation of the station's community outreach program, identifying independent producers and support from local ethnic communities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n62     3.  CHIN will contribute our extensive expertise in local sales and on‑location broadcasts.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n63     4.  CHIN will assist in the development, production, and presentation of major multicultural events, modelled after the successes of the CHIN international picnics in Toronto and Ottawa.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n64     More than 40 years after my father and Ted had first agreed to submit a joint application for AM‑1540, CHIN and Rogers have now again filed a joint application, this time for a new ethnic station in Vancouver.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n65     As my father did then, and as we intend to do now, we will actively participate in the development, launch, and operation of this new station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n66     Madeline?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n67     MS. ZINIAK:   Thanks, Lenny.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n68     I have witnessed the evolution of the ethnic media landscape in this country.  This evolution has not happened overnight.  For 38 years, in the case of CHIN, and 25 years for OMNI, we have been there, responding to the needs of ethnocultural communities, ensuring they have a voice in the Canadian broadcasting system.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n69     Both CHIN and OMNI have been in the trenches from the very beginning.  We were both there when diversity was not trendy, when it was not very popular to be called an ethnic journalist, or to be part of the ethnic media.  We were the soldiers of diversity, trying to establish the respect that ethnic media deserves.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n70     I remember myself many years ago going to the press clubs of this country to lobby for the membership of Canadian ethnic journalists.  It was only in 1979 that we finally did convince the press clubs to accept Canadian ethnic journalists as Canadian journalists.  Today these establishments want us to be members.  They want to access our resources, to bring forward the kind of stories and insight we have to offer.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n71     Throughout all of this, we have had the opportunity to work with the multilingual talent base of this country, to harness their enthusiasm and vitality for freedom of expression and thirst for the production of Canadian third language programming.  We have nurtured new producers, unleashed great opportunities for seasoned Canadian ethnic journalists, and worked side by side with community organizations in trying to bring the best and balanced editorial coverage and expression.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n72     OMNI and CHIN agree on many basic principles.  We agree that ethnic broadcasters have a responsibility to serve the broad diversity of the local communities we serve; an extensive responsibility to invest the time and resources necessary to produce high‑quality ethnic programming, especially for smaller groups who might never otherwise have a chance to access broadcast media.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n73     We agree that ethnic broadcasters have a responsibility to establish a media platform for cross‑cultural communication.  Ethnocultural communities do not function in isolation, there are too many shared issues and shared solutions.  Distinct communities must reach out to other communities to appreciate and to communicate the similarities that they share.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n74     We agree that ethnic broadcasters must ensure that ethnic programming is objective, reflective, and balanced.  We have almost 65 years of combined broadcasting experience and have developed editorial policies and journalistic principles that reflect the unique perspective of Canadian ethnocultural communities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n75     I see this application as yet another step in the development of a vibrant, inclusive, and highly professional ethnic broadcasting industry in Canada, an industry that is already perceived around the world as a model to be emulated.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n76     Gary?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n77     MR. MILES:  Rogers has operated radio stations in this market for more than 15 years.  As we've done in all the markets we serve, we establish strong roots in the community, and with the help of our local advisory board, provide radio stations that serve the needs and demands of local listeners.  We are proud of our accomplishments, our tradition of service, and the extent to which our stations become active and involve members of their local communities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n78     For instance, last year, the Rogers companies in British Columbia were instrumental in developing and producing Vancouver's first‑ever official Santa Claus parade, an event that was enjoyed by over 300,000 spectators in the downtown area.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n79     We see this application for a new ethnic radio station as an important opportunity to use the established expertise and facilities of our radio group to further benefit the local communities we serve in this city.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n80     Lenny?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n81     MR. LOMBARDI:  The three existing ethnic stations in Vancouver focus almost exclusively on programming for the local Chinese community, the largest and most economically robust ethnocultural group here.  In contrast, very little programming is provided for the South Asian communities.  As a result, programming for these communities is instead offered by two AM stations from just across the border in the United States.  These stations, Radio Punjab and Radio India, operate in the Vancouver market as quasi‑Canadian radio stations but without the need to comply with CRTC rules and requirements.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n82     Our station will fully and fairly reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of this city and address the need for more ethnic programming.  To accomplish this, we will pursue three specific programming strategies:

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n83     1.  We will offer South Asian communities an attractive and competitive alternative to the U.S. border stations.  We have proposed 63 hours per week of South Asian programming, including Punjabi morning and afternoon drive‑time programs, and Hindi language mid‑day programs, all part of a South Asian weekday programming block.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n84     The strength and impact of our South Asian programming will come from our commitment to produce programming from the point of view of the Canadian experience from our own unique Canadian perspective.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n85     2.  We will dedicate parts of our schedule cross‑cultural programming initiatives.  Cross‑cultural programming brings communities together, creating unique opportunities for dialogue and interaction, amongst and across different communities.  In many ways, a commitment to serving a broad number of different ethnocultural roots will result in our station operating more like 18 different stations.  Cross‑cultural programming bridges that gap and provides the impetus for the creation of a specific forum in which different communities can come together to express both their similarities and their differences.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n86     3.  We will ensure fair and balanced access to our station for smaller ethnic and linguistic groups, offering them a meaningful opportunity each week to discuss the issues of interest to their community.  In our proposed schedule, we have included programs for a broad number of smaller communities, communities such as Spanish, Russian, Italian, Polish, Croatian, and Iranian.  In each case, we have proposed to dedicate at least one hour of these programs per week, ensuring that each program will have a meaningful opportunity to reflect the needs and interests of that community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n87     For all of these communities, this is appointment radio.  This is the specific time of the week in which their interests are expressed and discussed.  It is often the only time in the week in which their Canadian identity, their Canadian perspective, is reflected in broadcast media.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n88     To effectively serve a broad number of different communities, we will work with community‑based independent producers to develop high‑quality radio programming.  Both CHIN and OMNI have successfully developed an associate independent producer model for the production of these programs.  Our model is not based on the sale of brokered time.  We instead work with these producers as partners.  We help them develop programming concepts and proposals, coordinate the necessary programming infrastructure, and hone their sales skills and techniques.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n89     As a result, for us, the broad service mandate is also a business opportunity, an opportunity to nurture the development of smaller groups and broaden the financial base of our station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n90     Alain?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n91     MR. STRATI:  The proposed partnership between Rogers and CHIN will provide our station with a unique opportunity to promote Canadian talent.  We are proposing to contribute a total of $700,000 over the term of the licence to fund specific Canadian talent development initiatives.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n92     We are proposing $50,000 a year for the production of Canadian radio features, documentary shorts and program pilots.  Through our experience with the OMNI 2 fund, we have witnessed the extent to which funding of this nature can provide a vehicle for expression for Canadian independent producers.  A similar approach, within a radio format, will allow aspiring Canadian producers to use an engaging and entertaining platform from which to provide a more indepth retrospective on issues of concern to their community or to a broader group of communities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n93     The international success of Bhangra music, produced from right here in Vancouver, exemplifies the potential for Canadian artists.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n94     We are also proposing to provide $25,000 a year for a new, high‑profile ethnic music and songwriting competition.  Selected finalists will be invited to perform live at our station's musical and cultural event.  Contest winners will receive cash prizes to further pursue their career goals, whether they be recording sessions, promotional support, or ongoing musical training.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n95     Public service announcements are a very effective way of raising awareness of community issues and concerns.  However, local organizations often lack the resources or experience to produce their own PSAs.  We are proposing to provide these organizations with $7,000 a year for the independent production of PSAs, helping them to communicate their messages to local communities.  The PSAs will remain the property of the local organizations, allowing them the opportunity to further deliver their messages on other stations, ethnic or otherwise.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n96     In partnership with the British Columbia Institute of Technology, we are proposing $15,000 a year for the development of an extensive and interactive media awareness workshop program for local producers, journalists, and community representatives.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n97     We are also proposing to contribute $3,000 a year for the ongoing initiative by the Canadian Association of Ethnic Broadcasters to establish a catalogue of Canadian ethnic recordings.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n98     We look forward to the opportunity of working with artists, independent producers, and community organizations.  Together we believe the initiatives we have proposed will further contribute to the development and success of Canadian ethnic broadcasting.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n99     Gary?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n100     MR. MILES:  With three Canadian stations that serve the Chinese community and two U.S. border stations serving the South Asian communities, radio services available in Vancouver are focusing on the two largest and most economically viable ethnic groups.  Any new station licensed as part of this hearing will face strong competition from the local incumbents.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n101     A number of other applicants have also proposed new Canadian ethnic stations with a strong focus on South Asian programming.  The Commission may consider the licensing of one of these stations to establish stronger and more extensive Canadian radio services for the growing population of South Asian communities in Vancouver; however, we believe the Commission should also consider the licensing of another station.  One like the one we have proposed, whose purpose is to fulfil the Commission's objective of a broad service mandate and to serve the diversity of communities and interests here in the city.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n102     We will do that not only with a focus on South Asian programming, but also with service to many other underserved communities, and with a strong commitment to cross‑cultural programming.  The Rogers‑CHIN partnership ensures that we have the resources and the experience needed to fulfil all of these difficult programming and service commitments.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n103     Mr. Chair, members of the Commission, we believe the approval of our application would best serve local listeners, contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the ethnic broadcasting policy, and make the most effective use of the available frequency in the Vancouver market.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n104     As we have highlighted in our presentation to you this morning, we submit there are three reasons you should approve our application:

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n105     1.  Our station will serve the needs and demands of the South Asian communities in Vancouver, offering a wide variety of programs, produced locally from our Canadian perspective.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n106     2.  Our station will fulfil the letter and the spirit of the ethnic policies broad service requirement, providing smaller underserved groups with a meaningful opportunity for reflection and expression.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n107     3.  Our station will focus on programming opportunities to foster cross‑cultural dialogue and communication, to ensure communities are provided with an effective forum to voice their shared experiences.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n108     In partnership with CHIN and in conjunction with OMNI Television, we believe we have the commitment and the resources necessary to establish a reflective and balanced radio station to serve local ethnic communities here in Vancouver.  As such, we believe the approval of our application is in the public interest.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n109     That concludes our presentation this morning.  Thank you for your time and attention, and, of course, we will be pleased to answer any questions.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n110     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n111     Commissioner Pennefather?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n112     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n113     Good morning, Mr. Lombardi, Mr. Miles, Ms Ziniak, Mr. Strati, Mr. Mulvihill, and the table.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n114     I do have the charts, so I will recognize your names, but I will direct questions largely at Mr. Miles, Mr. Lombardi.  You may, of course, ask your colleagues to offer any further information, as you see fit.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n115     We will start with programming.  Let me say that I will be using extensively the Appendix 7A chart that you submitted with your application and, obviously, the program schedule which you submitted with your application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n116     In the supplementary brief at page 1, in the second paragraph, you describe your new station as:

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n117     "... committed to ethnic programming, with 100% of our schedule dedicated to ethnic programming ... At least 70% of that will be in third languages."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n118     And you go on to discuss the English language programming in the same paragraph as serving two purposes:

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n119     "... to serve a larger grouping of South Asian communities and to produce cross‑cultural programming, to address issues, interests, and concerns shared by all ethnic communities."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n120     Now, in the deficiency letter of December 8 ‑‑ there's only one deficiency letter, so we don't need to refer to the date.  It's the deficiency letter on page 3.  You do commit to these levels of 100 percent ethnic programming and 70 percent third language by condition of licence.  Correct?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n121     MR. MILES:  That is correct.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n122     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  I'd like then, in that context, to focus on the English language programming which you are proposing to offer.  Since you have said that 100 percent of your schedule will be ethnic programming, I'd like to inquire a little further into the matter of the cross‑cultural programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n123     Regarding this, you have identified 12 hours, or 9.5 percent, of the schedule will be a daily open line talk show, and this is the cross‑cultural program, as I understand it; is that correct?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n124     MR. MILES:  Correct.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n125     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  I'd like to discuss with you why you consider this to be an ethnic program.  You do explain well today, and on page 10 of your supplementary brief, the rationale for cross‑cultural programming, so it's less the value of this approach that I wanted to hone in on, more the definition, in terms of it being an ethnic programming.  Within a 100 percent schedule, I think it's important we understand that this is indeed ethnic as defined in the ethnic broadcasting policy.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n126     This matter was, of course, raised with you in the deficiency letter at Question 4.  Just so we are clear, the policy, as you know, defines a cross‑cultural program as:

