Speech
Opening remarks
by Charles Dalfen
Chairman, Canadian Radio-television
and Telecommunications Commission
at the public hearing in Quebec City, Quebec
Quebec City, Quebec
March 20, 2006
(CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY)
Good morning ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to this public hearing.
My name is Charles Dalfen and I am the Chairman of the CRTC. I will be presiding over this hearing. Joining me on the panel are my colleagues, Michel Arpin, Vice-Chair of Broadcasting; Richard French, Vice-Chair of Telecommunications; Andrée Noël, Regional Commissioner for Quebec; and Joan Pennefather, National Commissioner.
The Commission team assisting us includes Robert Ramsay, Hearing Manager and Senior Director of Radio Policy and Analysis; Bernard Montigny, General Counsel, Broadcasting; Valérie Lagacé, Legal Counsel; as well as Chantal Boulet, Hearing Secretary. Please speak with Ms. Boulet if you have any questions with regard to hearing procedures.
At this hearing, we will be examining ten radio applications for the Quebec City market, including the application to renew the licence of CKNU-FM Donnacona. We will then review the application to renew the licence of radio station CJMS Saint-Constant, followed by that of CKOD-FM Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.
New radio applications
The panel will examine the applications to operate a radio station in the Quebec City market as well as the CKNU-FM licence renewal application in the order of items 1 to 6, 8 to 10, and 45 presented in Broadcasting Notice of Public Hearing CRTC 2006-2. Some of these applications will be competing technically for the use of the same frequencies in this market.
The panel will study the proposals in light of the cultural, economic and social objectives defined in the Broadcasting Act and the regulations flowing from it.
The panel will base its decision on several criteria, including the state of competition and the diversity of editorial voices in the market, as well as the quality of the applications. It will also look at the ability of the market to support new radio stations and proposed initiatives for the development of Canadian talent.
Renewal of CJMS
We will then look at the application to renew the licence of CJMS Saint-Constant. The panel will discuss with the licensee to determine whether it failed to comply with the Radio Regulations, 1986 and its conditions of licence.
Renewal of CKOD-FM
The panel will then examine the application to renew the licence of CKOD-FM Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. In its 10 February 2005 decision to renew this station’s licence, the Commission noted the non-compliance of the licensee, Radio Express Inc., with respect to the provision of annual reports and logger tapes, as well as contributions to Canadian talent development. A mandatory order was issued with respect to the submission of annual reports.
In the context of this hearing, the panel will be studying whether the licensee may have failed again to comply with the requirements regarding the submission of annual reports, the provision of logger tapes, the broadcasting of French-language vocal music, and the contributions to Canadian talent development. In addition, the licensee has not demonstrated that it has met its commitment with regard to the tangible benefits proposed following the change in the control of the licensee in September 1999. The panel intends to discuss appropriate corrective action with the applicant.
Process
I will now invite the Secretary, Ms. Chantal Boulet, to explain the procedures we will be following. Ms. Boulet …
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Date Modified: 2006-03-20
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