Brief
Industry Canada issued a statement on Friday about rule changes for radio broadcasters first reported by The Wire Report on Wednesday.
The amendments to the Radiocommunication Act did away with issuance and reinstatement fees for radio licences, and repealed separate ownership rules for radio broadcasters.
Now, the radio broadcasters only need to meet the ownership rules set out in the Telecommunications Act.
The CRTC is consulting on amending its rules to make it mandatory for the broadcasting industry to distribute emergency alert messages.
In a notice Thursday, the commission said the amendments would make distribution of emergency alert messages mandatory for radio and over-the-air television stations, video-on-demand services and broadcast distributors by Dec. 31.
The CRTC on Monday said it has approved the sale of a Saint John, N.B., radio station that will result in its format changing to Christian music.
The commission said in a decision that it approved the sale of CJRP-FM Saint John, and its transmitter station in Rothesay, N.B., to James Houssen from Pritchard Broadcasting Inc.
The CRTC is consulting on one application for a television station licence and seven applications for radio station licences, the commission said.
The CRTC said in a notice Monday it would consider an application for a national English-language specialty TV channel called Cycle TV, which would “offer programming devoted to the world of cycling and its associated activities.”
The CRTC is consulting on a targeted review of its commercial radio policies, the commission said.
In a notice Wednesday, the CRTC said it is consulting on its process for determining whether to call for competing applications after a company applies for an available radio licence, whether it needs to create a new “regional” advertising category, and the need for a regulatory framework to address HD radio technology.
The CRTC will hold a hearing in January in Surrey, B.C., to consider 16 radio licence applications, including 14 applications to launch a new Vancouver-area radio station, the commission said.
In a notice Tuesday, the broadcast and telecom regulator said it will consider at the Jan. 27 hearing ten competing applications to launch a new FM radio station in Surrey, B.C., at 107.7 MHz, as well as two competing applications to launch a new AM station in Vancouver at the 600 kHz frequency.
The CRTC approved an application by Bathurst Radio Inc. to operate an English-language, low-power community FM radio station in Bathurst, N.B.
In a decision Monday, the commission said the station would broadcast 116 hours of station-produced programming and 10 hours of syndicated programming each broadcast week.
The CRTC approved a CBC/Radio-Canada application for a new English-language FM radio station in Saskatoon.
In a decision Monday, the commission said the station will replace the rebroadcasting transmitter CBK-1-FM Saskatoon.
“The station will continue to broadcast programming received from the CBC’s national Radio One network, but will also broadcast at least 12 hours and 30 minutes of local programming to Saskatoon residents in each broadcast week,” the CRTC said.
The CRTC is consulting on a radio licence renewal by Faithway Communications Inc. for its Fredericton, N.B. Christian music radio station.
The regulator said in a notice Friday that the company applied to change the frequency of CJRI-FM Fredericton, which would change “the operating class of CJRI-FM from that of an unprotected low-power service to that of a protected Class A service.”
The CRTC said Faithway may have failed to comply with six conditions of its licence.
The CRTC finalized changes to Canadian content development rules for radio, exempting commercial and ethnic radio stations with less than $1.25 million in revenues from making Cancon contributions.
The regulator issued a consultation on the proposed change in June, and on Friday issued a decision saying the exemption came into effect Sept. 1.
The CRTC approved an application by non-profit group Lillooet Camelsfoot T.V. and Radio Association to acquire local community station CHLS-FM from the Radio Lillooet Society in Lillooet, B.C.
The commission said in a decision Friday that it also granted the association a short-term broadcast licence to continue operating the station, which will expire on Aug. 31, 2018.
The CRTC denied an application by Newcap Inc. to move CKKO-FM Kelowna’s transmitter onto a mountain and change its transmitter class, the commission said in a decision Friday.
Newcap had applied to move the transmitter of the English-language commercial radio station to the top of Okanagan Mountain and change “its transmitter class from B to C and its average effective radiated power (ERP) from 10,000 to 6,300 watts,” the decision said.
The CRTC is consulting on licence renewals for 68 commercial, ethnic and religious radio stations.
