Opening remarks
by Barbara Cram
Regional Commissioner for Manitoba and Saskatchewan
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
At the public hearing
Winnipeg, Manitoba
February 4th, 2002
(CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY)
Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to this hearing during which we will
review applications for new FM radio services and for a religious television
service to serve the Winnipeg area.
My name is Barbara Cram. I am the Regional Commissioner for Manitoba and
Saskatchewan. It is a pleasure to be here with you today in this city. The
Commission does not often get to have hearings here as it does this week.
However, our CRTC representatives working in our Winnipeg regional office make
every effort to be available to you and to respond to your concerns. I know this
because, as Regional Commissioner for Manitoba and Saskatchewan, I work not only
at the office in Regina, Saskatchewan, but at the Winnipeg office as well.
With me on this panel are my colleagues and fellow Commissioners Ronald
Williams, Regional Commissioner for Alberta and the Northwest Territories, and
Commissioner Andrew Cardozo.
The CRTC team assisting us during this hearing consists of Joe Aguiar, Hearing
Manager, Steve Parker, Suzanne Saso, Diane Maisonneuve, Judy Henry, Peter
McCallum, Legal Counsel, and Gary Krushen, Director of the Winnipeg regional
office and Hearing Secretary. If you have any questions about the hearing, please
refer them to Mr. Krushen.
Evaluation of the radio FM applications
In order to evaluate the FM applications received, the Commission will examine
a number of different factors such as the contribution the proposed service will
make in achieving the objectives established in the Broadcasting Act , the
competitive state of the market, the quality of the applications received and
their implications with respect to the diversity of editorial voices and the
possible impact of a new entrant or entrants in the market.
The Commission will also look at the proposed services' expected audience, an
analysis of the markets involved, the potential advertising revenues, the
evidence regarding the availability of financial resources and the means by which
the applicant will promote the development of Canadian talent.
Radio FM background
On July 11, 2001, the Commission issued a call for applications for a
broadcasting licence to carry on a radio programming undertaking to serve
Winnipeg. In response to this call, the Commission received seven applications.
This hearing will examine these seven proposals.
Competitive applications
First, we will hear three competing applications for the use of the 99.1 MHz
frequency.
Rogers Broadcasting proposes to convert its station CKY from the AM band to
the FM band and to offer a Classic Hits service.
The second application we will hear is Corus Radio. The station's musical
format would be Oldies - Soft Adult Contemporary.
The third application was submitted by Global Communications, Global is not a
stranger to Winnipeg or the Canadian Broadcasting System. However, this
represents the company's first radio application in Canada. Global would offer a
specialized Smooth Jazz service.
Next, we will hear presentations from four applicants who wish to obtain FM
radio licences for various frequencies.
We will start with N.I.B. 95.5 Cable FM. N.I.B. proposes to operate a radio
station offering a Pop, Rock, Dance, Jazz and Blues music service. In a
subsequent Notice of Public Hearing and at the applicant's request, the frequency
has been changed from 106.3 to 107.9 MHz.
We will then hear from CKVN Radiolink System, who has applied for an FM radio
licence on the 100.7 frequency. CKVN would offer a specialized "easy listening"
music format radio station.
Next, HIS Broadcasting will present its application to operate a specialized
Christian music service on the 107.1 frequency.
Finally, we will hear the representatives from Red River College Radio, who
wish to obtain a licence for an instructional campus FM radio station. At the
applicant's request, the frequency has been changed from 90.5 to 92.9 MHz.
Trinity Television Inc.
The hearing will conclude with a presentation by Trinity Television. Trinity
has applied for a licence for a new religious over-the-air television station in
the Winnipeg market. Since mid-September of last year, the applicant has been
operating a similar station in Vancouver.
Trinity is well known in the field of religious programming. The proposed
station would offer mainly Christian programming, with 18 hours per week devoted
to programs designed to achieve a balance in the expression of different points
of view on religion. Canadian programming would total at least 80 hours per week.
Procedure
This hearing should last four days, beginning at 8:30 a.m. as of tomorrow and
ending between 5:00 p.m. and 6 p.m. each day. I will advise you of any changes to
the schedule.
When you are in the hearing room, we ask that you turn off your cellular
phones and pagers because they may distract the participants and Commission
members. We are counting on your cooperation in this matter for the length of the
hearing.
Before we begin, I will ask the Hearing Secretary, Mr. Gary Krushen, to
explain the procedures we will be following. Mr. Krushen.
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Contact: Denis Carmel, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2
Tel.: (819)
997-9403, TDD: (819) 994-0423, Fax: (819) 997-4245
e-Mail:
denis.carmel@crtc.gc.ca
Toll-free #
1-877-249-CRTC (2782)
TDD -
Toll-free # 1-877-909-2782
This document is available in alternative format upon request.
Date Modified: 2002-02-04 |
