ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2012-450
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Route reference: 2012-126
Ottawa, 21 August 2012
Voice of the Shuswap Broadcast Society
Salmon Arm, British Columbia
Application 2011-1644-2, received 15 December 2011
Public hearing in Toronto, Ontario
7 May 2012
Low-power community radio station in Salmon Arm
The Commission approves an application for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language low-power community FM radio station in Salmon Arm, British Columbia.
The application
1. The Commission received an application by Voice of the Shuswap Broadcast Society (VSBS) for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language low-power community FM radio programming undertaking in Salmon Arm, British Columbia. The Commission received interventions in support of this application.
2. VSBS is a not-for-profit corporation controlled by its board of directors.
3. The new station would operate on frequency 93.7 MHz (channel 229LP) with an average effective radiated power of 15 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 556.6 metres).1
4. The station would broadcast 98 hours of programming each broadcast week, of which 62 hours would be station-produced programming. The remaining programming would be obtained from other campus and community stations across Canada and from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). The station would also broadcast two hours of programming in French, one hour of programming in German and one hour of programming in Secwepemctsin.
5. Spoken word programming would consist of local information, news, weather, community calendars and announcements as well as emergency messages. VSBS intends to develop various spoken word programs, such as live theatre, local sports coverage, story reading, spirituality and inter-faith dialogues, parenting and children’s programs, call-in shows, environmental, business and political coverage, travel ideas and events promotion.
6. The station’s musical programming would be drawn from a variety of popular and specialty genres including pop, rock, dance, country, acoustic, folk and world beat.
7. The applicant stated that all its station’s original programs would be developed, produced and presented by local talent. This would include musical recordings and spoken word presentations in the form of commentary, interviews, entertainment, drama and documentaries. VSBS intends to benefit from partnerships in development with the Salmon Arm Folk Music Society and the Roots and Blues Society in order to develop programs incorporating local and international music, discographies and artists’ profiles.
8. VSBS stated that the station would be volunteer-based and that it would recognize and support volunteers’ efforts to express themselves through radio. VSBS is committed to offer adequate and continuing training to all volunteers and to encourage all to participate in as many areas of the station’s operation as they can.
Commission’s analysis and decisions
9. The Commission expects community radio stations to provide programming differing in style and substance from that provided by other elements of the broadcasting system, particularly commercial radio stations and the CBC. Such programming should consist of music, especially Canadian music, not generally heard on commercial stations (including special interest music, as well as styles of popular music seldom broadcast), in-depth spoken word programming and programming targeted to specific groups within the community.
10. The Commission is satisfied that the application is consistent with the provisions for community radio stations set out in Campus and community radio policy, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-499, 22 July 2010. Accordingly, the Commission approves the application by Voice of the Shuswap Broadcast Society for a broadcasting licence to operate an English language low-power community FM radio programming undertaking in Salmon Arm, British Columbia. The terms and conditions of licence are set out in the appendix to this decision.
Secretary General
*This decision is to be appended to the licence.
Appendix to Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2012-450
Terms, conditions of licence, expectation and encouragement for the English-language low power community FM radio programming undertaking in Salmon Arm, British Columbia
Terms
The licence will expire 31 August 2019.
The new station will operate on frequency 93.7 MHz (channel 229LP) with an average effective radiated power of 15 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 556.6 metres).
The Commission reminds the applicant that pursuant to section 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.
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.
Furthermore, 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 21 August 2014. In order to ensure that such a request is processed in a timely manner, it should be submitted at least 60 days before this date.
The Commission requires the applicant to file, within 12 months of the date of this decision, a copy of its amended and executed by-laws demonstrating that it is in compliance with the Direction to the CRTC (Ineligibility of non-Canadians).
Conditions of licence
- The licensee shall be subject to the conditions set out in Standard conditions of licence for campus and community stations, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2012-304, 22 May 2012.
Expectation
Filing of ownership information
The Commission expects all community and campus licensees to file yearly updates on the composition of their boards of directors. These annual updates can be submitted at the time of filing of annual returns, following annual board of directors’ elections or at any other time. Licensees may submit such documentation via the Commission’s website.
Encouragement
Employment equity
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.
[1] The Commission notes that this frequency is different from that originally proposed by the applicant. At the request of the Department of Industry, the applicant agreed to change its proposed frequency to 93.7 MHz because its initial frequency would have interfered with CKXR-FM-1 Sorrento, BC, an incumbent station operating in the area.
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