ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 2001-473

Decision CRTC 2001-473

See also: 2001-473-1

Ottawa, 7 August 2001

Homegrown Community Radio
Killaloe, Ontario 2001-0010-8

Application processed by Public Notice CRTC 2001-45 dated 20 April 2001

Licence renewal for CHCR-FM

The Commission renews the licence for Type B community radio programming undertaking CHCR-FM Killaloe, from 1 September 2001 to 31 August 2004, subject to conditions specified in this decision and in the licence to be issued, as also set out in Public Notice CRTC 2000-157.

This four-year term will enable the Commission to assess, at an earlier date, the licensee's compliance with the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the regulations).

The renewal of this licence follows the new Community radio policy. Among other things, the Commission has removed the requirement to submit a Promise of Performance and the limit on advertising for Type B community radio stations. Type B stations now have the same advertising flexibility as Type A stations (Public Notice CRTC 2000-13).

Compliance concerns

Section 8 of the regulations requires licensees to keep for a period of at least four weeks from the date of broadcast, "a clear and intelligible tape recording" of the programming broadcast, and to provide it to the Commission upon request. These tapes are essential since the Commission uses them as its primary means to confirm that a station is operating in compliance with the regulations and its programming commitments. Tapes are also used to assess complaints from listeners, if need be.

Section 9 of the regulations requires, in part, that licensees submit lists of all musical selections that they play to the Commission upon request. These lists are used along with the logger tapes to determine if a station is fulfilling the requirements of the regulations relating, among other things, to the broadcast of Canadian music.

During the current licence term, the licensee was unable to provide complete logger tapes for the week of 30 April to 6 May 2000. The licensee was also in non-compliance with the regulatory requirement concerning the submission of music lists.

In addition, the Commission's analysis of the programming broadcast during the week in question found that the licensee had not complied with its condition of licence requiring that the station broadcast a minimum level of 35% Canadian content for all popular musical selections (content category 2). This requirement for all community radio stations is now set out in the regulations.

The Commission reiterates that the licensee must take the necessary measures to ensure that it is in compliance at all times with its conditions of licence and the regulations.

The new licence term

The station will broadcast 110 hours of programming per week, with 90 hours to be produced by the station. Community radio licensees have the flexibility to reduce or increase their weekly broadcast time by up to 20% without application to the Commission. A change of more than 20%, however, requires prior Commission approval.

In accordance with the requirements of the new Policy, the licensee made a commitment to devote 80% of its news programming time to local news and 5% to regional news, during each broadcast week. The Commission expects the licensee to honour these commitments.

The licensee has also committed to meet the new regulatory requirements with respect to the percentage of Canadian musical selections from category 2 (35%) and category 3 (12%) that community and campus radio stations must broadcast each broadcast week.

The Commission expects the licensee to implement the initiatives set out in its plan for Canadian talent development and to give effect to the measures designed to encourage the participation of volunteers.

The Commission considers that community radio stations should be particularly sensitive to employment equity issues in order to reflect fully the communities they serve. It encourages the licensee to consider these issues in its hiring practices and in all other aspects of its management of human resources
(Public Notice CRTC 1992-59).

Related CRTC documents

. Public Notice CRTC 2000-157 - New licence form for community radio stations

. Public Notice 2000-93 - Regulatory amendments to implement certain aspects of the revised policies for campus and community radio, and incorporate revised content categories for radio

. Public Notice 2000-14 - Revised content categories and subcategories for radio

. Public Notice 2000-13 - Community radio policy

Secretary General

This decision is to be appended to the licence. It is available in alternative format upon request, and may also be examined at the following Internet site: www.crtc.gc.ca