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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2026-133

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Reference: Part 1 application posted on 19 February 2026

Gatineau, 11 June 2026

Le son du 49e
Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Quebec

Public record: 2025-0128-8

CKCJ-FM Lebel-sur-Quévillon – Technical amendments

  1. The Commission has the authority, pursuant to subsection 9(1) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), to issue licences for the carrying on of broadcasting undertakings and to amend those licences.
  2. Consistent with this authority, the Commission approves the application by Le son du 49e to amend the technical parameters of the low-power, French-language community FM radio programming undertaking CKCJ-FM Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Quebec. Specifically, Le son du 49e proposed to move the transmitter from low power to regular power (class A1), to increase the effective radiated power (ERP) from 50 to 195 watts, and to amend the coordinates of the transmitter. All other technical parameters will remain unchanged.
  3. The Commission did not receive any interventions in regard to this application.
  4. In Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2014-554, the Commission determined that licensees of low-power radio stations must apply for new licences to move from low power to full power with protected status. Footnote 1 Since then, the Commission has simplified this process by determining, in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2025-265 (the Policy), that, going forward, licensees of low-power unprotected stations seeking to move to full power with protected status will do so by filing a Part 1 application. As such, the Commission will adopt the general practice of assessing such applications as requests for licence amendments, similar to the process for applying for technical amendments or amendments to conditions of service. In the Policy, the Commission also noted that this process will provide the public and incumbents with an opportunity to comment on the proposed amendment, and that in the case of frequency scarcity, the Commission will continue to conduct a market capacity assessment.
  5. Given that the licensee would retain the 97.9 MHz frequency, its use would not affect the availability of frequencies in this market. Therefore, the Commission considers that this application may be dealt with as a Part 1 application.
  6. When a licensee files an application for technical amendments, the Commission generally requires the licensee to present compelling technical or economic evidence justifying the requested amendments. The Commission may, as an exception to this general approach, approve applications that do not present a compelling technical or economic need, but where approval is warranted by the particular circumstances of the licensee.
  7. In this case, Le son du 49e indicated that it wishes to use the full capacity of its transmitter to increase the station’s coverage. It added that these technical amendments would allow it both to operate the station with a protected status and to offer a better-quality signal.
  8. The Commission notes that CKCJ-FM’s modified contours would be larger than its initially authorized coverage area. However, the population served in the primary contour would remain the same, and the increase in the secondary contour would be negligible. Further, the Commission notes that the proposed amendments would allow the station to better serve its audience, without allowing it to enter a new market.
  9. While the licensee has not demonstrated a technical or economic need, the Commission considers that the licensee has demonstrated that these amendments would serve the public interest and better meet the needs of the communities of Lebel-sur-Quévillon and the surrounding areas. Therefore, the Commission has no concerns regarding this application. On the contrary, approval of this application would serve the objectives of the Canadian broadcasting policy set out in subparagraphs 3(1)(i)(ii) and (iv) of the Act. Specifically, approval of this application would serve the objectives that emphasize the importance of the broadcast of community programming meeting the needs of the target community and the importance of the community element of the broadcasting system.
  10. Pursuant to subsection 22(1) of the Act, this authority will only be effective when the Department of Industry (also known as Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada) notifies the Commission that its technical requirements have been met and that a broadcasting certificate will be issued.
  11. The licensee must implement the technical amendments by no later than 11 June 2028. To request an extension, the licensee must submit a written request to the Commission at least 60 days before that date, using Form 300 available on the Commission’s website.
  12. As set out in section 16 of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations), licensees have obligations relating to the broadcast of emergency alert messages received from the National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System. The implementation of the technical amendments approved in this decision could result in changes to CKCJ-FM’s authorized contours. The Commission reminds the licensee that continued compliance with section 16 of the Regulations may require that any alert broadcast decoders (e.g., ENDEC) used for the purposes of broadcasting emergency alert messages on CKCJ-FM, or on any rebroadcasting transmitters that may appear on the broadcasting licence for that station, be reprogrammed to properly account for the new authorized contours.
  13. This decision is to be appended to the licence.

Secretary General

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