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Ottawa, 13 August 1992
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Decision CRTC 92-566
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Société de radio-télévision du Québec
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Montréal, Chapeau, Rouyn, Grand-Portage, Baie-Trinité, Carleton, Anse-aux-Gascons, Percé, Gaspé, Quebec City, Hull, Val-d'Or, Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke, Chicoutimi, Rimouski and Sept-Iles, Québec - 912810900 - 912811700
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Following a Public Hearing in Montréal and Quebec City beginning on 23 March 1992, the Commission renews the television network licence of Radio-Québec and that of the television programming undertaking consisting of CIVM-TV Montréal and its transmitters CIVP-TV Chapeau, CIVA-TV Val-d'Or, CIVA-TV-1 Rouyn, CIVB-TV-1 Grand-Portage, CIVF-TV Baie-Trinité, CIVK-TV Carleton, CIVK-TV-1 Anse-aux-Gascons, CIVK-TV-2 Percé, CIVK-TV-3 Gaspé, CIVQ-TV Quebec City, CIVO-TV Hull, CIVC-TV Trois-Rivières, CIVS-TV Sherbrooke, CIVV-TV Chicoutimi, CIVB-TV Rimouski and CIVG-TV Sept-Iles, from 1 September 1992 to 31 August 1999, subject to the terms and conditions specified in this decision and in the licences to be issued.
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Programming
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The Commission has reviewed Radio-Québec's programming, the particulars of its applications, as well as its material in support thereof. Based on the evidence, the Commission is satisfied that Radio-Québec provides an educational service that is, on the whole, substantially different from that provided by other television stations, private and public, and that the licensee thus qualifies as an independent corporation under the Direction to the CRTC (Order in Council PC 1985-2108). As such, the licensee is required to broadcast the types of programming defined in Paragraph 2 of the Direction as follows:
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a) programming designed to be presented in such a context as to provide a continuity of learning opportunity aimed at the acquisition or improvement of knowledge or the enlargement of understanding of members of the audience to whom such programming is directed and under circumstances such that the acquisition or improvement of such knowledge or the enlargement of such understanding is subject to supervision or assessment by a provincial authority by any appropriate means, and
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b) programming providing information on the available courses of instruction or involving the broadcasting of special education events within the educational systems,
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which programming, taken as a whole, shall be designed to furnish educational opportunities and shall be distinctly different from general broadcasting available on the national broadcasting service or on privately owned broadcasting undertakings.
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In its renewal application, Radio-Québec advised the Commission that, in the fall of 1991, educational programs accounted for 68% of its programming (35% formal education programs and 33% informal education programs), compared to the 62% that had been devoted to educational programming between then and 1988. According to Radio-Québec's master plan for the period 1992-1995, the principal goal of the corporation will be to continue as an educational television service [TRANSLATION] "with its own niche and a specific role in television and in the educational and cultural community". Radio-Québec confirmed that, in pursuing this strategy [TRANSLATION] "social relevance will be the impetus for and will determine the future course of its programming". In light of this commitment, the Commission notes that Radio-Québec will maintain its educational orientation. The Commission encourages the licensee to focus upon and maximize the educational nature of each program it broadcasts.
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The Commission notes that, although Radio-Québec is an educational service and, like the educational broadcasting services in other provinces, makes use of centralized broadcast facilities, the licensee's regional production branch has sought, since 1987, to integrate regional input into its various operational functions. The regional production branch consists of a principal operations center in Montréal and five regional offices in Alma, Rimouski, Sept-Iles, Val-d'Or and Saint-Omer; each is equipped with an editing facility and a mobile production unit. This branch has emphasized regionally-produced series aimed at audiences in all regions for broadcast throughout Quebec during prime time.
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Advertising
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In its licence renewal application, Radio-Québec proposed no changes to the advertising code it originally filed with the Commission on 29 September 1988. The Commission expects Radio-Québec, during its new licence term, to adhere to the provisions of its advertising code, specifically:
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1) Radio-Québec will avoid interrupting its programs with commercial messages; such announcements will be grouped at the beginning and end of programs.
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2) In certain cases, commercial messages may be broadcast during programs, but only where natural pauses occur, and only where they do not interrupt the natural flow of a program.
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3) The time devoted to the broadcasting of commercial announcements will not exceed six minutes per hour; this includes Radio-Québec's own promotional messages.
