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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2006-652 |
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Ottawa, 29 November 2006 |
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WhiStle Community Radio
Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ontario |
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Application 2006-0287-2
Public Hearing in Québec, Quebec
11 September 2006 |
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Community radio station in Whitchurch-Stouffville |
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1. |
The Commission approves the
application by WhiStle Community Radio for a broadcasting licence to
operate a low-power English-language Type B community FM radio
programming undertaking in Whitchurch-Stouffville. |
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2. |
The station will broadcast 126 hours of
programming during each broadcast week, including at least 119 hours of
programming produced by the station and seven hours of programs acquired
from other community radio stations. Although the primary language of
broadcasting will be English, the applicant indicated that it will
devote at least two hours of programming during each broadcast week to
French-language programs. |
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3. |
According to the applicant, the station's
local programming will reflect the needs and interests of the community,
including local and regional news, amateur sports, weather, emergency
information, community announcements, interviews exploring issues of
local concerns, current events, features and coverage of local council
meetings or other community meetings of interest. |
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4. |
In the area of music, the station will draw
from a broad range of categories, including country, folk, jazz, blues
and children's music, and will broadcast live performances from local
music venues. |
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5. |
Volunteers will be recruited for the
station through on-air solicitation, the station's web site, the library
and local newspapers. A training committee will assist in the training
of volunteers, who will be supervised by the station manager and
delegates of the station manager. |
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6. |
Regarding the development of local talent,
the new station will devote a significant part of its programming and
activities to support local artists. More specifically, local artists
will be supported through the station's web site, radio interviews and
the regular broadcast of their work. Other initiatives will include the
recording and live broadcast of local talent as well as the promotion
and sponsorship of their performances. |
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7. |
The Commission received interventions in
support of this application. |
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8. |
The Commission reminds the applicant that,
pursuant to Community Radio Policy, Public Notice CRTC 2000-13,
28 January 2000 (the Community Radio Policy), Type B community radio
stations are required, by condition of licence, to devote a minimum of
25% of their programming during each broadcast week to spoken word. |
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9. |
In accordance with the Community Radio
Policy, the licence for this community radio station will be held by a
not-for-profit organization without share capital whose structure
provides for membership, management, operation and programming primarily
by members of the community at large. The Board of Directors will
ultimately control the undertaking and be responsible for adherence to
the Radio Regulations, 1986 and to the station's conditions of
licence. |
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10. |
The station will operate at 102.7 MHz
(channel 274LP) with an effective radiated power of 50 watts. |
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11. |
The licence will expire 31 August 2013 and
will be subject to the conditions set out in New licence form
for community radio stations, Public Notice CRTC 2000-157,
16 November 2000. |
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12. |
The applicant indicated that places of
worship would be offered air time for information about their message
and their events, and that it would ensure that it would comply with
Religious Broadcasting Policy, Public Notice CRTC 1993-78, 3 June
1993 (the Religious Policy). As stated in the Religious Policy,
licensees who broadcast religious programming have an obligation to
provide balance in their programming. In that policy, the Commission
noted a number of mechanisms that would assist licensees in achieving
balance, including scheduling of periods for listeners' reactions,
providing access to complainants, searching out alternative points of
view, producing or acquiring programming and providing access to local
faith groups. The Commission has imposed a condition of licence,
set out in the appendix to this decision, requiring that WhiStle
Community Radio adhere to the balance requirement, and encourages the
applicant to form a regulatory review committee that would oversee the
handling of complaints regarding the content of balance programming. |
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Issuance of the licence |
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13. |
The Department of Industry (the Department)
has advised the Commission that, while this application is conditionally
technically acceptable, it will only issue a broadcasting certificate
when it has determined that the proposed technical parameters will not
create any unacceptable interference with aeronautical NAV/COM services. |
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14. |
The Commission reminds the applicant that,
pursuant to subsection 22(1) of the Broadcasting Act, no licence
may be issued until the Department notifies the Commission that its
technical requirements have been met, and that a broadcasting
certificate will be issued. |
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15. |
Given that the technical parameters
approved in this decision are for a low-power unprotected FM service,
the Commission also reminds the applicant that it will have to select
another frequency if the Department so requires. |
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16. |
The licence for this undertaking will be
issued once the applicant has informed the Commission in writing that it
is prepared to commence operations. The undertaking must be operational
at the earliest possible date and in any event no later than 24 months
from the date of this decision, unless a request for an extension of
time is approved by the Commission before 29 November 2008. In order to
ensure that such a request is processed in a timely manner, it should be
submitted at least 60 days before that date. |
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Employment equity |
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17. |
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. |
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Secretary General |
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This decision is to be appended to the
licence. It is available in alternative format upon request, and may
also be examined in PDF format or in HTML at the following Internet
site: www.crtc.gc.ca |
