Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-339

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Reference: 2025-72

Gatineau, 12 December 2025

Public record: 1011-NOC2025-0339

Call for applications – Radio station to serve Wingham, Ontario, and surrounding areas

1. In Broadcasting Notice of Consultation 2025-72, the Commission announced that it had received an application from Blackburn Media Inc. (BMI) for a broadcasting licence to operate a new English-language commercial FM radio station to serve Wingham, Ontario, and its surrounding areas.^{Footnote 1} In Broadcasting Decision 2025-338, also issued today, the Commission found that the Wingham market has the capacity to sustain at least one additional radio station. Therefore, the Commission hereby calls for applications from other parties wishing to obtain a radio licence to serve this area. The public record leading to Broadcasting Decision 2025-338 will be considered as part of this proceeding.
2. Persons interested in responding to this call must submit an application to the Commission no later than 2 March 2026, using the appropriate form (which can be found using the Commission’s “Find a Broadcasting Form” page) to obtain a broadcasting licence to operate a new radio station. Applicants are also required to submit all necessary technical documentation to the Department of Industry (also known as Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and hereafter referred to as the Department) by the same date.

Factors for evaluation of applications

3. In assessing applications for new radio stations in a market, the Commission will consider the following factors:^{Footnote 2}
   • quality of the application;
   • diversity of news voices in the market;
   • market impact; and
   • competitive state of the market.

Quality of the application

4. In its analysis, the Commission will evaluate the applicant’s programming proposal and commitments in a number of areas. These will include the manner in which the applicant will reflect the local community, including the community’s diversity and distinct nature. Accordingly, the Commission will consider commitments related to local programming and the benefits that such programming will bring to the community.
5. The Commission will also consider evidence relating to market demand (such as letters of support), commitments regarding the percentage of Canadian musical selections, contributions to Canadian content development and, where applicable, the percentage of French-language vocal music.
6. The Commission will, however, assess the applicant’s business plan in light of the proposed format since the two are interrelated. The business plan should clearly demonstrate the applicant’s ability to fulfill its proposed programming plans and commitments. Further, the Commission will examine the programming proposals submitted by the applicants to determine which overall proposal best suits the market.

Diversity of news voices in the market

7. The Commission seeks to strike a balance between its concerns for preserving a diversity of news voices in a market and the benefits of permitting increased consolidation of ownership within the radio industry.
8. The Commission will therefore assess how approval of the application would add to, or serve to maintain, the diversity of voices available in the market, and how approval of the application would increase the diversity of programming available to listeners in line with the Diversity of Voices policy, set out in Broadcasting Public Notice 2008-4.

Market impact

9. The possibility that licensing too many stations in a market could lead to a reduction in the quality of service to the local community remains of concern to the Commission. The economic condition of the market and the likely financial impact of the proposed station on incumbent stations will therefore be relevant.
10. The Commission will therefore evaluate how the proposed station’s programming, general and core target audience, and projected audience share overlap with incumbent stations. While the Commission may also consider the profitability of incumbent stations, their profitability will be only one factor in the evaluation.

Competitive state of the market

11. In markets with fewer than eight commercial radio stations operating in a given language, the Commission’s common ownership policy (as amended by Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2022-332) permits a person to own or control as many as three stations operating in that language, with no limits on frequency band. In markets with eight commercial radio stations or more operating in a given language, a person may own or control as many as four stations, with a maximum of three stations within one frequency band (FM or AM) in that language.
12. The Commission will therefore consider factors such as the number of radio stations that an applicant already owns in the market, the profitability of its station(s) and the concentration of ownership in that market in making its licensing decision.

Importance of factors

13. The relative importance of each of the factors set out above will vary in each case, depending on the specific circumstances of the market.

Technical approval from the Department

14. The Commission intends to consider the applications at a public hearing. However, the Commission advises applicants that it will withdraw any application from the public hearing if it is not advised by the Department, at least twenty days prior to the first day of the hearing, that the application is technically acceptable. The Commission must also be advised by the Department, at least twenty days prior to the first day of the hearing, that any alternative frequencies proposed by the applicant are technically acceptable. Otherwise, those frequencies will not be considered as part of the proceeding.

Eligibility of applicant

15. The Commission also reminds applicants that they must comply with the eligibility requirements set out in the Direction to the CRTC (Ineligibility of Non-Canadians),^{Footnote 3} and the Direction to the CRTC (Ineligibility to Hold Broadcasting Licences).^{Footnote 4}

Update of application

16. BMI will be given the opportunity to update its application and to provide the essential information set out below within the same period provided for the submission of applications by other parties.