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n127     "... ethnic programming provided ... that it is specifically dedicated to any culturally or racially distinct group other than one that is Aboriginal Canadian or from France or the British Isles."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n128     So the key feature here is that the program must address the particular interests of a single distinct community.  That is the prerequisite in the definition so that cross‑cultural programming qualifies as ethnic, as such.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n129     Now, in your application, you suggest that the English language programming will serve a larger grouping of the South Asian communities and the public at large.  This is at 7.7 of your application.  Therefore, while noteworthy, and as I said earlier, not challenging the value of a discussion on issues among cultural groups, including the English language larger public or French language larger public, the definition, as such, is one where this programming to be called "ethnic" should be directed at a distinct group.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n130     Just to make sure that you, too, see where I'm coming from, in your supplementary brief, you compare this approach to cross‑cultural programming to the programming in Ottawa and Toronto, similar programming called cross‑cultural open line, and in there you note as well that the program would reach several different groups:  Italian, South Asians, Chinese, Jewish, Spanish, West Indian, and I'm assuming that's the same approach you're talking about here.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n131     So, again, what you're talking about in this application is cross‑cultural programming to reach several groups and the public at large.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n132     So with that preamble, if you could help us to understand why you consider the cross‑cultural programming which you are proposing in this application to be ethnic programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n133     MR. MILES:  Thank you.  With your permission, I think I'd like to answer your question on the following basis:  First, I'm going to ask Mr. Strati to talk about the policy as we have interpreted it.  Then I think it would be useful to have Mr. Lombardi explain how the actual program is going to operate and how it works.  And then if we need any further emphasis that this is a good idea, I certainly have Madeline here, who is a champion of this kind of programming information.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n134     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  That's fine.  As I said, I think it's important for us to understand your rationale, although it is well‑explained.  It's not that it's not a good thing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n135     MR. MILES:  No.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n136     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  It's a question of the ethnic broadcasting policy and its definition as "ethnic," and the fact that you have presented before us your agreement to a condition of licence of 100 percent ethnic programming.  So this component of 12 hours cross‑cultural programming, being defined as one that is designed to reach several groups in the community at large, would not appear to be ethnic programming.  So perhaps you could explain why you think it is, because you must, if it's 100 percent proposed.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n137     MR. MILES:  We certainly have made it one of our kingpins for our application to differentiate ourselves.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n138     Mr. Strati?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n139     MR. STRATI:  Thanks, Gary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n140     The way we have interpreted the definition or looked at the definition, from our perspective, the most important point is to direct it to any culturally or racially distinct group.  So as opposed to, for example, a cultural or racially distinct group.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n141     So we say "any."  We are talking about a program that has the components of the definition in the ethnic policy of an ethnic program, but also has the ability to reach different cultural and racially distinct group as opposed to a single distinct community.  In the definition, it does refer to "any."  So for us, is the ability to reach out and to discuss issues among different communities, however, staying within the rubric, if you will, of issues and concerns that are specifically for the ethnic communities?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n142     So if there is an issue that is a ‑‑ whether it's a broad issue, for example, a federal issue or an issue that is a matter of concern for mainstream Canadians as well as it is for members of the ethnic community, the idea is to have the same issue, but discussed within a particular perspective of ethnic communities; and within that rubric, to talk about different ethnic communities talking about the same issue together.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n143     So when we talk about cross‑cultural programming, we're still talking about programming that fits the definition of an ethnic program, that has the components of the ethnic perspective and the ethnic Canadian experience; however, it's a facilitator for different ethnic groups to discuss the same issues together.  So that's the way we interpreted the definition of the ethnic policy.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n144     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  So, Mr. Strati, as I understand it, you're placing the emphasis on "any," the word "any."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n145     In paragraph 9 of the ethnic policy, the same word is used to define ethnic programming.  When we discuss your ethnic programming overall, clearly, as you note in your chart and in your schedule, you choose to direct your programming at specific groups, distinct groups, be it Punjabi, be it in different languages, be it Japanese, be it South Asian, be it Polish, Croatian.  So in that context, ethnic programming ‑‑ which is defined using the same words, that is, "specifically directed to any culturally, racially distinct group," is interpreted in the schedule as distinct groups, individual groups.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n146     When you take the same line in the definition of "cross‑cultural" in order to clarify that ethnic programming can include cross‑cultural, the cross‑cultural still has to be directed to specific groups, if you take 9 and 10 together.  Do you want to comment further on that?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n147     MR. STRATI:  Sure.  Certainly, Madeline or Lenny or Paritosh can talk a little bit about some of the specific programs like you've mentioned.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n148     Even within that context, if we're talking, for example, about the South Asian communities, you will have, in terms of a program, whether it's a Punjabi program, whether it's a Hindi program or an Urdu program, there is, even within communities or within sort of a broader grouping, if you will, of different groups and different communities, there is also a community of interest.  There's no distinction in terms of, if you will, a program that only targets one specific community, and certainly the program, because of its language component and because perhaps some of its programming content, will focus on a specific community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n149     Even within that context, if you look at parts of Eastern Europe, Russian programs, there are opportunities for other communities and other groups to also participate and be served by those programs.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n150     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Yes.  By its very nature, as you describe it, and it's a most interesting concept, the cross‑cultural is to reach to several different groups, is it not?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n151     MR. STRATI:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n152     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  So it can't be both destined for a distinct group, as the definition of "ethnic," as you will underline the various components of your schedule and, at the same time, to the broad public.  I'm speaking to you as a programmer, in terms of the way you'll put the show together.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n153     So in terms of that, what we're looking at as the cross‑cultural programming would appear to be different in its aim than the ethnic programming that you have through the balance of your schedule?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n154     MR. STRATI:  I'll certainly ask Lenny to answer that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n155     MR. LOMBARDI:  Let me just try my hand.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n156     I think the best way to look at what we're trying to accomplish here with our cross‑cultural programming is really bring together the resources of the associate producers and the human resources that are available to us under the umbrella of this ethnic station, in a strong communicative way, so that we can give a greater forum to what already exists in third language broadcasts in those various languages.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n157     To give you an example from Toronto, I listen to ethnic radio ‑‑ that's my passion and my business.  And I have an opportunity to tap into those programs that are in the English language, and those are identified as some Italian programming, Jewish programming, West Indian programming, some South Asian, and I can connect to what I hear because it's in the English language.  Now, those programs are directed to specific cultural groups, but I'm having an opportunity to tap into it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n158     Now, we do that in our program schedule throughout the broadcast week.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n159     Cross‑cultural programming in the two‑hour blocks that we're offering will be highlights from the various ethnocultural groups and associate producers that are doing those types of programs in third language but have an opportunity now to take that same topic, address it to the same ethnocultural community, but in the English language this time, and by its very nature, it now becomes an opportunity for more people to participate in that dialogue.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n160     So if the same type of discussion about social issues is happening in the Portuguese language, and on a given day of the week we invite our Portuguese producer to deal with that same topic but in the English language and promote that topic and opportunity to participate in an open‑line show with other people of similar interests, you know, that's the whole notion behind this cross‑cultural programming.  We're just taking it from third language existence and bringing it into the broader scope, where we're taking it into the English language as well.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n161     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  So we are talking about the 9:00 to 11:00 period, the call‑in show, talk show.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n162     MR. LOMBARDI:  Yes.  And I'd like to add just one more point.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n163     This is an ethnic station.  Our listeners will be from the ethnocultural communities.  I listen to it as my passion and my business.  I tend to tap into these issues that revolve around ethnocultural communities.  I'm a listener of ethnic radio.  Everyone who listens to our station in Vancouver will be a listener of that station.  It's quite likely that listenership will carry through and stay tuned to our programs the way we've tried to program the blocks.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n164     So it's a natural consequence for our Spanish listeners to come back to our station in Vancouver and connect with our cross‑cultural program because their associate producer from their community is going to be a regular participant in that show.  That's how we're going to grow our audience, is that each individual associate producer is going to bring them back to that talk show.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n165     MS. ZINIAK:  Sorry.  If I may just add also?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n166     I think there's something to be said when we're dealing with hosts that are coming from third language programs, and audiences often have been stopped from traditional radio programs because maybe they're considered an audible minority; they don't feel as comfortable phoning in.  Sometimes hosts of traditional media aren't as gentle with that kind of audience feedback, quite frankly.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n167     I think what we've done is created a very comfortable environment for individuals from specific ethnocultural groups, be it if they're speaking about an issue such as the reassessment of professionals, which is of great concern to specific and others, but it's also creating a very comfortable environment for a call‑in for these ethno‑specific communities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n168     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Well, please understand, again, I'm not questioning that it isn't, as such, a programming concept which would add value to listeners.  The nature of it, though, the blue component in the English language, is it's a call‑in talk show, and it's a show which you define in your application and in all the material submitted as one reaching all different communities.  Therefore, the distinction being, it is not directed to a specific community, but its genius, if you will, is that people from all different communities will be listening and get a perspective from different point of views.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n169     Mr. Lombardi, we had this discussion recently in Ottawa in the context of a mainstream station in which, if I interpret our discussion ‑‑ and I went over the transcript ‑‑ you were describing the cross‑cultural programming as, in fact, not ethnic programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n170     MR. LOMBARDI:  That's right.  That's very true.  The distinction here, though, is that this is an ethnic application, and Ottawa was a mainstream.  That's, in itself, a very great distinction.  If I could explain, the Ottawa application was drawing from the associate producers of CJLL, an ethnic radio station.  Those would be our human resources for a culturally diverse spoken word.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n171     Here, as an ethnic station, we have the resources in‑house in this station.  It's the same operation, it's the same respect with the issues, but we're drawing from our existing associate producers and bringing them from third language existence in those talk‑show formats and bringing it to a broader audience in the English language, which is really the whole notion behind cross‑cultural.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n172     If you will take the view that we are discussing professional accreditation and job placement in Canada for the recent arrivals, and our subject matter is drawing from an experience within the Spanish community.  Our resources are our Spanish producer, our hosts and guests are from the Spanish community, and we're telling the story from the perspective of someone from the Spanish community.  In a way, that program is specifically directed to the Spanish community.  Maybe that group would extract more from that discussion than someone from the Italian community.  Nevertheless, both have a great opportunity to understand the dilemma that faces new arrivals in job placement.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n173     That's basically how we're going to approach this type of program.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n174     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Thank you for that, I understand.  Again, as I say, what I'm trying to get to here is the fact that you have committed to 100 percent ethnic programming.  And if you take the fact that, as you have very well‑described again this morning, the very nature of this programming is to reach many different groups at the same time, it may be that the Commission sees that this particular component of the schedule is not ethnic programming as defined in the ethnic programming policy.  In fact, your Ottawa station, your ethnic station currently underway in Ottawa, has 94 percent ethnic because of, I think, the 7.5 hours of cross‑cultural programming.  We're talking about the same concept which you've had underway in Toronto, Ottawa, and which you propose to bring to Vancouver with this proposal.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n175     So, as I understand it, we've listened to your rationale for seeing it as ethnic under the policy definition.  But should the Commission decide that indeed this particular component, cross‑cultural programming in English, is not specifically directed to any cultural or racial group in order to be considered ethnic, would the 100 percent level be adjusted?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n176     MR. MILES:  Yes, it would.  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n177     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  And would you accept the revised level as a condition of licence?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n178     MR. MILES:  Yes, we would.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n179     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  And further, because the chart and the schedule have been carefully worked through to distinguish the 12 hours of English programming as the call‑in show, considering the fact that we may not consider the cross‑cultural programming as ethnic, would you submit a revised chart?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n180     MR. MILES:  Yes, we will.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n181     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Thank you for that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n182     If we continue then ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n183     MR. LOMBARDI:  Excuse me, Commissioner Pennefather, if I could just ask a question here?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n184     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  I thought I did that.

‑‑‑ Laughter / rires

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n185     MR. LOMBARDI:  If we were to modify our program schedule and identify our program schedule, and identify specific cultural groups on a specific day, would that satisfy your concerns with regards to meeting the criteria?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n186     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  You mean you're changing the description of the cross‑cultural programming?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n187     MR. LOMBARDI:  Not changing the description but identifying, as we have in our program schedule ‑‑ I think within the South Asian block, you'll notice we have Tamil and Gujarati programming, we identify specific cultural groups within the block ‑‑ if we were to identify on Monday a cross‑cultural program targeted to the South Asian community, cross‑cultural on Tuesday targeted to Chinese, on Wednesday, Portuguese, if we did that, would that satisfy your ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n188     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  I'll have to refer to legal counsel on that because that may represent a change in your application.  So I will leave that question to counsel and come back perhaps on that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n189     MR. MILES:  Or perhaps we could put in some specific ‑‑ they would be specific programming requirements.  We'll do both.  We'll refile and we'll put in that suggestion too, and then you'll have it in front of you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n190     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  As it stands, I prefer to leave the application as such.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n191     MR. MILES:  Sure.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n192     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  And to offer us the option, that if we should find ‑‑ you may, in fact, in your discussion today, as we review it, give us some clarification, but perhaps we should leave it as is and ask for the option of a revision in that sense.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n193     Could I then just continue on the chart and the schedule?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n194     Concerning another commitment, which is at page 21 of your supplementary brief, specifically, would you be prepared to accept, as a condition of licence, your commitment to do a minimum of 50 percent of all ethnic programming broadcast each week directed to South Asian communities in the Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Sinhalese, Tamil, and Urdu languages?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n195     MR. MILES:  Yes, we will.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n196     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Now, I got that list of languages from the bottom of your schedule.  I'm not assuming that that's all the South Asian languages, but those are the ones you have identified as comprising your 50 percent.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n197     MR. MILES:  That is correct.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n198     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  That is correct?  Now, this adds up to approximately 45 percent of the schedule.  But if we add the section called ‑‑ if we add the South Asian programming, on the chart we have an area called "South Asian, 8 hours," but it's not specifically defined as to a specific language group.  Could you tell us what the nature of this 8 hours ‑‑ I'm at Appendix 7A, South Asian 8 hours, 6.35 percent of schedule.  Could you tell us the nature of these 8 hours and where it may appear on the schedule?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n199     MR. MILES:  Just getting my programming people to make sure we're on the same page as you are with regards to the description.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n200     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Appendix 7A.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n201      

