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Ottawa, 20 September 2013

By email

cfrg@sasktel.net

Dear Mr. Bergeron:

Re: Application 2013-1241-2 – Reduction in the local programming of CFRG-FM Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan

This is in response to you application to reduce the local programming of CFRG-FM Gravelbourg from 25 hours to 15 hours per broadcast week.

Please provide the following information:

1- According to our files, and as set out in Community FM radio station in Gravelbourg, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2003-6, Ottawa, 7 January 2003, the station broadcasts 105 hours of programming in each broadcast week. Please clarify if this information is still accurate.

2- Commission staff notes that CFRG-FM Gravelbourg wishes to reduce the number of hours of local programming broadcast by 10 hours over the course of each broadcast week. Please specify the source and nature of the programming that would replace these 10 hours of local programming.

3- As set out in paragraph 6 of Standard conditions of licence for campus and community radio stations, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2012-304, Ottawa, 22 May 2012, community radio licensees shall, in each broadcast week, devote no less than 15% of their programming to Content Category 1 - Spoken Word [1] programming produced locally (that is, produced by or exclusively for the licensee).

Accordingly, to comply with this condition of licence, CFRG-FM Gravelbourg should broadcast no less than 15.75 [2] hours of local programming consisting entirely of spoken word programming. In light of this information, please specify whether CFRG-FM Gravelbourg intends to amend its proposal to broadcast the minimum level of locally produced spoken word programming required by its condition of licence over each broadcast week.

4- Should the licensee wish to continue with its initial proposal to broadcast 15 hours of local programming per broadcast week, please specify how many of these hours would be devoted, by condition of licence, to content category 1 - Spoken Word.

5- In paragraph 18 of the Campus and community radio policy, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-499, Ottawa, 22 July 2010, the Commission specifies that Campus and community stations are also well placed “to provide spoken word programming that reflects the perspectives and concerns of diverse cultural groups, including official language minority communities [OLMCs]. The Commission expects campus and community stations to maintain and strengthen their efforts in these areas in their programming (…). Please describe the measures that you intend to take to ensure that CFRG-FM continues to meet the needs of the OLMCs it serves despite the proposed reduction in hours of local programming.

6- In your application, you mention that you have had difficulty recruiting new volunteers to fulfill your mandate and produce the local programming desired. What measures have you taken or intend to take to facilitate the recruitment of volunteers in your community?

You are required to provide the above information/documentation noted above on the public record by 26 September 2013.

In light of the above request, the timetable for the proceeding is amended as follows:

Deadline for filing interventions: 21 October 2013

The Commission requires that you submit your documents electronically using the secured service “My CRTC Account” (Partner Log In or GCKey) and fill in the “Broadcasting and Telecom Cover page” located on this web page. On this web page, you will also find a link to information on the submission of applications to the Commission “Submitting applications and other documents to the CRTC using My CRTC Account.”.

A copy of this letter and all related correspondence will be added to the public record of the proceeding.

Yours sincerely,

Catherine Arguin
Senior Radio Analyst
French-Language Radio Policy and Analysis
catherine.arguin@crtc.gc.ca

[1] Revised content categories and subcategories for radio, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-819,
5 November 2010.

[2] This calculation is based on the broadcast of 105 hours of programming per broadcasting week and could therefore change based on the licensee’s response to question 1.

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