Essential information that applicants must provide

17. To assist it in the assessment of applications, the Commission requires each applicant to provide all the information requested in the appendices to this document for the type of service that it proposes to operate. An applicant must clearly demonstrate that its application includes the required information and submit the appropriate application. Requests for information by Commission staff will seek to clarify specific facts or to resolve minor discrepancies in the applicants’ proposals.
18. At a later date, the Commission will announce the public process for considering applications and how the applications may be examined by the public. As part of that process, the public will be given the opportunity to comment on any application by submitting written interventions to the Commission.
19. Applications filed in response to this call must be submitted in electronic form by using the secured service “My CRTC Account” (Partner Log In or GCKey) and by filling in the “Broadcasting and Online News Act Cover Page” located on this web page. On this web page, applicants will also find information on submitting applications to the Commission: “Submitting applications and other documents using My CRTC Account”. Applicants who are unable to file their applications using Partner Log In or GCKey should contact the Commission’s single point of contact for broadcasting undertakings at 1-866-781-1911.
20. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure (the Rules of Procedure)^{Footnote 5} set out, among other things, the rules for content, format and filing of applications, as well as the procedure for filing confidential information and requesting its disclosure. Accordingly, the procedure set out in the notice of consultation announcing the public hearing must be read in conjunction with the Rules of Procedure and its accompanying documents, which can be found on the Commission’s website under CRTC “Rules of Practice and Procedure.”

Secretary General

Related documents

• Findings regarding market capacity and the appropriateness of issuing a call for radio applications to serve Wingham, Ontario, and surrounding areas, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2025-338, 12 December 2025
• Call for comments on market capacity and the appropriateness of issuing a call for radio applications to serve Wingham, Ontario, and surrounding areas, Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-72, 6 March 2025
• Revised Commercial Radio Policy, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2022-332, 7 December 2022
• Regulatory Policy – Diversity of voices, Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2008-4, 15 January 2008
• Decision, Decision CRTC 99-480, 28 October 1999

Appendix 1 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-339

Requirements for new commercial radio licences

Applicants should provide the information set out below so that the Commission may evaluate their applications in light of Commercial Radio Policy 2006, Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2006-158, 15 December 2006 (2006 Commercial Radio Policy), as amended by Revised Commercial Radio Policy, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2022-332, 7 December 2022 (Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2022-332).

Programming information

Musical content

• Canadian content commitments for category 2 music, as well as for category 3 music, if applicable;
• percentage of category 3 music, if applicable;
• percentage of French-language vocal music, if applicable;
• commitments with respect to the broadcast of emerging artists as defined by the Commission in paragraph 346 of Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2022-332; and
• commitments with respect to the broadcast of Indigenous music (the applicant may use the provisional definition of “Indigenous-Canadian musical selection” set out in paragraph 441 of Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2022-332).

Contributions to Canadian content development

• Canadian content development proposals, including proposals over and above the regulated minimum annual requirements; and
• demonstration of the eligibility of each initiative proposed, as discussed in paragraphs 106 to 112 of the 2006 Commercial Radio Policy and paragraph 117 of Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2022-332.

Local programming

• clear plans, including description of programs, for the broadcast of locally relevant spoken word programming including news, public affairs and other programs that have a specific local focus; and
• a description of how the proposed service would meet the particular needs and interests of its local community. The Commission refers applicants to paragraphs 206 and 207 of the 2006 Commercial Radio Policy, which provides a detailed definition of local programming.

In addition, applicants for new ethnic commercial radio licences should provide the following information so that the application can be evaluated according to Ethnic Broadcasting Policy, Public Notice CRTC 1999-117, 16 July 1999:

• amount of ethnic programming (as a percentage of total weekly programming);
• amount of third-language programming (as a percentage of total weekly programming);
• how the station will meet the broad service requirement including an indication of the minimum number of groups to be served and the number of languages in which programming will be broadcast; and
• Canadian content commitments for ethnic programming periods.

Commitments as conditions of service

Applicants are required to provide their views on the possibility of the Commission imposing any or all of the above commitments as conditions of service.

Technical information

Applicants are required to provide the following information:

• the technical parameters and appendices identified in the application form for each of the frequencies that the applicant is requesting that the Commission consider;
• proof that technical documents have been submitted for consideration by the Department of Industry (also known as Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) for each of the frequencies that the applicant is requesting that the Commission consider; and
• service contour maps and population estimates as described in Service Contour Maps and Population Estimates.