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n202     MR. MILES:  Yes, thank you.  Paritosh?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n203     MR. MEHTA:  Thank you, Gary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n204     Commissioner, if I understand correctly, you're talking about the Friday night program which is from nine to midnight on Friday and Saturday?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n205     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Ah, you've answered my question.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n206     MR. MEHTA:  Those are dance programs.  The Friday night program is in Punjabi.  It's going to be a cross‑cultural program as well, but largely directed to the Punjabi community.  And the Saturday night program is going to be, again, a dance program for the South Asian community in general.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n207     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Okay.  So what I had was the chart.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n208     MR. MEHTA:  Right.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n209     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Which had South Asian, 8 hours.  You're saying that translates to the Friday and Saturday dance parties.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n210     MR. MEHTA:  That's right.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n211     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  If it's South Asian in terms of language, which language are we referring to?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n212     MR. MEHTA:  One would be Punjabi ‑‑ the Friday night would be Punjabi and the Saturday night would be Hindi, largely Hindi.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n213     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Okay.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n214     Now we'll move to other areas of programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n215     In your deficiency response at page 5, question 12, you say that you expect that more than 40 percent of your schedule will be devoted to spoken word; and from the chart we see you will have a particular focus on Punjabi programming at 26.19 percent or 33 hours.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n216     What is the overall level weekly of your local programming?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n217     MR. MILES:  Alain will answer that question.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n218     MR. STRATI:  The program will be 100 percent local.  However, I probably should ask Lenny to talk about it.  I mean, there may be opportunities, as CHIN has done with Toronto and Ottawa, there may be opportunities for specific projects or programs, if you will, sort of ‑‑ if you think of a call‑in show, then you have a national call‑in show or a dialogue across different regions.  So there may be opportunities there where the programs would sort of be expansive, and have the local issues or issues of concern in Vancouver also discussed with those in Ontario.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n219     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  That would be in the call‑in section?  Because I noted in your application, you were considering perhaps a mix of Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver within that.  But can you give me a overall sense, in the schedule, what the level of local programming is?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n220     MR. STRATI:  The level would be 100 percent local.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n221     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Now, if we turn to music ‑‑ I guess we'll get back to the Friday night dance party and the Saturday night dance party.  But will there be a particular emphasis on South Asian music in your proposal?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n222     MR. MEHTA:  Yes, Commissioner, it will be completely devoted towards the South Asian community in general, but that the cross‑cultural element, that will also take into account other communities, for example, the Urdu‑speaking communities, the Bengali‑speaking communities; in general, everybody from the South Asian communities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n223     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Other than the dance parties, it's totally music?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n224     MR. MEHTA:  A couple of music programs that we are ‑‑ if you refer back to the schedule, Commissioner, we have, even from eight to nine on Saturday and again on Sunday, eight to nine, these are also music programs.  But the Saturday night, which is from nine to midnight, is going to be far more contemporary and dance music.  The one from eight to nine is going to be slow‑paced ‑‑ not slow‑paced but largely contemporary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n225     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  But overall, do you see a particular emphasis on South Asian music throughout the schedule then, or other forms of ethnic music?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n226     MR. LOMBARDI:  If I could answer that, Commissioner?  Within our South Asian block, of course, there will be strong emphasis on the appropriate musical styles that we feel will appeal to the South Asian communities that we are trying to reach.  But with respect to the other language groups that we're proposing to serve, it'll be a mix of popular music and high content in spoken word.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n227     But, again, I think we need to also express the nature of how those associate producer‑modelled shows will come together in cooperation with leaders in the community in finding out exactly what the community is looking for.  So that will dictate whether or not it's a high rotation of music, whether it be popular or classical, or whether there will be more spoken word.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n228     MS. ZINIAK:  And also, just to add, often these programs, especially for the broad spectrum and the diversity group, these are the only programs for these communities at times.  So they would be then a mix of spoken word, perhaps music, and issues of the day, because they are the only program for that community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n229     MR. MEHTA:  Can I also add another point to that, Commissioner?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n230     These particular programs are chosen with specific intent in mind.  No other radio station right now carries these programs for these particular communities, and the schedule was specifically designed to kind of offset that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n231     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  But according to the deficiency, your schedule is, as you say:

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n232     "... our station's schedule will focus to a greater degree on spoken‑word programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n233     "... more than 40% ... will be spoken word."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n234     That remains the case?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n235     MR. MILES:  That is correct.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n236     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  All right.  The independent producers, I think, Mr. Lombardi, you were just about to launch into that, but I have some specific questions.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n237     On page 25 of your supplementary brief, you talk about:

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n238     "Although many portions of the broadcast schedule will be produced in‑house by our station staff, we will also establish partnerships with local independent producers ..."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n239     Could you tell us which of your target ethnic communities will feature programs produced by these independent producers?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n240     MR. LOMBARDI:  Certainly.  Thank you for that question.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n241     We plan to produce in‑house, that is ‑‑ to define "in‑house," that this will be station‑operated with individuals on staff.  We plan to do in‑house programming with our South Asian, cross‑cultural, and our Chinese programming block.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n242     The remainder of the block with respect to programs such as German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, et cetera, we will work with our associate producers, and that associate producer model is largely based on what CHIN does in Toronto and Ottawa, and is also reflective of what OMNI does with their independent producers in Toronto.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n243     So the nature of the associate producer model is one that forms a partnership with individuals from the communities that we want to serve.  We look at that as a meaningful way of developing a relationship with the community through spokespeople from the community.  It all starts with an advisory board that ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n244     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  We'll get to that in a moment.  But what I'd like to know a little bit more about, and as precisely as you can, in working with independent producers, you say on page 26 you will help develop the programming concepts and proposals.  More precisely, what's the process of selection that will be used?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n245     As you say, these producers will be producing for the various communities and languages other than the in‑house.  What's the process of selecting?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n246     MR. LOMBARDI:  I'll use the model that we used in Ottawa, and that began with a strong advisory board that was gleaned from our involvement in the community.  I know OMNI has great contacts within the Vancouver ethnocultural communities here, and we've identified very strong leaders that will be excellent representatives for us on this new station.  Through them and our expressed interest in serving various ethnocultural communities, we go into those communities, and from those connections, solicit from and find appropriate associate producers who have the skills, the desire, the credibility, and the support of the community to bring on board as producers with us in Vancouver.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n247     The next step is to provide them with the support and the infrastructure that they need to be the best possible producer‑broadcaster that they can be, and that's where this radio station will provide all the infrastructure support, technical support, marketing skills, training and sales, and also benefit from our vast experience in this business and impart to them the skills that they would need to be effective as a producer.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n248     The significance of the associate producer model versus a brokered model, if you will, is we're making a commitment to serve 18 language groups, regardless of their ability to financially support that programming block.  We believe that by investing in time and energy within that community, eventually we can grow that program and the support for that program into a self‑sustaining business.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n249     If we looked at simply the opportunity for brokerage, then it becomes the marketplace determining who gets on the air and when and what they say, and we don't want that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n250     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Let me take that further.  There is a difference, as I understand it.  But from another point of view, since these are associate producers, what is your role, what would be your role, the station's, in terms of the content of the programs?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n251     MR. LOMBARDI:  Well, I think we completely have to take full responsibility of every spoken word that is uttered on our station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n252     Our role is in the selection, training, and guidance process.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n253     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Would you be influencing the selection of content of the programs?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n254     MR. LOMBARDI:  It's a collaborative thing.  It's something that, through our advisory board and our knowledge of the associate producers, is a working relationship.  We want the program, first and foremost, to be reflective of the community that they're serving, number one.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n255     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  How would you monitor that?  If you do want it to be reflective of the community and you ‑‑ how will you monitor that success?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n256     MR. LOMBARDI:  Feedback ‑‑ our programming director, feedback with the associate producers, call‑in shows, connecting with the community so that, you know, the information can flow freely.  We want to know we're doing the right thing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n257     We also will look for telltale landmarks, if you will, that show and express the success of the program, public service announcements, how active is the producer in reflecting the activities going on in the community?  You know, these are program structures that will be the very minimum that we would expect.  And when we see that type of reaction, we know we're on the right track.  If we don't see it, we know we have to go back to the drawing board.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n258     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  I think that's what I'm coming to.  If you don't see it, then my previous question, "What is your influence on the content of the programs?" comes into play.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n259     MR. LOMBARDI:  I think working in a cooperative environment with the associate producer to achieve those goals ‑‑ I mean, we're going to set standards for what we want to accomplish on that radio station and work with our associate producers so that they meet those goals.  If they have difficulty meeting those goals, we'll stay active and reassess the problems and never lose focus on the community we want to serve.  We may have to change our associate producer ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n260     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  That, I guess, is the bottom line.  You're keeping the focus on, as an ethnic broadcaster ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n261     MR. LOMBARDI:  Yeah.  Perhaps Madeline may want to also elaborate?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n262     MS. ZINIAK:  Yes, Commissioner Pennefather, you're quite correct that this is an interesting challenge.  And throughout our experiences in the past, we have identified that, indeed, the independent producer base within communities don't work insularly.  They are extremely accountable to their community, they're extremely accountable to us as broadcasters.  The audiences that they serve are extremely forthright in giving us feedback on what they are or are not doing.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n263     And I think that ‑‑ we have checks and balances within our procedures, number one, when we do choose an independent producer, for example, we don't look only at the demographic as a large community.  We also look at the reputation or the talent base of that individual independent producer.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n264     We have wonderful experiences, for example, where indeed we talk about the evolution of multilingual or independent producers who are from an ethnocultural base where, for example, they have started from a newspaper and then have gone on to radio or done television.  A recent example of a Romanian producer, Raoul Dubnik, who started in radio, had a newspaper, and now is doing television.  His reputation in the community is now, you know, almost 8 years old, and we get direct feedback in that way.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n265     To enhance that whole experience also, when we have ‑‑ we created an advisory body that is also responsible to the audiences.  They actually are the guides and the interface with the independent producers and the audiences.  Audiences will come, especially in areas of conflictual situations, and come and let us know what is indeed the quality of the program and what is the feedback of the program.  So when we do set up viewer feedback mechanisms, I think that this is all very important.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n266     Also, as the whole base of the station, quite frankly, as they continue to contribute in different symposiums ‑‑ there's always an opportunity to check on the quality and the credibility and what these producers are doing.  It is a highly competitive environment.  Any time there's one producer who isn't quite fulfilling his mandate, you can believe that there are two or three others ready to jump in, you know, to be able to do that kind of programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n267     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Thank you very much.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n268     If I move on to your schedule and look at the morning and afternoon ‑‑ the morning show and the afternoon drive show, which is described on page 22 of your supplementary brief, it indicates Punjabi and English, though you say the programs would largely be in Punjabi; is that correct?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n269     MR. MILES:  Correct.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n270     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Could you tell me, though, what the nature of the English programming would be, considering, particularly, since you've raised the point in your brief that English‑language programming remains as the most effective way to reach a larger group of South Asian communities.  What will the English‑language component be, exactly?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n271     MR. MILES:  I'll now introduce Paritosh to walk you through that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n272     MR. MEHTA:  Thank you, Gary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n273     Commissioner, these programs are supposed to be as inclusive as possible ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n274     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  We're having trouble seeing you.  That's better.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n275     MR. MEHTA:  That's better.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n276     These programs are designed to be as inclusive as possible.  The English word is going to be very minimal in the whole program setup.  Largely we want to restrict the English language to the younger audiences, because many of the younger audiences do not speak the language.  They understand the language but do not speak the language.  We don't want to exclude them out.  If there's a call‑in show or there's a panel discussion on the particular radio program and they can only speak in English, we won't exclude them.  We will bring them on for reflection, and so on and so forth.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n277     So the English is going to be very minimal, but it's largely going to be Punjabi and Hindi in that respective hour.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n278     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  So the morning show consists of ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n279     MR. MEHTA:  Punjabi.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n280     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Punjabi.  But what are the elements?  News?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n281     MR. MEHTA:  There's going to be news, weather, current affairs, panel discussions, you know, depending upon the current topics of the day or of the week, music; and similarly, in the afternoon, it's going to be in a similar way except it's going to be in Hindi.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n282     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  I'm sorry, in the afternoon it's going to be ...

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n283     MR. MEHTA:  Midday is going to be in the Hindi language.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n284     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Oh, yes.  I follow you.  I have the midday, Hindi, and I have Punjabi in the morning and the afternoon.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n285     MR. MEHTA:  That's right.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n286     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Those are the peak times in radio programming, so you can understand why we want a little bit more of a description of what's the morning show and what's the afternoon drive.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n287     So you're telling us it's news, weather, sports ...