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4) Commercial messages will be aired only on a network basis.
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5) Only the network will be permitted to sell air-time for commercial announcements. On a regional basis, individual stations will only be permitted to solicit prestige sponsorship.
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This document also contains a number of stipulations restricting certain kinds of advertising, and specifically requiring Radio-Québec to refuse all messages:
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- that may give rise to political or ideological controversy;
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- that are contrary to public order, morality or good taste;
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- that it deems to be in conflict with its educational mandate. Radio-Québec shall find any message to be in conflict with its educational mandate that embodies values or depicts actions or behaviour that are contrary to the standards of good behaviour recognized by society in general; that offends human dignity (e.g. sexist stereotypes, lack of respect for individuals or groups by reason of their race, religion or membership in a social class); or that contravenes the standards of proper spoken French.
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In addition, pursuant to section 6 of the Television Broadcasting Regulations, 1987, Radio-Québec shall not broadcast any commercial message advertising a spirituous liquor and, in keeping with its commitment announced in Public Notice CRTC 1987-51, shall not broadcast any advertising relating to beer, wine or cider.
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The licences of Radio-Québec will be subject to the following condition:
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Local advertising, except in Montréal, will be limited to prestige sponsorship and the exchange of services. Accordingly, the mention in recognition of a sponsor's direct or indirect contribution shall be restricted to one of the following three forms:
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"This program is made (was made) possible through the co-operation of (name of company)."
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"This program is made (was made) possible through the co-operation of (name of company), makers of (product)."
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"This program is (has been) presented to you by (name of product)."
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These credits may only be broadcast at the beginning and end of a program, and may include the visual or verbal identification of the sponsor and its trademark.
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The Commission notes the assurance provided by the licensee that its advertising revenues will be re-invested in programming. The Commission also notes the licensee's response to the intervention submitted by Quatre-Saisons Television Network, in which it emphasized that its share of advertising revenues remains below its market share, at a level that has no significant impact on the revenue share of other television broadcasters.
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Co-production with the independent production industry
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With regard to Radio-Québec's involvement in the independent production sector, the Commission notes the licensee's achievements to date, as well as its stated goal of allocating 25% of its programming budget to co-production with the independent production industry during its new licence term. The Commission acknowledges the comments submitted by the Association des Producteurs de Films et de Télévision du Québec in this regard.
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Closed-captioning
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The Commission received a number of interventions in the context of the licence renewal applications by French-language television stations and networks in Quebec, regarding the quantity and quality of captioning provided by Quebec broadcasters. In this regard, the Commission specifically acknowledges the brief submitted jointly by the Quebec Center for the Hearing Impaired, the Canadian Captioning Development Agency and the Regroupement québécois pour le sous-titrage.
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In light of the concerns raised by these interventions, the Commission deems it necessary to include in this decision the following expectations:
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- that Radio-Québec take necessary measures to monitor captioning on an ongoing basis;
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- that Radio-Québec ensure a gradual year-over-year increase in the number of hours of captioned programming;
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- that Radio-Québec file a report, within six months of the date of this decision, on its consultation with organizations representing the hearing impaired. Among other things, this report shall deal with the improvement in the quality of captioning, the special measures taken to communicate either scheduling changes or the introduction of captioned programs in the programming schedule, and technical advances made in the transmission or reception of captioned signals.
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The Commission also received a joint submission from La Magnétothèque, the Canadian Captioning Development Agency and the Regroupement des aveugles et amblyopes du Québec which stressed the importance of providing the visually impaired with the Audiovision service on French-language television.
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Accordingly, the Commission expects Radio-Québec to file, beginning in September 1993, an annual report on the yearly increase in captioned programming hours over the previous year, the steps it has taken to improve its service to the visually and hearing impaired, such as through the provision of live captioning, and the implementation of a scene description system.
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Other Matters
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The Commission notes the licensee's policy commitments with respect to the broadcast of programs produced by native groups and of multicultural programs. The Commission further notes that Radio-Québec is preparing a comprehensive programming policy manual ("Politique des programmes"), which it will file with the Commission following acceptance by the licensee's board of directors.
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The Commission acknowledges the many interventions and comments it received relating to these renewal applications and the licensee's replies thereto.
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Allan J. Darling
Secretary General
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