Financial information

Applicants must provide an overall business plan that includes the following information:

• the proposed format as well as the general and core target audiences;
• projected revenues and allocation of expenses, particularly with respect to programming and marketing;
• projected audience share to support the projected business plan;
• any operational efficiencies with existing stations, where applicable;
• an analysis of the markets involved and potential advertising revenues, taking into account the results of any survey undertaken supporting the estimates;
• an assessment of the impact of the proposed service on the revenues and audience share of existing stations;
• where an applicant identified alternative frequencies, the applicant should indicate the impact of their use on its business plan;
• any market study that was commissioned; and
• evidence as to the availability of financial resources consistent with the requirements established in the financial projections of the applicant’s business plan. For the convenience of applicants, the Commission has made available a document entitled Commission policy regarding documentary evidence to confirm the availability of financing.

Ownership information

Appendix 2A to the application form

All of the information requested below must be provided:

• The applicant: Unless exempt by the Commission, the applicant must file the ownership information for the entity applying for a broadcasting licence to operate a commercial radio programming undertaking, whether this information has already been filed with the Commission or not.
• Important: In addition to the information requested in Table 2.2 (Shareholding) of Appendix 2A to the application form, the following information must be filed in the event of the situation below:
  • If the total of the voting shares or of the votes held collectively by the group of shareholders holding less than 10% of the voting shares or of the votes represents 20% or more of the total of the voting shares or of the votes of the entity to which Table 2.2 pertains, the applicant must identify each shareholder of this group, up to a total that will demonstrate that at least 80% of the voting shares and of the votes are held by Canadians and that this entity meets the definition of “qualified corporation” as defined in the Direction to the CRTC (Ineligibility of non-Canadians).
• The shareholder corporations: The parent corporation, the corporations which form part of the control chain, and all corporations or legal entities listed in Table 2.2 of Appendix 2A to the application form.
• Important: In addition to the information requested in Table 2.2 of Appendix 2A to the application form, the following information must be filed in the event of the situation below:
  • If the total of the voting shares or of the votes held collectively by the group of shareholders holding less than 10% of the voting shares or of the votes represents 33 1/3% or more of the total of the voting shares or of the votes of the entity to which Table 2.2 pertains, the applicant must identify each shareholder of this group, up to a total that will demonstrate that at least 66 2/3% of the voting shares and of the votes are held by Canadians and that this entity meets the definition of “qualified corporation” as defined in the Direction to the CRTC (Ineligibility of non-Canadians).

Appendix 2B to the application form

The applicant must provide a statement regarding who controls/will control the licensee and by what means. If the control is to be held by a shareholder corporation, a statement regarding who controls/will control the shareholder corporation and by what means must be provided.

• All related governance documents such as the shareholder agreements, the local management agreements, and other agreements with third parties that are not already on file with the Commission must be attached. If the document is not yet executed, a draft copy must be filed.
• Examples of effective control: exercised by the board of directors, exercised by the majority shareholder, jointly exercised pursuant to the terms of a shareholder agreement, etc.

Appendix 2C to the application form

The applicant must provide a copy of the constituting documents (certificate and articles of incorporation or amendment, amalgamation documents, by-laws, partnership agreements, etc.) that are not already on file with the Commission, for:

• The applicant: If not yet incorporated, a draft copy of the documents.
• The shareholder entities: The parent corporation and for each corporation listed in Table 2.2 of Appendix 2A to the application form.

Appendix 2 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-339

Requirements for new community or campus radio licences

Applicants should provide the information set out below so that the Commission may evaluate the application in light of Campus and community radio policy, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-499, 22 July 2010.

Community support

• submissions on the need for a community or campus radio station in the market to be served, including any evidence of community support for the proposed station;
• a description of the communities the station will serve; and
• clear plans with regard to community involvement (and student/campus involvement as applicable) in all aspects of the proposed station’s operations including its board of directors, management, programming and other station activities.

Programming information

Musical content

• Canadian content commitments for category 2 music and category 3 music, if applicable;
• percentage of category 3 music, if applicable;
• percentage of French-language vocal music, if applicable; and
• commitments with respect to the broadcast of local and emerging Canadian artists and opportunities for other new and local talent. The definition of an emerging artist can be found in paragraph 346 of Revised Commercial Radio Policy, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2022-332, 7 December 2022.

Local programming

• clear plans for the reflection of the needs and interests of the communities to be served. Such plans should include measures that the station will take to include community input and membership to ensure that the station will broadcast a diversity of opinions and programming content;
• clear plans, including description of programs, for the broadcast of locally relevant spoken word programming including news, public affairs and other programs that have a specific local focus; and
• clear plans for the involvement of volunteers and the training and supervision of these volunteers, particularly in the area of programming.

In addition, applicants for new community stations that intend to broadcast ethnic programming in English or French, and/or intend to broadcast third-language programming, should provide the information set out below so that the Commission can evaluate the application according to Ethnic Broadcasting Policy, Public Notice CRTC 1999-117, 16 July 1999, and section 7(4) of Radio Regulations, 1986.