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n288     MR. MEHTA:  The Hindi program is going to be local community ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n289     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  I'm just focusing now on the two Punjabi/English programs, morning and afternoon drive shows.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n290     MR. MEHTA:  Right.  The morning Punjabi program is going to be local community news, international news, local events, community perspective, man‑on‑the‑street interviews, guest experts and role models, phone‑in contests, local and national sports, public service announcements.  This is the makeup of the morning program.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n291     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Okay, thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n292     You do say, on page 5 of the deficiency brief, deficiency letter, and I think it's mentioned in the brief, you are going to have open‑line programming, and you plan to have, according to the deficiency response, 25 hours approximately per week, including the weekday morning call‑in, which we've been discussing this morning.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n293     So that weekly cross‑cultural call‑in talk show is 12 hours.  So if it's 25 hours open‑line programming, could you tell us where we would find the remaining open line programming?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n294     MR. MILES:  Yes, I'm going to ask Mr. Lombardi to answer that one because it has specific reference to the individual block programmings of the different languages.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n295     MR. LOMBARDI:  Thank you, Gary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n296     I think, within our South Asian block, we would also include call‑in topics within those shows on a regular basis, so that would be the remainder of the 12 hours.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n297     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  So it would be in a third language, in English, in both?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n298     MR. LOMBARDI:  I think it'll be in both.  You know, English is an official language of India so, you know, it's kind of used interactively, and sometimes callers who, depending on their age, might call in feeling more comfortable in the English language and may be able to converse, answering questions asked in Punjabi but respond in English.  You know, we provide for that type of flexibility.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n299     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  So, again, and just thinking on that point too, on the flexibility, if it's 70 percent third‑language programming, that's 30 percent English‑language programming, and we have about 12 hours of that taken care of in our cross‑cultural shows, so the balance of English‑language programming would be in the morning and afternoon drive shows, as you've described?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n300     MR. LOMBARDI:  For the most part.  I'd like Alain perhaps to elaborate.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n301     MR. STRATI:  That's correct.  I mean, as Paritosh has mentioned, there would be components of English within third‑language programs and there are English‑specific programs, like the cross‑cultural talk show in the morning.  You know, in terms of 30 percent, the 30 percent is to allow for ‑‑ because of the nature of, you know, languages in South Asian communities, we feel it's, in terms of a flexibility to serve those communities, it's important to have, you know, the flexibility to provide more English programming to serve those communities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n302     We do have some English‑specific programming in our schedule.  We do have, as we've discussed ‑‑ within certain programs, there will be some English.  You know, in terms of getting a percentage, we thought at the highest level 30 percent would be in English.  In fact, that would be sort of the maximum amount of English that we have in our schedule.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n303     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Okay, thank you for that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n304     We'll turn now to the Chinese programming, and your ethnic programming chart again at Appendix 7A, indicates 16 hours of Chinese programming.  In the deficiency letter, pages 3 and 4, you propose limitations on your broadcasting of Chinese programming, which you indicate later at page 32 would minimize any potential economic impact for the stations, and I'll get back to that point later.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n305     These limits that you proposed are 20 percent of the broadcast week and 20 percent of the Monday‑to‑Friday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. periods, and you've agreed to a condition of licence to this effect.  Now, this would mean 25 hours each week of Chinese programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n306     What my question is, considering your argumentation both this morning and in your supplementary brief at pages 13 and 14 that the Chinese communities are already well‑served, therefore your emphasis on South Asian communities, why do you feel there's a need for more Chinese programming?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n307     MR. MILES:  Madeline will address that one.  I think you'll find that we have said there's 20 percent ‑‑ when you do the math, as we have done when we actually put the schedule out, it's far closer to, I think, 13 percent.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n308     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Yes, I think it's 12.7.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n309     MS. ZINIAK:  I think, number one, our whole approach to our schedule unto this station is one to be ‑‑ one that is very cohesive for diversity.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n310     Chinese, admittedly, is one of the pillars as far as an ethnocultural community here in the Vancouver‑Lower Mainland area, and we feel that, as far as our mandate goes, and principally for the station, it's very important not to exclude the Chinese community.  There's opportunities, knowingly from the community themselves.  In the Chinese community, there's a great attempt not to be insular, a great attempt ‑‑ and this is happening, frankly, in organizations and fund‑raisings where communities are crossing over and working together.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n311     We feel that, also, another important point is to be able to have freedom of expression, diverse ethnocultural views, and ‑‑ specifically to the Chinese community ‑‑ I think that OMNI and CHIN also has a track record of not shying away at times from controversial issues.  Sometimes we're the only one in the market that would deal with the Falun Gong issue, for example.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n312     So sometimes when people look at ethnocultural media, I think it's important to appreciate the diversity of opinion that does exist and be able to harness the kind of freedom of expression that allows for maturing media, which Chinese is indeed.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n313     We do have limitations, but we also feel it's very important ‑‑ it's a large community ‑‑ to really include them in this diverse station.  I think the other communities as well can learn a lot from the Chinese community in this kind of interaction.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n314     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Okay.  Just to get back to our mathematics, Mr. Miles ‑‑ thank you, Madam Ziniak.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n315     The schedule and the chart do show 16 hours, which is closer to 13 percent, but you have committed to 20 percent, which is 25 hours over the week.  Can you clarify where we might find the balance?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n316     MR. MILES:  Actually, we would be quite prepared to say that it's 13 ‑‑ or 12.7 percent or 13 percent of our scheduling.  Because when we actually went through and did our scheduling and allowed for all of the other languages that we wanted in there, that's what we ended up with.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n317     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Can I understand what you're saying, that it's going to be 16 hours and 12.7 percent?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n318     MR. MILES:  Correct.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n319     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Now, you've put a limitation of 20 percent in your deficiency of the broadcast week, no more than 20 percent and no more than 20 percent 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n320     Are you maintaining those conditions of licence?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n321     MR. STRATI:  Again, those are ‑‑ you know, sometimes they're sort of maximum levels.  Sometimes there will be certain weeks where there will be ‑‑ for example, Chinese New Year, there could be opportunities for a greater degree of programming.  That's why, in terms of a normal week like this, where you have 12 percent or 13 percent of programming for the Chinese community as opposed to perhaps other opportunities, we thought, at the most, we'd go to 20 percent.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n322     What Gary said is ‑‑ I think we'd be ‑‑ for us the importance is to have the opportunity to serve the Chinese communities.  In terms of a condition of licence, in terms of sort of restrictions, we'd be glad to ‑‑ if it's appropriate, we'd discuss that as well.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n323     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Well, we have on record your commitment to the 20 percent both for the week and for the Monday‑to‑Friday 6 to 6 p.m. are you maintaining that commitment for condition of licence?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n324     MR. STRATI:  We've talked about ‑‑ given the intervention from Fairchild, we've talked about that significantly.  Initially our commitment was to 20 percent limitation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n325     You know, there's also some economic ramifications in terms of that, and I don't know if it's appropriate to come back later and have a ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n326     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  We will come back to the economic, but we'll leave it as the 20 percent limitation that you have made.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n327     My point was that you have, on your chart in your schedule, shown us the number of hours that you have here as 16 ‑‑ or less than that, but you're saying the 20 percent is the flexibility which you feel you need?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n328     MR. STRATI:  That's correct.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n329     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Let's go on to another point about ‑‑ it comes from the ethnic broadcasting policy again, the area of monitoring local issues.  We touched on it in our discussion of working with independent producers.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n330     As set out in the Commission's ethnic broadcasting policy, a primary responsibility of ethnic broadcasters relates to your ability to serve and reflect the communities in the station's local programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n331     Could you describe for us what specific measures will you, as the licensee, establish to ensure that local issues and concerns are reflected in your programming?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n332     MR. MILES:  Certainly we're willing to establish a local advisory board that Lenny has discussed, and the use thereof to make sure that we have a pulse on the communities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n333     And now Madeline will expand.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n334     MS. ZINIAK:  I would indeed ‑‑ thank you very much ‑‑ like to expand and include our experiences, but also I'd like appropriately to then ask Renato Zane, our Vice‑President of News, to add some specifics.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n335     I think, number one, that it's important to state that indeed the advisory committee process is a very important one, but also I think it's very important in what one selects as advisors.  I think that, we have learned, is key in having an excellent advisory group.  And I think throughout the years we have worked with organizations, both national, both provincial and local, because ethnic issues and ethnic journalists, quite frankly, need the breadth, that there is a lot of interchange.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n336     To begin, we've had a lot of feedback already, and it's not a secret that we've been here in British Columbia the last ten years, somewhat dealing and interchanging with a variety of community organizations, knowingly who are credible reflectors, if you will, of community needs.  Those advisors who understand the sensitivities of the community, who also understand media and also understand the issues.  And your advisory committee, quite frankly, is only as good as the advisors that you choose, and I think that we have been very successful, and not being tokenistic, in those who we have chosen and those who we understand can really move programming forward.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n337     Secondly, also, I think we are ‑‑ have a lot of accountability to the organizations that we sit in and work with presently.  Examples are the National Family Initiative on Violence, we work with many community members there, and we've worked with them in both television and radio.  And I think it behooves us to be credible to them, and the organizations that we've worked in parallel streams with for different objectives give us the feedback as well.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n338     We do have procedures ‑‑ I think we take a look, for example, at viewer feedback, for example ‑‑ and I'm going to ask Renato to speak shortly.  But we do have web sites that we'll be setting up for viewer feedback, you know, viewer phoneback calls that we do have, and I think it's important to note that the audiences do personally speak to the independent producers.  Then also, very important, the culture within broadcasters that we have evolved, there has to be a level of comfort for those in the community to address, you know, Lenny, the managers of the broadcasters as well, and to one‑on‑one at different social functions or situations, to just come forward and tell us exactly what they think.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n339     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Okay.  Could I just ask you a couple of specific questions about the advisory board, though?  As mentioned in this morning's presentation, Mr. Miles noted the help of our local advisory board.  I assume this is the current existing advisory board?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n340     MR. MILES:  That is correct, yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n341     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Will you have a different advisory board?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n342     MR. MILES:  Completely separate, completely different, with a different Chair.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n343     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  And how will you determine which cultural groups will be represented on your advisory board?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n344     MR. MILES:  I'm going to let Madeline speak to this one because she's had the most experience and contacts within the community over the last couple of years here in Vancouver.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n345     MS. ZINIAK:  I think, number one, it's very important to note that these advisors do not represent the community, they're there to reflect the community, and I think it's a very important distinction because there aren't any elections happening.  And I think when we take a look at the combination of advisors, yes, we will have ethno‑specific advisors, and we have found also what has been very instructive and meaningful for us also are advisors who are intercultural, who have issues, who have dealt on government committees, who really have top‑of‑mind best interests for multiculturalism and diversity.  And I can give you examples of those.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n346     Indeed, we have ethno‑specific members of not only the larger communities but also the smaller communities, and because sometimes you can't have 20 advisors, which, you know, renders an advisory group not as functional, you do choose individuals who are intercultural and can cross over in different areas.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n347     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  What is the size of the advisory board that you propose?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n348     MS. ZINIAK:  Well, we have discussed this at length, and I think, as far as the number goes, we're looking ‑‑ as traditionally as we've had ‑‑ we've had anywhere from 10 to 13 or 14 participants.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n349     We've also initiated also sub committees, and sometimes we have learned that it's very important at times, when you're dealing with some targeted issues, that the advisors themselves would set up a sub committee, and then we would invite other members of the community.  So indeed we have developed a process and procedure where we have a core group but also extend the communication to those who have expertise perhaps in a different area and set up sub committees.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n350     This may sound like a lot of meetings, but, in fact, I think we go forward with at least two annual meetings, and then per issue or per controversy, we would set up a specific sub committee once.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n351     MR. MILES:  Certainly one of the areas we're going to have to make sure we satisfy is our broad range that our program schedule exemplifies, so there will naturally be representatives of our primary programming, which is South Asian, and a smaller amount of Chinese.  But we may well have to go up to 15.  So we put 10 to 13, but it may well get up to 15 in order to satisfy the rest of our programming initiatives.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n352     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  And will CHIN have a seat on the advisory board or be appointing ‑‑ have any participation in the role of the advisory board?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n353     MR. LOMBARDI:  I certainly would be advising with respect to the best selection for advisory board members.  I think 10 to 15 is a sizable group, a terrific number with respect to the number of language groups that we propose to serve.  But CHIN will actually be participating in the management team as a whole, so we'll have pretty much hands‑on with regards to advisory board as well as the whole process of selecting our associate producers.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n354     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Let's just keep going on that point then.  You segued right into my next area, which is CHIN's role in this.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n355     I believe that what we're looking at here is a partnership, and we'll get back to the ownership question later specifically.  But looking at 70 percent/30 percent, and 30 percent CHIN.  Now, I guess one would say other models in that proportion, you have a key player or major player at 70 and the player at 30 would normally be playing a somewhat minor role.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n356     From what we're seeing, both in this morning's presentation and in the supplementary brief and deficiency letters, CHIN has a very strong role to play.  So perhaps it's important that we understand, in a little bit more detail, what your role is in this, and if you could take us through it?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n357     I think, if I'm right, in this morning's presentation, you did add some clarifications.  You say "CHIN will participate on the management team."