ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2013-488

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Route reference: 2013-195

Ottawa, 17 September 2013

Saugeen Community Radio Inc.
Mount Forest and Wellington North, Ontario

Application 2012-0326-5, received 7 March 2012
Public hearing in the National Capital Region
26 June 2013

Community radio station in Mount Forest and Wellington North

The Commission approves an application for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language community FM radio station in Mount Forest and Wellington North, Ontario.

The application

1. The Commission received an application by Saugeen Community Radio Inc. (Saugeen) for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language community FM radio station in Mount Forest and Wellington North, Ontario.

2. Saugeen is a not-for-profit corporation controlled by its board of directors.

3. In Campus and community radio policy, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-499, 22 July 2010 (Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2010-499), the Commission announced a number of changes to the regulatory framework for campus and community radio stations. Saugeen confirmed that it would adhere to the revised policy.

4. The proposed station would operate at 88.7 MHz (channel 204A) with an effective radiated power of 1,648 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 73.1 metres).

5. The applicant proposed to broadcast 126 hours of programming each broadcast week, of which 120 hours would be local programming, including 4 hours of Christian programming. The remaining programming would originate from the community station CFBW-FM Bluewater (5 hours) and from the Canadian Press (1 hour). Saugeen noted that it was its intention over time to replace 5 hours of programming from CFBW-FM with additional local programs produced by volunteers from the municipality of Wellington North. It further stated that it would adhere to a condition of licence requiring it to devote at least 40% of all selections from content category 2 (Popular Music) in each broadcast week to Canadian selections.

Intervention

6. The Commission received an intervention from the Province of Ontario relating to the participation of the station in the National Public Alerting System (NPAS), to which the applicant did not reply. The public record for this application can be found on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca under “Public Proceedings.”

7. As specified in its three-year plan, the Commission will be looking at measures to ensure the participation of Canadian broadcasters and telecommunications service providers in the NPAS. Therefore, the Commission will not impose conditions of licence requiring the participation of broadcasters in the NPAS at this time. However, the Commission expects all licensees to voluntarily participate in the NPAS so that Canadians receive timely warnings of imminent perils.

Commission’s analysis and decision

8. 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 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 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.

9. Based on all of the above, the Commission is satisfied that the application complies with the provisions for community radio stations set out in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2010-499. The Commission also notes that the proposed community station would represent a first local service to Wellington North and surrounding areas.

10. Accordingly, the Commission approves the application by Saugeen Community Radio Inc. for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language community FM radio programming undertaking in Mount Forest and Wellington North, Ontario. 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 2013-488

Terms, conditions of licence, expectation and encouragement for the English-language community FM radio programming undertaking in Mount Forest and Wellington North, Ontario

Terms

The licence will expire 31 August 2020.

The station will operate at 88.7 MHz (channel 204A) with an effective radiated power of 1,648 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 73.1 metres).

The Commission reminds the licensee that pursuant to section 22(1) of the Broadcasting Act, this authority will only be effective when the Department of Industry notifies the Commission that its technical requirements have been met and that a broadcasting certificate will be issued.

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 17 September 2015. 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.

Conditions of licence

1. The licensee shall adhere to the conditions of licence set out in Standard conditions of licence for campus and community stations, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2012-304, 22 May 2012.

2. As an exception to the percentage of Canadian musical selections set out in section 2.2(8) of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations), the licensee shall devote at least 40% of its musical selections from content category 2 (Popular Music) in each broadcast week to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety.

For the purposes of this condition, the terms “broadcast week,” “Canadian selection,” “content category” and “musical selection” shall have the same meaning as that set out in the Regulations.

Expectation

Filing of ownership information

As set out in Campus and community radio policy, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-499, 22 July 2010, 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 submission of annual returns, following annual board of directors’ elections or at any other time. As noted in Appendix 3 to that regulatory policy, 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.

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