• amount of ethnic programming (as a percentage of the total weekly programming);^{Footnote 6}
• amount of third-language programming (as a percentage of total weekly programming);^{Footnote 7} and
• how the station will serve various groups and the number of languages in which programming will be provided.

Commitments as conditions of service

Applicants are also required to provide their views on the possibility of the Commission imposing any or all of the above commitments as conditions of service.

Technical information

Applicants are required to provide the following information:

• the technical parameters and appendices identified in the application form for each of the frequencies that the applicant is requesting that the Commission consider;
• proof that technical documents have been submitted for consideration by the Department of Industry (also known as Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) for each of the frequencies that the applicant is requesting that the Commission consider; and
• service contour maps and population estimates as described in Service Contour Maps and Population Estimates.

Financial information

Applicants must provide:

• projected revenues and allocation of expenses, particularly with respect to programming and marketing;
• potential sources of revenue (including advertising and all sources of grants and other contributions) to justify the revenue projections made in the application;
• where an applicant has identified alternative frequencies, the applicant should indicate the impact of their use on the communities it intends to serve; and
• any market study that was commissioned.

Ownership information

Directors and officers, and corporate documents

All information requested in section 2 of the application form must be provided. This includes the identification, in Table 2.1 of the application form, of the chief executive officer or the person performing functions that are similar to the functions performed by a chief executive officer, and the citizenship and complete home address (post office boxes will not be accepted) of each individual. For campus radio only: Applicants must also identify which of the four groups described in Table 2.2 each director represents.

• A copy of all of the applicant’s constituting documents (e.g., letters patent, certificate and articles of incorporation or amendment, by-laws) must be filed with the application.
• If the corporation is not yet incorporated, a list of proposed directors and officers, as well as draft documents, must be provided.

Appendix 3 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-339

Requirements for new Indigenous radio licences

Applicants for a licence to operate an Indigenous (Type B Native)^{Footnote 8} radio station should provide the information set out below so that the Commission may evaluate the application in light of Native Broadcasting Policy, Public Notice CRTC 1990-89, 20 September 1990.

Indigenous community support

• submissions on the need for an Indigenous radio station in the market to be served, including evidence of community support for the proposed station; and
• a description of the communities that the station will serve.

Programming information

Musical content

• Canadian content commitments for category 2 music, as well as for category 3 music, if applicable;
• percentage of category 3 music, if applicable; and
• percentage of French-language vocal music, if applicable.

Indigenous talent development

• Percentage of music that will be performed or composed by Indigenous talent.

Programming orientation

• local programming commitments, including the amount of spoken word material of direct and particular relevance to the community;
• Indigenous languages to be offered and the amount of programming in each language expressed in hours per week; and
• a description of how the proposed service would address the specific needs and concerns of the Indigenous population in its proposed service area as well as the efforts the station will make to strengthen culture and preserve Indigenous ancestral language.

Commitments as conditions of service

Applicants are also required to provide their views on the possibility of the Commission imposing any or all of the above commitments as conditions of service.

Technical information

Applicants are required to provide the following information:

• the technical parameters and appendices identified in the application form for each of the frequencies that the applicant is requesting that the Commission consider;
• proof that technical documents have been submitted for consideration by the Department of Industry (also known as Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) for each of the frequencies that the applicant is requesting that the Commission consider; and
• service contour maps and population estimates as described in Service Contour Maps and Population Estimates.

Financial information

Applicants must provide:

• projected revenues and allocation of expenses, particularly with respect to programming and marketing;
• potential sources of revenue (including advertising and all sources of grants and other contributions) to justify the revenue projections made in the application;
• where an applicant identified alternative frequencies, the applicant should indicate the impact of their use on the communities it intends to serve; and
• any market study that was commissioned.

Ownership information

• All information requested in sections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 of the application form must be provided. This includes identifying in Table 2.1 of the application form the chief executive officer or the person performing functions that are similar to the functions performed by a chief executive officer, and the citizenship and complete home address (post office boxes will not be accepted) of each individual.
• A copy of all of the applicant’s constituting documents (e.g., letters patent, certificate and articles of incorporation or amendment, by-laws) must be filed with the application.
• If the corporation is not yet incorporated, a list of proposed directors and officers, as well as draft documents, must be provided.

Appendix 4 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-339

Application for a technical amendment

Applicants wishing to file a technical amendment application as part of this call must complete the form titled “Form 303 – Technical amendment to a broadcasting licence for an analog radio (Including a new transmitter)”. All of the information required in this form must be included.

Applicants are required to provide service contour maps and population estimates as described in Service Contour Maps and Population Estimates.

Date modified:

2025-12-12