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n358     Can you describe to us then, is this the operations manager that was noted on page 3 of the supplementary brief?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n359     MR. LOMBARDI:  I'm sorry, I didn't hear you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n360     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  In the supplementary brief on page 3, or is it in the ‑‑ hang on.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n361     Yes, the supplementary brief, page 3.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n362     MR. MILES:  Perhaps it would be useful, while they're looking in that specific request, to just give you a bit of a background on it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n363     We were absolutely thrilled that CHIN agreed to come along with us on this one.  There's no way in the world that we could do it without this kind of expertise and without the expertise and relationships that OMNI has developed in the community.  So this is 70/30 on paper, but it is more an act of sharing responsibility of how we're going to do it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n364     In all of our enterprises, we set up a cross‑functional team where we have a representative of CHIN, we'll have somebody from OMNI, we'll have somebody from Rogers Broadcasting as we develop and work along the lines of filling out the program schedule, setting up the advisory board, getting names and nominations.  And that process will move forward, right up until the time that we actually put the station on the air, and then I'll turn it over to Lenny because he's had experience in how this works.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n365     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Just so I'm understanding, Mr. Miles, though, when the station is on the air, is Rogers in charge of the day‑to‑day operations of the station?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n366     MR. MILES:  The person that will be in charge of the day‑to‑day operations will be the operations manager that we will collectively have chosen to thoroughly represent the interests of the ethnic community in the way that business is being done by CHIN.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n367     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  So the operations manager that is described, as I said, on page 3, is from CHIN.  It says "launch and development of the station."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n368     Will this operations manager then continue as the operations manager of the station?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n369     MR. LOMBARDI:  It will be a work‑in‑progress, Madam Commissioner.  It's something that CHIN is going to have hands‑on, especially in the first year ‑‑ actually, in the first two years in developing the concept of associate producers and developing our program schedules.  So CHIN is going to be working on that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n370     But I think the management team and the operations manager are going to be gleaned from the local community.  We're looking at a local management team.  The role that CHIN will play is in the start‑up and on the ongoing management participation of major management decisions with regard to programming schedules and just running the basic business of the operation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n371     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  In what way, Mr. Lombardi.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n372     MR. LOMBARDI:  In every way.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n373     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  So CHIN will be involved in managing the station, CHIN will be involved in programming areas as well?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n374     MR. LOMBARDI:  Absolutely.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n375     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Which are those programming areas?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n376     MR. LOMBARDI:  CHIN will have a seat in the management team and we'll have a voice in the decisions and with respect to how the station evolves and is managed on a day‑to‑day basis.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n377     CHIN may have, in the first couple of years, someone permanently in the Vancouver area participating in this manner as we build our local management team, and then in later years we'll be participating in quarterly meetings.  But we envision that our participation, reflective of our interests in this radio station, will offer the full gamut.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n378     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Can you tell me which programs in particular CHIN would supply to the station?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n379     MR. LOMBARDI:  CHIN won't be supplying any programs whatsoever.  We will be collaborating on the development of programs that could be shared amongst our interests, because the resources are there.  You know, we look at the opportunities of just sharing news, for example.  One example was the recent assassination of the ex‑premier of Lebanon.  Our Lebanese producer in Ottawa was able to get an interview with the ambassador and was also granting interviews with much of the mainstream media.  That was a tremendous resource that could have been shared with the rest of the broadcasters in facilitating that story to interested people.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n380     So there are programming opportunities for us to engage in, but in no means is CHIN preparing to export programs from Ontario to Vancouver ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n381     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Not even the call‑in show?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n382     MR. LOMBARDI:  Other than ‑‑ I was just going to finish ‑‑ the call‑in show.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n383     Of course, all of that fits and may not fit, depending on time shifting and what programs are currently on the air in Ottawa and Toronto.  We can do it effectively in Ottawa and Toronto because there's no time shift.  It could work out conveniently for us here because we have South Asian programming in Toronto between 7 and 11 p.m., and that would shift nicely with our projected South Asian programming here, so there will be an opportunity for, you know, the occasional call‑in show that could include callers from Toronto.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n384     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Yes, I think there's also mention of using the radio features on CHIN.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n385     MR. LOMBARDI:  Those features are special.  Vancouver might be able to develop great interviews with visiting local or international artists here.  For example, Jazzy B. is a huge star in Toronto, is a local boy here.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n386     Interesting perspectives that we could get from this station that we could share with the Toronto station that wouldn't normally be available to us.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n387     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Just so I understand, again, there will be sharing of some programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n388     MR. LOMBARDI:  On special occasions.  That's what's envisioned.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n389     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  But there may be some sharing on the English cross‑cultural programming?  Because I think in your supplementary brief, you make the point of bringing Vancouver audiences into the cross‑cultural programming from Toronto and Ottawa.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n390     MR. LOMBARDI:  Commissioner Pennefather, these opportunities are there and available for us to explore and develop.  It's certainly a very attractive notion to be able to connect the multicultural community to specific topics here in Vancouver with their cousins, if you will, in Toronto, and explore those similarities and look at how different ‑‑ how the communities handle similar problems.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n391     You know, we always want to keep an eye on what those potentials might be, and certainly we would investigate every opportunity.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n392     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  So just to recap, CHIN will be involved in day‑to‑day operations of the station?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n393     MR. LOMBARDI:  Correct.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n394     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  The operations manager being one role that will be provided by CHIN?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n395     MR. LOMBARDI:  No, I think from that perspective, operations management would be a local individual from Vancouver.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n396     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  And some of the programming, there may be some sharing of programming?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n397     MR. LOMBARDI:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n398     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  I'm going to move now to synergies, both in terms of Rogers and CHIN, and I'm looking at page 7 of the supplementary brief.  You've indicated that the new station will benefit from synergies from your existing Rogers stations.  For example, in the area of programming, you mention news gathering, such as local, traffic, and weather information, could be shared with your Vancouver‑based news station, News 1130, and that federal government interviews, reports could be provided by OMNI Television news bureau.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n399     So I'm going to ask you to describe for us how this will work.  For example, will the local traffic and weather be provided exclusively to you by your News 1130 station, and will this be done in English?  I just need to get a little bit more detail on how that's going to work, Mr. Miles.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n400     MR. MILES:  Thank you.  I'm going to turn this over to Renato in just a moment.  But I think if you just stop for a second and say, what is Rogers going to contribute to this great relationship that we have?  Here in Vancouver, we have facilities, we have studios, we have connections with the community, we have sales management, and we have sales training, all of which we can use for these new people that are coming on.  We have a very extensive newsroom, and we're going to add to ‑‑ there will be a separate news department for this radio station over and above the News 1130 facilities, but we do have this extensive ability to gather news up and to share it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n401     So Renato can walk you through all of the synergies that we've got.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n402     MR. ZANE:  Thank you, Gary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n403     Well, we see this as a tremendous opportunity to really focus on local news‑gathering directed at these specific audiences that we've referred to in the driving periods.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n404     The way that it would work with 1130 would be that, yes, they would provide information to the news team at 93.1, but the news team would then use these resources to then convey the message to their audiences in the most effective way.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n405     If I could use an example from a story that will be covered here in Vancouver in the next few days, which is the Air India decision, for example.  If this station were up and running today, what we would do would be to use the expertise of News 1130 in covering courtroom scenarios of the legal coverage of 1130, and combine that with the penetrating power of the multilingual reporters in their communities.  So the reporters that would be working for 93.1 would be working with the victims' families and the local community, Punjabi‑speaking or Hindi‑speaking, and in the newsroom they would put together the two elements.  The courtroom reporting from News 1130 plus the community reporting.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n406     The station, 93.1, would then also have the ability to take this further and to do language discussions on the decision and incorporate to that coverage information that comes from Ottawa on national security issues or federal cabinet reaction, clips with South Asian Ministers or South Asian Members of Parliament in Ottawa that could then supplement the local coverage.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n407     In addition, we would have access to information from other South Asian communities in the country, specifically Ottawa, through the resources of CHIN, or through the resources of OMNI Television in Toronto.  We could take it further, if we want to, because we have some access to international sources to see how that decision plays in India, for example.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n408     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Let me start back with the proposed station.  Could you tell me how many programming staff you will have at the proposed station hired exclusively for the new FM?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n409     MR. MILES:  Joe Mulvihill has the answers for the staffing requirements.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n410     MR. MULVILHILL:  We are going to have a staff of ‑‑ in the news department, we will have a staff of three, including a news director, newscaster, and news representative.  We will also have six additional program hosts and morning show hosts.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n411     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  So you will have your own news staff at the new station?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n412     MR. MULVILHILL:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n413     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Could you just go through the news staff again?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n414     MR. MULVILHILL:  We'll have a news director and two newscasters.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n415     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Will there be any news‑gathering staff, or are you going to depend on 1130 for news gathering?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n416     MR. MULVILHILL:  That will be a dual function of the newscaster/news reporter.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n417     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Would you say that the new station would have its own independent news service?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n418     MR. MULVILHILL:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n419     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Will you be in the same facilities as your current Vancouver stations?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n420     MR. MILES:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n421     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  So, again, and we get back to breaking this out, the new station would get news from 1130.  Can you tell us the percentage of your overall news content that would be provided by News 1130?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n422     MR. ZANE:  Thank you, Commissioner.  That's always a difficult question to answer because news varies so much from day to day.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n423     We would use the experience that we've developed at OMNI Television and at CHIN Radio to use this as a base for information and then rely on the associate producers and the existing on‑site staff to work with that information to craft the news services that are required.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n424     It's also important that we stay local, and because the strength of News 1130 is to provide a lot of very excellent local coverage, we would use that strength as the basis to then provide information in language to both the Punjabi‑ and Hindi‑speaking communities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n425     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Again, 1130, I assume the news would be in English.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n426     MR. ZANE:  That's correct.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n427     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  It would be provided to the new station in English?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n428     MR. ZANE:  The information is in English but the delivery would be in language.  For example, if we take ‑‑ the example I was raising before about courtroom coverage.  The interviews with lawyers and with other interested parties would be made available to the radio station.  The radio station staff would then take that information and then make it available in the languages that are important to their listeners.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n429     Similarly, access to other news‑gathering services, like Broadcast News, for example, would then be translated and made available to the audiences for 93.1.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n430     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  And how about with OMNI news?  You mention that you will also have resources available from OMNI Television.  How will this work?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n431     MR. ZANE:  Well, we're very proud of our Ottawa bureau in particular.  In Ottawa, we have access to, as I was mentioning before, South Asian Ministers, South Asian embassies, and the South Asian community in Ottawa.  The concept that we're working with is that we would provide interview clips or access to these newsmakers that we record in our daily work at OMNI Television, and we would profile the audio to the radio station here in Vancouver, and then the radio station can use that content, as it sees fit, to shape it as it needs to meet the needs of the local audience.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n432     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Thank you for that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n433     Now, on the news again, I'm back to Mr. Lombardi.  I think again on that same page we talk about CHIN as a source of news.  We talked about the shared programming between the new FM and Rogers' and CHIN's other stations.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n434     In the case of CHIN, you mentioned that this programming could be there but would not likely be more than 10 percent.  I believe this is in the deficiency response at page 4.  So, again, that 10 percent, the kinds of programming that you would be offering would be ‑‑ I just wanted to clarify that once again.  Now we have some news, as mentioned in the supplementary brief.  What are the other kinds of programming that you would be sharing within that 10 percent?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n435     MR. LOMBARDI:  Besides news features?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n436     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n437     MR. LOMBARDI:  In that respect?  Entertainment features that we find are very interesting as we currently have artists, as I mentioned before, Jazzy B., a local boy from Vancouver, very popular in Toronto in the South Asian community.  Entertainment features that we're able to develop in Toronto that might be of interest to the Vancouver station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n438     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  I'm considering this note of the 10 percent, would you be willing to accept a condition of licence that CHIN programming, on the proposed Vancouver station, would not exceed more than 10 percent of the broadcast week?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n439     MR. LOMBARDI:  Certainly.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n440     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  At this point ‑‑ we'll go on to Canadian talent development, but we'll take a break at this point.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n441     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Yes, we'll take a 15‑minute coffee break.  Nous reprendrons en 15 minutes.

