ARCHIVED -  Decision CRTC 98-522

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Decision

Ottawa, 2 December 1998
Decision CRTC 98-522
Seaway Campus Community Radio Station
Iroquois, Ontario - 199802450
Public Hearing held on 8 October 1998
National Capital Region
New community radio station
1. The Commission approves the application for a broadcasting licence for a low-power English-language FM community radio programming undertaking at Iroquois. The new station will be the first local radio service in the community of Iroquois, which is located near Cornwall, Ontario.
2. Subject to the requirements of this decision, the Commission will issue a licence for a Type B community radio station, expiring 31 August 2005.
3. As set out in Public Notice CRTC 1992-38 entitled Policies for Community and Campus Radio, the Commission expects community radio to develop innovative and alternative forms of community-oriented programming that contribute to the diversity and variety of radio services within a community. It also expects community radio to focus on all aspects of the community, by offering programming which examines issues affecting all of its members, as well as programs which deal with matters of interest to specific elements within it, such as neighbourhoods, surrounding towns, villages, and specific interest groups.
4. The Commission notes that the station will broadcast from a studio located in a local high school. Programming will include news, reports from community groups, stories for children, messages from local clergy, sports and hobby features, talking books, agricultural information and programs directed to teens. With respect to the development of Canadian talent, the applicant plans to provide on-air exposure for the work of local musicians.
5. The Commission notes that commitments were made by the licensee to broadcast a minimum of 86 hours of local programming each week; to ensure that no more than 15% of the musical selections broadcast will be hits; and to ensure that at least 8% of the music played will be drawn from Category 3 music (Traditional and Special Interest). These commitments form part of the Promise of Performance, adherence to which is a condition of licence.
Conditions of licence
6. The licence will also be subject to the conditions specified below, as well as to any conditions set out in the licence to be issued. By conditions of licence, the licensee must:
· broadcast no more than 6 minutes of advertising in any hour of broadcast, and broadcast an average of no more than 4 minutes of advertising for every hour of broadcast up to a total of 504 minutes of advertising per week, in accordance with the community radio policy for Type B stations;
· adhere to the guidelines on gender portrayal set out in the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' (CAB) Sex-Role Portrayal Code for Television and Radio Programming, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission;
· adhere to the provisions of the CAB's Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission; and
· ensure that a minimum of 10% of the musical selections broadcast during ethnic programming are Canadian selections.
7. The Commission notes that the licence of this community station will be held by a not-for-profit organization whose structure provides for membership and management by members of the community at large. The Commission also notes that the Board of Directors is ultimately responsible for the operation and programming of the station.
8. The Commission reminds the applicant that the fact that much of the station's staff will be volunteer does not relieve it of the requirement to abide by the Radio Regulations, 1986 and the station's conditions of licence.
9. The licence will only be issued and effective when the new station is ready to begin operation. When the licensee has completed construction and is prepared to commence operation, it must advise the Commission in writing. If the station is not constructed and ready to operate within 12 months of today's date, extensions to this time frame may be granted provided that the licensee applies in writing to the Commission before the 12-month period or any extension of that period expires.
10. As proposed, the new FM station will operate on the frequency 107.7 MHz, channel 299LP, with an effective radiated power of 50 watts.
11. The technical parameters approved in this decision are for a low-power unprotected FM service. Accordingly, the applicant would have to select another frequency for the operation of the service should optimum utilization of the broadcasting spectrum so require.
13. The Department of Industry has advised the Commission that this application is conditionally technically acceptable. The Department will only issue a Broadcasting Certificate once it has determined that the proposed technical parameters will not create any unacceptable interference with aeronautical NAV/COM services.
14. In accordance with subsection 22(1) of the Broadcasting Act, the Commission will only issue the licence and grant the authority to operate when it receives notification from the Department of Industry that its technical requirements have been met, and that a Broadcasting Certificate will be issued.
15. In Public Notice CRTC 1992-59 dated 1 September 1992 and entitled Implementation of an Employment Equity Policy, the Commission announced that the employment equity practices of broadcasters would be subject to examination by the Commission. It considers that campus and community radio stations should be particularly sensitive to this issue in order to reflect fully the communities they serve. It encourages the licensee to consider employment equity issues in its hiring practices and in all other aspects of its management of human resources.
Secretary General
This decision is to be appended to the licence.
This document is available in alternative format upon request, and may also be viewed at the following Internet site:
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