The commission said in a notice of consultation Thursday that it is consulting on 49 commercial, ethnic and religious radio stations that are in compliance with their regulatory requirements. The deadline for interventions is July 29, the CRTC said.
The CRTC said it approved a Newcap Inc. application to launch an English-language, adult contemporary radio station in Clarenville, N.L.
In a decision Friday, the CRTC said the station, if launched, could operate at 97.1 MHz on the FM dial.
“The station would offer a Hot Adult Contemporary music format targeting listeners between the ages of 25 and 54, slightly skewed towards women,” the CRTC said.
Newfoundland Capital Corp. Ltd.’s Newcap Inc. subsidiary is no longer considering a sale of its Alberta broadcast division after failing to reach a deal for the radio services, the company said.
Newcap said in January that it would consider selling its Western Canada broadcasting assets, which include 32 radio stations, six repeater licences and two television stations, primarily in Alberta.
The CRTC is consulting on licence renewals by two FM radio station stations that asked to change their licence conditions, the commission said.
In a notice Monday, the CRTC said Canadian Hellenic Cable Radio Ltd. has asked for the commission’s permission to reduce its commitment to ethnic and third language programming as part of its application to renew the licence of its CKDG-FM Montreal station.
The CRTC approved an application from Golden West Broadcasting Ltd. to change the format of CFEQ-FM Winnipeg from Christian programming to classical music.
In a decision Monday, the commission said Golden West submitted the new music format would target listeners of age 45 years and older.
The CRTC approved a new developmental French-language FM radio station in Val-des-Lacs, Que.
In a decision Monday, the CRTC said it approved Radio Vallacquoise Inc.'s application to operate a low-power developmental community station on at 106.5 MHz that would provide volunteers with training and help them acquire skills.
The CRTC said it approved a licence application from Fabrique de la Paroisse de Saint-Gérard to operate a French-language religious FM radio station in Weedon, Que.
In a decision Friday, the commission said the new station would operated on the 98.5 MHz FM frequency and broadcast masses, weddings, funerals, baptisms and “other religious celebrations.”
The licence expires Aug. 31, 2019, the CRTC said.
The CRTC approved an application from numbered company 7954689 Canada Inc., registered as Tietolman Terault Pancholy Media, to operate an English-language commercial AM radio station in Montreal.
In the decision Friday, the CRTC said the proposed station would operate at the 600 kHz frequency with a transmitter power of 10,000 watts during the day and 5,000 watts at night.
The CRTC did not renew the licence for CJRN Niagara Falls, operating at 710 AM, due to non-compliance issues, the commission said Wednesday.
In its decision, the CRTC said it found the station, owned by Radio 710 AM Inc., non-compliant with its licence because it broadcast news, sports updates and promotions when it was licensed to broadcast pre-recorded tourist information.
The CRTC has approved an application by My Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) to operate a commercial FM radio station in Alliston, Ont., the commission said Wednesday.
In its decision, the commission said the new English-language FM station, which would operate at 92.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 1,986 watts, will feature an adult contemporary music format and broadcast 124 hours of local programming per week.
The CRTC has awarded a coveted Toronto FM radio slot to independent broadcaster Rock 95 Broadcasting Ltd. to offer an “indie-rock” music station that will target the city’s young adults, the commission said Tuesday.
In its decision, the commission said the new station—which would operate on the now-vacant FM slot at 88.1 MHz—will be required to ensure that at least 40 per cent of the music it plays each week comes from Canadian artists.
The CRTC issued five notices of consultation calling for comments on 123 radio licence renewal applications.
In one notice, the commission said it is taking comments on applications to renew and amend eight radio station licences.
The CRTC approved an application Thursday from the Cowichan Valley Community Radio Society to operate a low-power FM community radio station in British Columbia.
In the decision, the CRTC said the low-power station would operate at 97.5 FM with an effective radiated power of 50 watts.
The CRTC rejected proposed codes of conduct and guidelines from the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA).
In a decision Thursday, the commission said it rejected the proposed codes of conduct because they included “insufficient detail to provide appropriate guidance on matters of high standard.”