‑‑‑ Upon recessing at 1120 / Suspension à 1120

‑‑‑ Upon resuming at 11:35 / Reprise à 1135

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n442     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Order, please.  Allons, s'il vous plait.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n443     We will resume the questioning now.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n444     Commissioner Pennefather.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n445     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n446     We'll go to Canadian talent development, and I have questions on three of the proposed initiatives:  The independent production of radio features and programs, and the independent production of PSAs, and finally, the media literacy course.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n447     Now, if we look at two of these, the production of radio features and programs and the independent production of public service announcements, in reading the description of these projects they would appear to be absent the basic requirement, that is, the development of artistic talent and the development of artistic musical talent, which usually is the prerequisite for Canadian talent development.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n448     The independent production of radio features and programs is described on page 27, and the independent production of PSAs is described on page 30.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n449     These productions of features and PSAs, a second point of concern, is that we could very likely see these as appropriately considered as programming costs.  Programs developed and, pursuant to our discussions earlier, particularly with Mr. Lombardi, programs to develop what you call the developmental process relationship and the reflection of community.  So, in other words, it would appear that these two projects are really more associated with programming and offering the programming that is required to reflect the interests of the local community, yet you presented them as CTD.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n450     Would you care to clarify, would you care to comment on why you consider these to be CTD projects, both the features and the PSAs?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n451     MR. MILES:  Yes, I'll ask Mr. Strati to go into more detail.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n452     But in terms of the first point, which they are not considered to be musical Canadian talent, as this station is going to be primarily talk, we took the journalistic approach to the development of Canadian talent, so that's one thing that Alain will discuss.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n453     The other one, on the PSAs, the difference between this and ordinary PSAs is we're going to give it back to these independent producers and the people who develop them to use throughout the entire system, as many of them will be conversant in moving about in different media.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n454     Alain?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n455     MR. STRATI:  Thanks, Gary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n456     You know, we've developed the OMNI 2 funds, and many of those elements that we did for OMNI 2, in terms of independent production, were reflected in some of our initiatives.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n457     As Gary mentioned, you know, ethnic radio does have a strong spoken word component to it.  What we try to do with these is to really nurture training for independent producers, so it's an opportunity for them to do, in terms of development of their talent, it really is an opportunity for independent producers to develop interesting stories and features.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n458     In terms of our programming costs, you know, these are features or programs or issues that would be sort of outside of what normally we would do.  So we're talking perhaps about a longer radio feature or radio documentary which we provide the funding for, for that independent producer.  The independent producer would maintain, much like we've done with OMNI, to remain the copyright for it; and, as Gary has mentioned, can go and try to sell the program to other sources, other radio sources, as a documentary.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n459     So it's an opportunity for them to train and develop their production skills in the spoken word context.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n460     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  But you will agree with me that we had exactly that discussion previously with Mr. Lombardi in terms of your schedule and your programming and your approach to independent producers as part of the normal course of doing business?  Exactly what you just described, we discussed earlier as the program plan.  So why are these features ‑‑ albeit I understand how they work and so on ‑‑ Canadian talent development?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n461     MR. STRATI:  Madeline can certainly talk to it because she has dealt a lot with independent producers at OMNI.  The independent producers and the programs that are provided are weekly programs that are current issues ‑‑ you know, some music content, et cetera, so it's a reflection of what's going on in the community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n462     These are specific researched initiatives, documentaries, discussions on issues and, you know, historical elements, so it's a little bit like ‑‑ you know, there's historic minutes.  So we're talking about something that's going way over and above what normally would be a part of the specific content for a program.  So it's an independent producer coming to us ‑‑ it could be one of the independent producers here, but it certainly could be a producer in the community ‑‑ comes to us and says, "I have a great idea for a ‑‑ I want to research a documentary."  And Maddy can talk to that.  And it's giving them the funding to provide that project.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n463     MS. ZINIAK:  Might I just add that often, I think, when we approach the talent base in Canada for ethnocultural journalists, often the point of entry, as I've mentioned before, is either print or radio.  Certainly this fund could be available to those who are already participating in media.  But more importantly, what we thought of when we created this, was to give the opportunity to sort of walk and then run, for individuals who are very interested ‑‑ because often it is, of course, a mission of love, a mission of being able to bring forward the kind of issues that are important to the community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n464     This is the entry point for many producers, in the sense that they're interested in projecting, let's say, a public service announcement.  Not as difficult, perhaps, to produce as a program.  We've had great experiences where producers have started with PSAs and have gone on to do television.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n465     A great example is a PSA that we just produced, was United Nations acclaimed, called "The Three Amigos," which dealt with AIDS awareness internationally.  A great example.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n466     First you start with a PSA, then you move on.  And I think we are indeed developing and nurturing talent this way.  You're giving accessibility to a medium in a way that is very digestible, and it's sort of, you know, the beginning of evolving talent, who then will be evolved and developed into greater things.  I think access is a very big deal in ethnic media, and I think this is one way to get point of entry.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n467     Also, when we take a look at some of the documentaries, the smaller features that we've talked about, this is also a way to bring issues forward that won't warrant a program in the end, perhaps, but it's also starting with those who don't really understand, perhaps, the whole culture of Canadian media, and it's a very gentle way of entering into this milieu, because sometimes with a professional journalist who come from other countries, it's a very different game in Canada, in North America, and this is a gentle way of acculturating and integrating these journalists ‑‑ seasoned journalists as well as new journalists ‑‑ into the Canadian media milieu.  We speak from situations that we've been privy to and experienced with.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n468     MR. MILES:  I think I understand the issue that you're concerned with, which is, we have, on one hand, trying to develop these hour‑long programs and these independent producers, which is what we do, and that's how we get the licence.  On the second one, it's from these independent producers, someone may come forward with an idea to say, "I'd like to do a documentary on the tsunami relief that we did in this particular community."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n469     So what we will do is we will say that none of these can be approved without a further vetting process by the advisory board as to the quality and differentiation of it as a special program as compared with local programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n470     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  I take that point, Mr. Miles, but I think really what the focus is, is that, as you well know, in the radio licensing process we look at Canadian talent development projects, and the definition we have of that is artistic talent, musical talent development.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n471     What I was really focusing on was how you saw these particular projects, and then we went into how these projects are different from the programming that you would normally do.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n472     What I was interested in is how you justified these projects specifically as Canadian talent development under the rules that you very well know are Canadian talent development definitions under the policies of the Commission.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n473     So what I've heard is your justification in terms of journalism and point of entries for it; am I correct?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n474     MR. MILES:  That is correct.  It is the same issue we have with our own news stations, when we have to do Canadian talent development.  To a music thing, it just doesn't make any kind of sense.  So we spend our Canadian talent development funds there, in the journalistic schools.  And it's the same thing here.  We're trying to develop this journalistic approach to radio.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n475     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Now, in the event that the Commission would not consider these initiatives as eligible CTD, would you still go ahead with them?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n476     MR. MILES:  Yes, and we will recommit the money to an eligible CTD benefit.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n477     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Would you also still go ahead with a media literacy course, if we determined that it was not CTD, as such?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n478     MR. MILES:  Absolutely.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n479     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  So that if any of these initiatives were seen as not eligible CTD, will your overall 7‑year CTD budget be reduced by a level equal to the disqualified initiative expenditures?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n480     MR. MILES:  You're raising the bar fairly high but, yes, we will make that commitment, because we are absolutely steadfast in our belief that the benefits that we had outlined would actually help and encourage Canadian talent, as we understood it under the definition of our radio station.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n481     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  So you will maintain your 7‑year CTD budget at $700,000, as proposed ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n482     MR. MILES:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n483     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:   ‑‑ by condition of licence?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n484     MR. MILES:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n485     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Now, back to the independent production of radio features and programs, a detail on this, so that we look at it both as such and potentially CTD.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n486     But here you note, on page 28, that you budgeted $50,000 here for these, and you indicate that the budget allocation may vary from year to year.  What would be the minimum annual CTD expenditure for the initiative?  Let's assume that we went ahead and, for the purposes of this discussion, call it CTD.  With that variance you note on page 28, what would be the minimum expenditure?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n487     MR. STRATI:  I think a minimum expenditure would be in the neighbourhood of $40,000, $45,000.  I think we're talking about a small variance of 5 or 10 percent.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n488     In case there was ‑‑ certainly a large‑scale documentary feature, for example, in one year, that would take, you know, more funding ‑‑ of course, it could actually be more than $50,000 in one year, given the different proposals that come forward from different producers.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n489     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n490     I'm going to look now at audience projections and revenue projections, a few questions on that area.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n491     We have your audience projections in the response to deficiencies on page 6, at the top of the page.  If you could, would you explain the factors which you took into account, and the calculations employed, in arriving at these projections for total weekly hours of audience?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n492     MR. STRATI:  I'm going to turn this over to Mr. Mulvihill, who has had experience with CHIN, of course, and subsequently in Ottawa on the development of this.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n493     As you know, the audience figures, by and large, are not measured in the Bureau of Broadcast Measurements, so they are estimates and guestimates.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n494     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  But I see a figure here, if I may, Mr. Miles, just before we go on, "Numbers above are based on BBM Summer 2004 weekly total tuning hours of 29 (million)."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n495     I take it then you made your projections on the basis of the entire Vancouver market?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n496     MR. STRATI:  That is correct.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n497     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Could you explain why you did that, since we are looking at here an ethnic market?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n498     MR. STRATI:  Because those markets are reflected in the "don't know" or the other portion of the total Vancouver market.  So in absence of anything that specifically identified the ethnic radio stations, that traditionally do not belong to BBM, those were the calculations that we were able to do.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n499     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  What if you used the ethnic markets alone, not the entire market?  I know BBM don't provide it, but there are ways of looking at this.  Would your projections change if you looked at just the ethnic market?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n500     MR. STRATI:  No, I think we're very comfortable with the projections that we've made and the calculations that we've done in our resulting rate card, particularly when we had an opportunity to examine the other applications.  We're not that far out in terms of our revenue projections.  And based on that, of course, the experience of CHIN Radio, who have lived this for a number of years.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n501     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  So is there anything else that you'd like to add in terms of the methodology used to arrive at these projections?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n502     MR. MULVILHILL:  Yes, Commissioner.  We have a living example at CHIN right now.  We've been on air for the past year in the Ottawa market with our new FM station, so when we first sat down with the people from Rogers and put together the budget process, we had a living example of the growth, the time frame it takes from local producer development to the local marketplace.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n503     This market is this different, because every market is, and has its unique nuances.  This is a much more competitive marketplace, whereas the Ottawa market, we were the first ethnic radio broadcaster.  But from our perspective in how we handle Toronto as well as Ottawa, we're very comfortable with the projections and how we develop them.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n504     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Are you able to give us an indication of approximate contribution of each of your primary target groups in terms of how they will contribute to total listening?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n505     MR. STRATI:  Yes.  In terms of our total listening?  I think that the total listening will be probably representative of the same kind of shares of programming that we've got on the radio stations, so roughly about 60 percent of the listening will come from the South Asian communities and the remaining 35 or 40 percent will come from these individual blocks.  They will be more difficult to measure because it is a destination time and appointment for each one of these programs, and as you know how BBM operates, or if there was some measurement, they take sort of quarter‑hour averages and recall and things like that.  Very, very difficult to know whether our Portuguese programming on Sunday morning was outdrawing the Polish program on Saturday afternoon.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n506     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Okay.  If we look now at the sources of revenues, which is on the same page of the deficiency letter, and we look at that, we look at your revenue projections submitted with the application, one of the key points you make is repatriation of listeners and repatriation of revenues from out‑of‑market U.S.‑based stations.  I would like to clarify your specific strategies in that regard.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n507     Can you quantify the extent to which the repatriation of both audience and advertising revenues, currently flowing to CRPI Radio Punjab and other Washington‑based radio stations, contribute to your overall business plan?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n508     MR. STRATI:  Yes.  We would say that we would expect, over a period of time, to repatriate somewhere around about 10 percent.  We call those the local market advertisers, which is point number 2 on our response on page 6, and also incremental spending by existing radio advertisers of the 10 percent would fall under the same category.  People who are comfortable with advertising on the South Asian radio stations, with the opportunity to further expand that audience, would be more comfortable with going on this one.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n509     So between those two numbers, the ten and the ten, that would be what we would expect to repatriate.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n510     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  If I understand you then, the repatriation resources are in the two marked 10 and 10 percent.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n511     MR. STRATI:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n512     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  From incremental spending and local market radio advertisers?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n513     MR. STRATI:  Right.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n514     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Those two?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n515     Now, do your proposed advertising rates contemplate an expected competitive response from CRPI and other Washington‑based radio services, both in terms of counterprogramming strategies and advertising pricing strategies?  In other words, if there is such a response, how will that affect your pre‑tax profitability planned for year 6, where I believe it's the first‑year profit?  Can you give us a sense of how you see the reaction and what effect that will have on your business plan, inclusive of reaching your pre‑tax profitability in year 6 ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n516     MR. STRATI:  In fact, we've taken that into consideration when we designed our revenues over the first couple of years.  We've operated in these kinds of situations in many different markets, and this is sort of the part that Rogers brings to the equation with our two partners of OMNI and CHIN.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n517     What we do know is that local stations providing a local service within the local community end up, over the period of time, to be able to reflect those views of that community, and therefore, advertising ‑‑ I'm sorry, listening, and then advertising follows, from out‑of‑market radio stations.  And we think that with our local programming, as compared with the programming schedule that we've been party to on the U.S. border stations, for instance, that we will have not only a very competitive product but we'll have a compelling product.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n518     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  You do make the point, I think at least twice in the application and subsequently in the deficiency, of the challenge that the Washington‑based stations offer to new players in the market.  So that on a going‑forward basis, what specific strategies would you undertake in this particular case where you're looking to repatriate listeners?  Is there anything you can add to the specific strategies you would undertake to see how you would survive the competition which would ensue once you started challenging that position of the Washington‑based stations?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n519     MR. STRATI:  Yes, and it's something we're quite familiar with, inasmuch as we have faced this in other markets.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n520     What we did is, we went in at a far lower expectation level than you would expect from a market this size.  So our initial figures contemplated an immediate reaction and a difficulty in building an audience and building a rate structure out.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n521     The second thing is that our rate structure contemplates about a $20 rate structure with a 60 percent sellout.  These are fairly low, even for new radio stations in any kind of an environment.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n522     So, again, we've built into our pricing model the reaction and the competition.  But at the end of the day, it's our belief that our programming, particularly the South Asian, of which amounts to around 50 or 55 percent, is going to be significantly local and different so that the audience will then drift over, and when the audience comes, so will the advertisers.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n523     The second part is, nobody else in the community is doing, currently, these additional language programmings, and they have a life of their own, they have an excitement of their own.  You know how you build up the independent producers and they're back out in the community, the community reacts to this, and the revenue flows in through that particular basis.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n524     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Thank you, Mr. Miles.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n525     Another point, and it brings us ‑‑ you mentioned the other programming.  We talked earlier about the Chinese programming, and I asked you a question in terms of a more general question.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n526     Now if we look at page 32 of your supplementary brief, you note that the limitation you proposed was proposed to limit the economic impact on other stations, in your view.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n527     To what extent will the advertising generated from your Chinese language programming contribute to total advertising revenues?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n528     MR. STRATI:  Well, it will be part of that 40 percent of new radio advertisers, and I will explain it in this regard:  Inasmuch as that our Chinese programming is referring into very specific areas, business and sports, that's an area that we think has an ability to draw with it specific advertisers.  It's something we've experienced on News 1130.  It's a whole different way of providing radio, and it has very specific people gathered into it.  We think that is an important cornerstone of our programming, inasmuch as our broad‑based application indicates that we want to touch all of the languages prevalent in Vancouver, and so, therefore, we put in some of that programming.  But it has very specific editorial content within those shows.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n529     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n530     I will now ask you a couple of more questions, one on ownership.  We talked about the relationship, Roger and CHIN, Radio 1540 Limited as the parties.  In your deficiency letter of December 8, you inform the Commission that you had decided to modify the ownership structure and would operate as a partnership, with Rogers being the controlling partner, owning 70 percent of the units.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n531     Could you confirm for us the ownership structure that has been or will be established between the parties?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n532     MR. STRATI:  Yes, it is 70/30.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n533     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  And will it be in the form of a partnership?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n534     MR. STRATI:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n535     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Will you be able to provide a duly executed and definitive partnership agreement, and if not, would you provide a draft document?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n536     MR. STRATI:  We can provide a draft document.  We actually had submitted it and missed a deadline, it was our fault, and we can comply before the end of the day.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n537     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Before the end of the day.  I was going to say before the start of phase 3, so before the end of today?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n538     MR. STRATI:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n539     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  Good.  Better.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n540     Finally, on the technical side, you've applied for the frequency 93.1, and as you know, you're competitive with four other applications.  What we would like to seek is your view on the best use of the frequency, and here I'm looking at a technical point of view.  So from the technical perspective, why do you feel your proposal is the best use of this particular frequency, from the technical point of view?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n541     MR. STRATI:  I'm going to turn that over to Mr. Edwards who is able to discuss this technical thing far better than I can.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n542     MR. EDWARDS:  Thank you for the question, Commissioner Pennefather, and thank you, in particular, for asking it without a tone of apprehension and dread in your voice.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n543     In meeting our goal of broadcasting to a large group of underserved ethnocultural groups, it was clearly important to us to find the optimal technical solution.  It became very clear to us that all of the technical alternatives that we looked at, including the ones that are before you today, have limitations.  However, after considering the various AM and FM alternatives, we chose Channel 226 or 93.1 as the best way of serving the audience, because we believe that the actual impact of the potential interference from the first adjacent American station will be somewhat less than the contours on the maps would imply and because of the significant nighttime limitations that any AM proposal would carry with them.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n544     I can elaborate on either or both of those points, if you wish.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n545     COMMISSIONER PENNEFATHER:  No, I think that covers the essential elements of your comment on technical viability for your service.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n546     On that note, those are my questions, Mr. Chairman, and I would like to thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your patience and responses.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n547     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n548     Vice‑Chair Wylie.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n549     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  Mr. Mulvihill, I may have a truncated sheet of your audience projections, but you'll correct me if I do.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n550     What is this number, the total weekly hours, 234,088 in Year 1, and how then do we get to a percentage share of 0.8?  What's the numerator and what's the denominator, and what do they stand for to arrive at that share?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n551     MR. MILES:  What we did is, the total shared hours are in ‑‑ what's the best way of describing it?  All radio stations have a total weekly audience listening habit and they listen 7 or 8 hours a week ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n552     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  And this is the 234,000 ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n553     MR. MILES:  That's correct.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n554     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  ‑‑ that you would get.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n555     MR. MILES:  As our share.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n556     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  What figure did you use to get to the .8 percent?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n557     MR. MILES:  Again, it's the total listening audience in Vancouver, the weekly audience in Vancouver.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n558     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  Do you have that figure, Mr. Mulvihill?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n559     MR. MILES:  If I don't, I will be able to supply it.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n560     BBM Summer 2004 tuning hours, 29,261,000.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n561     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  Thanks.  So that would have been the figure used to get the .8?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n562     MR. MILES:  Correct.  And that varies, as you know ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n563     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  ‑‑ for revenue.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n564     MR. MILES:  That's right, yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n565     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  And depending on ‑‑ not everybody does it exactly the same.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n566     Now, since we have two very experienced ethnic broadcasters before us, can you help us a little bit with this cross‑cultural programming, which crops up in many of the applications more and more before the Commission?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n567     Mr. Lombardi, you offered to Commissioner Pennefather to refile your chart and possibly your proposed program schedule.  What exactly would you do to it to make it fit what appears to be, in our discussion, a definition of a cross‑cultural program which may be at odds with what you're intending?  So what would you put in that line where it says a program in English and the ethnic group to which it's directed is English, 12 hours for 9.52 percent?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n568     And as Commissioner Pennefather discussed with you, it has to be specifically directed to any culturally or racially distinct group.  So what will you put in that slot instead of English?  English is the group, is the ethnic group as well as the language.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n569     MR. LOMBARDI:  If you would indulge me, let me just describe, the intent of the program is to bring ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n570     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  No, I want to know what you'll put in the slot, because you offered it; right?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n571     MR. LOMBARDI:  Right.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n572     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  Let me end the discussion easily ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n573     MR. STRATI:  What we would put in the slot would be, on Monday morning, there would be a discussion with an Italian producer, a German producer ‑‑ jump in here any time, Lenny.

