ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2011-108

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Route reference: 2010-715

Ottawa, 18 February 2011

Mario Lacombe, on behalf of a not-for-profit corporation to be incorporated
Donnacona, Quebec

Application 2010-0584-3, received 8 April 2010
Public Hearing in the National Capital Region
26 November 2010

French-language community FM radio station in Donnacona

The Commission denies an application for a broadcasting licence to operate a French-language low-power Type A community FM radio station in Donnacona, Quebec.

The application

1.      The Commission received an application by Mario Lacombe, on behalf of a not-for-profit corporation to be incorporated (Mario Lacombe (OBCI)), for a broadcasting licence to operate a French-language low-power Type A community FM radio programming undertaking in Donnacona, Quebec. 

2.      The applicant indicated that the station would broadcast 126 hours of programming in each broadcast week, 25 of which would consist of local programming. The remainder of the programming would originate from the community radio station CFIN-FM Lac Etchemin.

3.      The proposed station would offer music consisting of pop, rock, dance, country and country-oriented selections, as well as folklore and folklore-oriented selections. With respect to the promotion of local artists, the applicant stated that it would organize country music concerts. The applicant also stated that it would broadcast Quebec and French-Canadian music from local country and western artists.

4.      The applicant added that it would devote 12 hours each broadcast week to spoken word programming. This programming would consist of local and regional news, as well as vignettes on sports, the arts, concerts, special events and other subjects of local and regional interest.

5.      The applicant stated that the local programming would be produced entirely by volunteers involved in the community. The applicant specified that it would encourage the participation of new volunteers and would ensure that they be trained and supervised in all aspects of radio program production. Furthermore, graduates of the Collège des annonceurs de Québec would be offered internships at the Donnacona community radio station.

Intervention

6.      The Commission received a comment with respect to this application. The public record of this proceeding is available on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca under “Public Proceedings.”

7.      In its comment, RNC MEDIA Inc. (RNC MEDIA) stated that Mario Lacombe’s application included several inaccuracies regarding the performance of its station, CHXX-FM. Although RNC MEDIA did not oppose the application, it did point out that it considered the application to be ambiguous and incomplete.

Commission’s analysis and determinations

8.      Since the applicant proposed to operate a community station, the Commission considered this application in light of the provisions set out in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2010-499 (Campus and Community Radio Policy). After having examined the application, the Commission considers it appropriate to address the following questions:

Does the programming reflect the objectives of the Campus and Community Radio Policy?

9.      In accordance with the Campus and Community Radio Policy, a community radio station’s programming should distinguish itself from that of the commercial and public sectors in both style and substance, offering programming that is rich in local information and reflection. In addition, all campus and community radio stations must, by condition of licence, devote at least 15% of the broadcast week to spoken word programming. For the purposes of this requirement, such programming must be produced locally.

10.  After having examined the application, the Commission is concerned with the quality and the low level of local programming proposed by the applicant. In fact, the applicant proposed to broadcast a minimum of only 25 hours of local programming per broadcast week. In addition, the Commission notes that some of the programming the applicant has identified as local originates from Réseau FM, a not-for-profit organization that produces radio programs and distributes them to several radio stations, and of which Mr. Lacombe is CEO, Program Director and host. The Commission also notes that another program proposed by the station originates from the website Hebdo Radio Portneuf, a weekly news magazine distributed online. The Commission concludes that this programming cannot be classified as local programming because it does not originate with the station, nor is it produced separately and exclusively for the station.[1] In light of the above, the Commission considers that the proposed station will not be able to provide varied local programming that is produced exclusively by the station and that directly reflects the needs and interests of the community being served.

11.  Furthermore, the Commission notes that the proposed station would provide a total of 12 hours of spoken word programming per broadcast week. However, while the applicant proposed to broadcast 126 hours per broadcast week, the Commission’s minimum weekly threshold for spoken word programming is 15%, that is 18.9 hours of spoken word programming in each broadcast week. The applicant’s proposal therefore does not meet the Campus and Community Radio Policy’s requirements with regard to the broadcast of local spoken word programming.

Does the station structure facilitate access for volunteers and the community being served?

12.  As stated in paragraph 12 of the Campus and Community Radio Policy, the requirement that a community radio station include volunteers in the programming and in other areas of station operations is one of the key elements that distinguishes it from other types of radio stations. Although the applicant specified that it would encourage the participation of volunteers, the Commission is concerned that the low level of programming and local spoken word programs broadcast in each broadcast week would limit community volunteers’ access to the airwaves. The Commission considers that the business plan is not convincing and that the proposed station would not sufficiently fulfil the mandate of a community station. The Commission notes that it expects applicants to provide specific plans that comply with the Campus and Community Radio Policy.

Conclusion

13.  In light of all the above, the Commission is not satisfied that the proposed station would comply with the provisions of the Campus and Community Radio Policy. Accordingly, the Commission denies the application by Mario Lacombe, on behalf of a not-for-profit corporation to be incorporated, for a broadcasting licence to operate a French-language low-power Type A community FM radio programming undertaking in Donnacona, Quebec.

Secretary General

Related documents

Footnote

[1] The definition of local programming is set out in paragraph 183 of Broadcasting Public Notice 2006-158.

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