ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 2001-771

Decision CRTC 2001-771

Ottawa, 20 December 2001

Seaside Broadcasting Organization
Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia 2001-0562-8 

19 November 2001 Public Hearing
in Montréal

New community radio station

The Commission approves the application for a broadcasting licence for a Type B English-language low-power FM community radio programming undertaking at Eastern Passage. The terms of licence are set out in the appendix to this decision.

The licence of this community station will be held by a not-for-profit organization whose structure provides for membership, management, operation and programming by members of the community at large. The Board of Directors, headed by Wayne Harrett, is ultimately responsible for adherence to the Radio Regulations, 1986 and the station's conditions of licence.

The Commission's primary objective for community radio is that it provide community access to the airwaves and offer diverse programming that reflects the needs and interests of the community that it is licensed to serve. The programming must include music by new and local talent, music not generally broadcast by commercial stations, local information and spoken word programming.

The new station will broadcast 126 hours each week, including a maximum of 8 hours of acquired, pre-produced programs that address issues of interest to seniors. Overall, the station will target listeners aged 40 and over. It will offer traditional and contemporary "East Coast music." Approximately 80% of the music programming will be drawn from the easy listening subcategory of category 2 (popular) music.

"Community Chat", one of the programs to be aired by the station, will include open-line and phone-in elements. The applicant will implement a delay system and filter calls to ensure that they comply with the requirements with respect to abusive comment, balance and high standard specified in the Broadcasting Act and the Radio Regulations, 1986. TheCommission's policy regarding open-line programming is set out in Public Notice CRTC 1988-213.

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 Community radio policy, the applicant made the commitment to devote 50% of its news programming time to local news and 50% to regional news, during each broadcast week. The Commission expects the applicant to honour these commitments.

The applicant has also committed to meet the policy's requirement to devote, in each broadcast week, 12% or more of its musical selections from content category 3 (Special interest music) to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety.

The applicant plans to recruit volunteers from the community at large as well as from students in local broadcasting programs. The station's general manager will be responsible for ensuring that volunteers are properly trained and supervised.

In the area of Canadian talent development, the applicant will feature Canadian artists in "specialty shows" that will include interviews and live concerts. It will also provide opportunities for local artists to perform live on air.

The Commission expects the applicant 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 applicant to consider these issues in its hiring practices and in all other aspects of its management of human resources (see PN 1992-59).

The Commission acknowledges the many interventions submitted in support of this application.

Related CRTC documents

• Public Notice 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 document is available in alternative format upon request and may also be examined at the following Internet site: www.crtc.gc.ca

Appendix to Decision CRTC 2001-771

Terms of the licence for the Type B community radio programming undertaking at Eastern Passage

The Commission will only issue the licence, and it will only be effective at such time as:

• the licensee confirms in writing that it is ready to begin operation. This must take place within 12 months of today's date. Any request for an extension to that deadline requires Commission approval and must be made in writing within that period.

• the Department of Industry, having advised that the application is conditionally technically acceptable, has determined that there is no unacceptable interference with NAV/COM services and indicated that it will issue a broadcasting certificate (section 22(1) of the Broadcasting Act).

The licence, when issued, will expire 31 August 2008. It will be subject to the conditions set out in the appendix to Public Notice CRTC 2000-157.

The station will broadcast on the FM band, on the frequency 94.7 MHz, channel 234LP, with an effective radiated power of 50 watts.

The technical parameters approved in this decision are for a low-power unprotected FM service. The applicant would have to select another frequency for the operation of the service if required to do so to permit the best use of the frequency band.