‑‑‑ Laughter / rires

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n574     MR. MILES:  ‑‑ a Polish producer.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n575     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  So that will all go in the slot where we now have English.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n576     MR. STRATI:  That's correct.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n577     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  It'll all be in English, but it will be directed to more than one cultural group, i.e., cross‑cultural?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n578     MR. LOMBARDI:  The strict interpretation of the definition is that it's in English ‑‑ for example, in Toronto, a Jewish program, hosted in English ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n579     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  Two specific groups.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n580     MR. LOMBARDI:  Two specific groups.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n581     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  Yes.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n582     MR. LOMBARDI:  So if that solves the problem with interpretation, then it wouldn't be difficult for us to say, on Monday, we are going to invite our Italian host and we are going to deal with issues of specific interest to the Italian community in English, which is going to attract a broader audience.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n583     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  Oh, now I have a problem.  I thought that ‑‑ "cross‑cultural" to me suggests that there would be more than one group.  It would be a program directed to South Asian or Punjabi and maybe Hindi heritage ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n584     MS. ZINIAK:  Precisely, Commissioner Wylie.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n585     I think what we're aiming to do ‑‑ and this comes through, of course, our experiences, is indeed ‑‑ there's also diversity within diversity.  Precisely, in the South Asian community, English is an official language, for example ‑‑ one of the official languages.  We also, of course, look at our communities where English could be an official language ‑‑ Filipino, the black community, for example.  And I hesitate to introduce yet another word, "intercultural."  But, indeed, you have issues where you can bring two communities together ‑‑ let's say the Jewish communities and the black community ‑‑ and have an exchange that is most meaningful in English.  This is natural and it's part of the identities of the communities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n586     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  Because what is cropping up more and more is the appearance of an ethnic program that is cross‑cultural in that it's directed to the mainstream for them to better understand, at which point we have a contradiction with our definition.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n587     MR. STRATI:  What may be easier, what it is not ‑‑ and I think this is as important as anything else ‑‑ it's not one host five days a week with a different bunch of cultural issues, discussing it.  It is, for instance, four or five hosts, as you so aptly answered the question, on Monday, talking about an issue that surrounds those four or five different communities.  Then on Tuesday it may well be another set of hosts ‑‑ it would be another set of hosts.  Not "may well be," would be another set of hosts, again discussing this.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n588     We're actually quite excited about this thing, but have a bit of difficulty in explaining the concept, apparently.

‑‑‑ Laughter / rires

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n589     MR. STRATI:  Commissioner Wylie, if I can, just quickly.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n590     If you were to look, as you said, through the paradigm, the sheet here, the language would be in English.  In terms of an ethnic group to which it would be directed, it would be ‑‑ I guess it says English there.  Maybe it should have said "various," where it would depend on what the program was.  So you would list ‑‑ you would have three or four ethnic groups and then ‑‑ you'd still have that component that says "other than" English, French, or Aboriginal ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n591     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  Yes, I understand.  Mr. Lombardi, when you take your calculator and make all these calculations, do you think you'll need then to upgrade the ‑‑ no, that would become impossible, right?  In other words, in your last column in that programming chart, you're not going to ‑‑ do you think you have to distribute the 9.52 percent now among the other groups?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n592     MR. LOMBARDI:  I'm not sure I'm really following this line of questioning.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n593     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  You have the language English ‑‑ the ethnic group, English.  We've settled that; it'll be other groups.  Twelve hours and 9.52 percent ‑‑ well, it will simply be ethnic, 9.52 percent.  You won't start trying to divide it between Chinese, et cetera.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n594     It's not that important in your case because you're already even.  If it didn't fit the definition of ethnic, you are still at almost 100 percent ethnic.  It's almost ninety.  But it becomes important when you start looking at competing applications, and people have hours of cross‑cultural programming, one has to understand what they mean to arrive at whether they're an ethnic specialty service.  That's helpful, since we're just beginning this process.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n595     MS. ZINIAK:  If I may?  I'd like to give some concrete examples.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n596     I think sometimes even the language that one speaks is a political issue, and sometimes English is the common ground.  Examples that we've worked with is Serbian, Croatian, examples are Greek and Macedonian.  There is an issue within the language itself spoken, the issue within ethnic identities, and English is a great way to come to terms with issues that affect these communities.  So I would say this is almost intercultural.  Not to introduce yet another term here, but this is really our objective in being able to serve issues ‑‑

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n597     COMMISSIONER WYLIE:  Of course, I wasn't speaking of political speech, I was speaking of regulatory speech, in how people identify what their proposal is.  And when they say "cross‑cultural" or "intercultural," once it gets to a large percentage, one starts to wonder, well, does it fit an ethnic station?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n598     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n599     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you.  Counsel?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n600     MR. STEWART:  Merci, M. President.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n601     You undertook to revise programming charts and I think also the programming schedule, in light of the discussion that is taking place.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n602     Can you do that before phase 3?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n603     MR. STRATI:  Yes, we will.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n604     MR. STEWART:  Thank you.  Now I'd like to just direct your attention briefly to the program schedule, the multi‑coloured document that you have, and I see under "Hindi," I think it's a period between twelve and two, will there be any English component to that block?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n605     MR. STRATI:  Paritosh?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n606     MR. MEHTA:  Commissioner, only we're restricted to interviews where some of the subjects don't speak the language, so English will be used very minimally.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n607     MR. STEWART:  Yes.  With respect to Punjabi, you had Punjabi and English, and you don't seem to have a parallel format for Hindi.  Can you explain, please?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n608     MR. STRATI:  You're quite right.  It would apply equally to Punjabi and Hindi as well.  In terms of what the schedule would look like, you would say Punjabi and English and Hindi and English.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n609     This is done sort of ‑‑ you look at OMNI Television, for example, on the newscasts, you will see, as Paritosh has mentioned, you will see interviews where, for example, you know, on the federal budget, you could see there's an interview with Ralph Goodale, so there are English components that are intertwined.  Because of the nature of the language, there is an English component, but that's only to facilitate dialogue and conversation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n610     MR. STEWART:  Thank you.  There was an extensive discussion about the operations manager.  Can you just clarify for the record that that operations manager will be a CHIN employee?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n611     MR. STRATI:  I don't believe that's what we said.  I believe we said that the operations manager would be selected by the management team, as it were, of which CHIN would be an integral part, OMNI would be a part, and Rogers Radio would be a part, and that the operations manager would be a local person who may or may not be the nominee of CHIN, but it would be a local person with input ‑‑ all three of us would have input into who it is going to be.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n612     MR. STEWART:  Okay, yes.  But as I understand, Mr. Lombardi did make that statement, and I'm just trying to reconcile that with page 3 of your supplementary brief, and I quote here:

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n613     "Given their experience and expertise and ethnic radio, an operations manager from CHIN will oversee the launch and development of the station in Vancouver."

