Speech
Opening remarks
by Stuart Langford
National Commissioner
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
at the public hearing in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
October 3rd, 2005
(CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY)
Good day ladies and gentlemen and welcome to this public hearing.
My name is Stuart Langford, and I am a National Commissioner of the CRTC. I will be chairing this hearing, and will be joined on the panel by my colleagues Elizabeth Duncan, Regional Commissioner for Atlantic; Barbara Cram, Regional Commissioner for Manitoba and Saskatchewan; Andrée Noël, Regional Commissioner for Quebec; and Rita Cugini, Regional Commissioner for Ontario.
The Commission team assisting us includes Hearing Manager Joe Aguiar, Manager of Broadcasting Analysis; Legal Counsel Anne-Marie Murphy; and Chantal Boulet, Hearing Secretary. Please speak with Ms. Boulet if you have any questions with regard to hearing procedures.
Radio applications
At this hearing, we will be reviewing four applications to operate a new English-language FM radio station in the Charlottetown market, including two applications to convert radio stations CFCY and CHTN from the AM band to the FM band. We will then study four other applications to operate an FM radio station in New Glasgow, including an application to convert radio station CKEC to the FM band.
The applications
For the Charlottetown market, we will first hear two applications presented by Newcap Inc. Next, we will study the applications from Maritime Broadcasting System Ltd. and Coast Broadcasting Ltd., which are competing for use of the 95.1 MHz frequency.
For the New Glasgow market, we will begin with the application from Astral Media Radio Atlantic Inc. followed by those of Atlantic Broadcasters Ltd. and Acadia Broadcasting Ltd., finishing up with the application from Hector Broadcasting Company Ltd. The four applications are technically competing for the 94.1 MHz frequency.
The panel will study the proposals to operate a new FM station in light of the cultural, economic and social objectives defined in the Broadcasting Act and the regulations flowing from it.
The panel will consider several criteria, including the level of competition and the diversity of voices in the market, as well as the quality of the applications. It will also look at the capacity of the market to support new radio stations, the financial resources of each applicant, and proposed initiatives for the development of Canadian talent.
Process
We expect the hearing to take three days. We will begin each morning at 9:30, and wind up each afternoon around 6:00. We will let you know of any schedule changes that may occur.
When you are in the hearing room, we would ask you to please turn off your cell phones and beepers as they are an unwelcome distraction for participants and Commissioners. We would appreciate your cooperation in this regard throughout the hearing.
I will now ask the Secretary, Ms. Chantal Boulet, to explain the procedures we will be following. Ms. Boulet …
- 30 -
Media Relations:
MediaRelations@crtc.gc.ca, Tel: (819) 997-9403, Fax: (819) 997-4245
General Inquiries:
Tel: (819) 997-0313, TDD: (819) 994-0423, Fax: (819) 994-0218
Toll-free # 1-877-249-CRTC (2782), eMail: info@crtc.gc.ca
TDD - Toll-free # 1-877-909-2782
This document is available in alternative format upon request.
Date Modified: 2005-10-03
|