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n614     I think there was some confusion there.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n615     MR. LOMBARDI:  The clarification, as Gary just pointed out, an operations manager, one of our key people from our management team ‑‑ myself, Joe, or another member of our team ‑‑ would be there.  What we're referring to is an operations manager of CHIN would be part of the management team in Vancouver.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n616     MR. STEWART:  Okay.  But someone would be specifically appointed from Vancouver to operationalize that?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n617     MR. LOMBARDI:  And there would be a specific operations manager from Vancouver.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n618     MR. STEWART:  Thank you for that clarification.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n619     Just a last question:  With respect to your CTD commitments and with respect to radio features, documentary, and PSAs, did I understand you correctly to say that the copyright would remain with the authors of those documents as distinct from being with you?

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n620     MR. STRATI:  That is correct.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n621     MR. STEWART:  Thank you.  Those are all my questions.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n622     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Thank you.  Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n623     We will now break for lunch and resume with the next item at 1:15.  Nous reprendrons à 1 h 15.

‑‑‑ Upon recessing at 1215 / Suspension à 1215

‑‑‑ Upon resuming at 1315 / Reprise à 1315

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n624     THE CHAIRPERSON:  Mr. Secretary, please.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n625     MR. LeBEL:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n626     Next is an application by Sukhvinder Singh Badh, on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated, for a licence to operate a commercial specialty FM radio programming undertaking in Vancouver.  The new station would operate on Frequency 93.1 megahertz on Channel 226C1, with an average effective radiated power of 1,780 watts.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n627     Mr. Sukhvinder Singh Badh will introduce his colleagues.  You have 20 minutes to make your presentation.

PRESENTATION / PRÉSENTATION

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n628     MR. BADH:  Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n629     Members of the Canadian Radio‑Television Telecommunications Commission, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you in support of our application for a licence to serve the ethnic community of Greater Vancouver.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n630     This is a great day for us.  With over 72 different distinct ethnic groups represented in this city, we propose to offer services to at least 19 of them directly.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n631     My name is Sukhvinder Singh Badh and I am the applicant.  Commissioners, please feel free to call me Suki.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n632     I have been involved in commercial broadcasting for many years, in activities that reflect my strong commitment to providing services to the South Asian community.  I am currently teaching in the Department of Economics at Simon Fraser University.  I am also serving as the Chair of the Department of Economics at Douglas College.  I am a trustee with the Richmond Hospital Foundation.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n633     Commissioners, my father came to this country in the late 1960s with $7.00 in his pocket.  This country has been good to me.  This country has given me the opportunity to not only succeed but excel.  Canada gave me an opportunity and I am appreciative of that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n634     I wish to share this success not just with South Asians but all Canadians.  Today, for myself and for many people involved in this application process, this hearing is a culmination of our Canadian dream.  The possibility of a licence being issued in Vancouver means an opportunity to bridge the gaps between immigrants and those that arrived before us; a chance to open a window that will allow our cultures to see the world outside our door and the opportunity for the greater community to see us as we are and as we hope to be.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n635     The CRTC has an opportunity to repatriate Canadian listeners, to repatriate Canadian revenues, to repatriate Canadian owners back to Canadian soil under Canadian regulation.  Your decision will be a difficult one.  This competition should make it very clear that there is a strong demand within our community for domestic radio services on the FM band.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n636     In the February 15th edition of the Globe and Mail, Jane Armstrong described Surrey as the new home of pop where local artists create music and are treated like the biggest rock stars of the day overseas but have absolutely no airplay in Canada and certainly find it nearly impossible to get on the air here in Vancouver.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n637     Our station proposes to change all of that.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n638     Commissioners, please allow me to introduce some selective members of my team.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n639     Dalbir Rai, chartered accountant, partner in Ellis Foster accounting firm, the largest firm in western Canada representing radio and television industry; past president of the Richmond Rotary, current chair of Richmond Hospital Foundation, and an immigrant success story.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n640     Dr. Alice Wong, community activist and experienced broadcaster on both TV and radio, will serve as the member of our Program Advisory Board.  She is the founding director and first President of B.C. Women's Enterprise.  Her academic experience has taken her to the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Thailand, Swaziland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n641     Michael Sunner, professionally known as "Indian Lion", a recording artist once signed by BMG Canada, who has released four Canadian content albums of his own original material.  Michael brought the first East Indian music program to Vancouver in 1997, where he bought airtime on a local ethnic station at a rate of $200 per hour.  He is a past member of the Pacific Music Industry Association and will speak to his support for our Canadian Talent Development initiatives.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n642     Rocky Mangat is a local radio personality, DJ, and a performer who will join our on‑air talent line‑up as music director.  Rocky epitomizes to the South Asian youth and can explain the popularity of world beat music and how it crosses over every cultural and ethnic boundary in our region.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n643     Pourang Taheri is a new Canadian of Persian decent, originally from Iran.  Pourang is a recent university graduate, is actively involved in the West Asian community, and can explain why our commitment to serving this group can create valuable points of contact and sources of information for the West Asian community.  Pourang is also an artist and is accompanied by audience members who are not only active in creating contemporary Arabic‑Canadian music, but who hope for a radio station that can broadcast their accomplishments.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n644     Vincent Cheng represents the East Asian community.  Vincent is a small businessman.  Vincent will speak to East Asian music.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n645     Jenny Banwait is an experienced office manager with Radio 1550, a cross‑border station targeting the South Asian community.  Jenny will become the Program Manager for our proposed station and be responsible for implementing and maintaining all aspects of our program plan, from staffing, program scheduling, regulatory compliance and promotional activities.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n646     Harjinder Thind is a well‑known local broadcaster and talk show host.  He is well‑versed in local issues and is connected to the local ethnic communities in a way that makes him an ideal candidate for the key role of talk programming host and news director on our proposed station.  Harjinder is a recipient of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Award for broadcasting.  He can express the many issues and points of discussion that affect the local ethnic community.  Harjinder is a lawyer and has studied at the London School of Economics and the University of British Columbia.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n647     Balwant Sanghera is a widely‑known local commentator and activist in support of the ethnic community.  Since arriving as an immigrant over 40 years ago, he has built a successful career as a teacher and has dedicated his life to serving the community.  He is a recipient of the Order of British Columbia.  He is a recipient of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Award for service.  Balwant can express the issues that affect the ethnic community and how an inclusive, welcoming radio station like ours proposed can greatly advance the cause of multiculturalism.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n648     Matthew McBride is a partner in West Island Radio Enterprises, which holds the licence for CHMZ‑FM in Tofino.  Matthew and I first met through our volunteering activities in Richmond and due to our mutual interest in broadcasting have maintained a good friendship for several years.  Matthew's role is to assist us in navigating the regulatory process.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n649     Members of the Commission, these outstanding individuals have worked hard to assist our application so that we may present to the CRTC a broadcast undertaking proposal that meets five key requirements:

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n650     First, the proposal must be financially sound.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n651     Second, it must be appropriately funded.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n652     Third, we must not make unrealistic over‑commitments.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n653     Fourth, we must be reflective of the communities in which we serve.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n654     Fifth, we must be inclusive.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n655     Our vision is a station rooted in ethnic communities that offer both new and native born Canadians of ethnic origin a starting point for local content, on local airwaves and governed by Canadian regulations.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n656     We dream of a radio station that welcomes the larger community, one that can be easily understood by most listeners and one which displays our diversity by creating a common forum where we can all congregate, articulate and celebrate.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n657     We now offer a brief introduction to the highlights of our application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n658     We will establish a Program Advisory Board, chaired initially by Mr. Balwant Sanghera.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n659     Balwant.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n660     MR. SANGHERA:  Honourable Commissioner, as the first Chair of the Program Advisory Committee, my role is to ensure that the station meets the real needs of the community, that local groups are accurately portrayed and served, to ensure fairness of news and information services and to ensure compliance with the station's Promise of Performance.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n661     MR. BADH:  Thank you, Balwant.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n662     We are fortunate to have Dr. Alice Wong as a member of our Program Advisory Board.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n663     Dr. Wong.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n664     DR. WONG:  Mr. Chairman and Members of the Commission, creating a radio station that serves a multiple of ethnic interests can be a significant challenge, one that Suki is more than capable of dealing with.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n665     Suki's background in public service makes him an ideal candidate to bring such a station to life.  His vision of inclusiveness, and in particular his dream to broadcast under the Canadian broadcast system, can only serve to create an exceptional new aspect of Vancouver broadcasting.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n666     My role will be as a member of the Programming Advisory Board, created to ensure that fairness, consideration to all parties and an inclusive approach create a radio station that anyone in Greater Vancouver can listen to, appreciate and participate in.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n667     I am sure that my international experiences and local involvement in the Chinese and other Asian communities will help to make this venture successful.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n668     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n669     MR. BADH:  Thank you, Dr. Wong.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n670     Jenny Banwait is our program manager.  Her role is to ensure that our programming meets the Promise of Performance.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n671     MS BANWAIT:  Thank you, Suki.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n672     Commissioners, this station will be dedicated to the concept of world beat music like bhangra, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and the many other languages involved in our application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n673     We will target today's youth with our music strategy and provide an important communications service through our information programs.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n674     We are committed to fair and balanced spoken‑word programming.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n675     Commissioners, we respect all communities, religions and cultures.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n676     We will be fair and unbiased and use our talk shows to share the latest issues with our audience, in their own language, and in our common language of English.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n677     We are committed to broadcasting artist interviews, and playing the music created by the local artistic community.  We will also make cash contributions to Canadian Talent Development and work to promote local performances and cultural events to offer them free airtime.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n678     Finally, we look forward to the opportunity to program on the FM band, from within Canada's boundaries, in the Canadian broadcasting environment.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n679     Thank you.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n680     MR. BADH:  Thank you, Jenny.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n681     To discuss our Canadian Talent Development opportunities is Michael Sunner, known as Indian Lion.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n682     MR. SUNNER:  Thank you every so much, Suki.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n683     Good afternoon, Members of the Commission.  I have been invited to participate in this application to ensure an effective program of Canadian Talent Development.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n684     Our proposal includes direct annual contributions to FACTOR, sponsorship of local music events, an annual scholarship to the Douglas College Music Program dedicated to the development of ethnic artists.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n685     We are also proposing significant indirect support through airplay, artists interviews and promotion of artistic and cultural events within the ethnic community.  Our efforts will be dedicated to building a catalogue of ethnic music, and we anticipate the production of one compilation CD of this kind of music every year.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n686     I am an entertainer.  My experience in television, on the radio, and in the public area give me a great understanding of the challenges and difficulties artists face in the advancement of their careers.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n687     This application is about building a road for Canadian artists ‑‑ a road that leads to local airwaves and hopefully to the billboard and record charts of the world.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n688     The future is so bright I might even have to wear my sunglasses.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n689     I am known as the Indian Lion, which represents honesty.  The budget allotted in this application for Canadian Talent Development may not seem significant, but it is realistic.  It is attainable and we will deliver fully on our promise.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n690     We do not want to appear before this Commission three years down the road trying to explain why we failed to meet our Canadian Talent Development promises.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n691     Our airwaves will be open.  No longer will an artist have to pay a radio station for privileges of having their song on the radio, as they often do today.  Instead, we will work with the artists, provide the direction, advice, airplay, promotion and when possible an appropriate direct support for production and performance expenses.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n692     This radio station will provide the platform to celebrate the diverse cultures we all want to experience.  Because Suki is not a record producer or record promoter but rather an unbiased broadcaster, his Canadian Talent Development plan will have a positive effect on the entire ethnic artistic community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n693     MR. BADH:  Thank you, Michael.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n694     Vincent Cheng will expand on the East Asian component of our application.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n695     Vincent.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n696     MR. CHENG:  Members of the Commission, the East Asian community represented in this application includes Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Malay, Filipino and Korean elements.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n697     The Korean community, for example, reached 35,000 and is growing at 10 per cent per year, plus another 15,000 ESL students temporarily living in the Greater Vancouver Area.  That is 50,000 Koreans with no avenue to listen to their pop music and no avenue to hear their local Korean talent.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n698     Korean music is very popular around the world.  In fact, just recently BOA, a Korean artist, reached No. 1 status on the United World Billboard charts.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n699     When Suki presented the idea of this radio station to me, I recognized the commitment to youth, to music and to creating a station, the entire community would be a winner.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n700     MR. BADH:  Thank you, Vince.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n701     Pourang Taheri is here to represent the West Asian community.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n702     MR. TAHERI:  Thank you, Suki.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n703     Members of the Commission, the West Asian community represented in this application includes many diverse cultures and societies represented here in Greater Vancouver.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n704     There are Persians, Turkish, Arabians, Afghanis and Pakistanis speaking Farsi, Arabic, Turkish, Urdu and many other dialects.  And we all speak English as our common language.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n705     Suki's application includes significant airtime dedicated to serving these communities.  We love music, going out, and all of the things that Canadian life has to offer.  Unfortunately, it sometimes seems that all people know about us is what they see on CNN or Al‑Jazeera or BBC.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n706     I believe this radio station will not only open a window for us to the out world, but also allow the community around us to more easily understand the richness of our culture, our love of music and passion for the Canadian way of life.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n707     MR. BADH:  Thank you, Pourang.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n708     Dalbir Rai is an old family friend, a chartered accountant, and an excellent resource in our business venture.

SEQ 1_0 \* Arabic \n709     Dalbir.