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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2006-36
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Ottawa, 9 February 2006 |
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Radio de la Baie ltée
Bathurst/Caraquet, New Brunswick |
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Application 2004-0698-5
Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2005-40
29 April 2005 |
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CKLE-FM Bathurst/Caraquet – Licence amendment
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The Commission approves an
application to amend the broadcasting licence for the commercial
French-language radio station CKLE-FM Bathurst/Caraquet, in order to
authorize the licensee to broadcast a maximum of one hour and 30 minutes
of English-language programming in each week. |
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The application
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1. |
The Commission received an application by
Radio de la Baie ltée (Radio de la Baie) to amend the broadcasting
licence for the commercial French-language radio programming undertaking
CKLE-FM Bathurst/Caraquet, in order to authorize the licensee to
broadcast a maximum of one hour and 30 minutes of English-language
programming in each week. |
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2. |
According to the licensee, this amendment
would provide Bathurst’s English-speaking listeners with better
information on the activities taking place in the Bathurst region. |
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3. |
The English-language programming would
consist of tourist information, promotions, contests and some musical
selections in English and French. The licensee confirmed that it would
not broadcast English-language commercial messages. |
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4. |
The licensee submitted that approval of this
application would allow CKLE-FM to better compete with CKBC-FM Bathurst,
the only commercial English-language radio station operating in the
bilingual Bathurst market. CKBC-FM is owned by Astral Media Radio
Atlantic Inc. (Astral) and also broadcasts some French-language programming.
In CKBC Bathurst – conversion to FM band, Broadcasting Decision
CRTC 2003-572, 14 November
2003, the Commission indicated that Astral would continue to broadcast
French-language programming up to a weekly maximum of 9 hours and
reaffirmed that the licensee’s primary responsibility is to serve
Bathurst’s English-speaking listeners. |
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Background
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5. |
In Radio de la Baie ltée Bathurst and
Dalhousie/Campbellton, New Brunswick, Decision CRTC 87-576,
20 July 1987, the Commission issued a broadcasting licence to Radio
de la Baie to operate CKLE-FM Bathurst, a commercial French-language
radio station. In that decision, the Commission stated that it had
assessed the application in the context of its long-standing efforts
to improve broadcasting service in the Baie des Chaleurs region and
in northeastern New Brunswick and that it had also taken into account
the large number of interventions submitted in support of improving
French-language radio services in this region. |
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6. |
In a letter dated 12 June 2000, the
Commission authorized Radio de la Baie to broadcast, on CKLE-FM
Bathurst, some information in English pertaining to the Acadie-Bathurst
Titan hockey games of the Quebec Junior Major Hockey League team. This
information was to be limited to reporting the names of players who
scored goals and those players who assisted them as well as providing a
short summary before the game and after each period for a maximum of 10
minutes in each game. However, the licensee was not authorized to
broadcast English-language advertising. |
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Intervention
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7. |
Astral filed an intervention in opposition
to the present application. Astral noted that approval of this
application would not be consistent with Radio de la Baie’s mandate to
serve French-speaking residents in northern New Brunswick. In addition,
according to Astral, the proposed amendment would be detrimental to
Bathurst’s French-speaking residents because both local radio stations
in this small market would serve English-speaking residents. Lastly,
Astral contended that it would be more appropriate to study the issue of
bilingual programming during the next review of the commercial radio
policy. |
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8. |
The licensee did not reply to the
intervention. |
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Commission’s analysis and determination
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9. |
The Commission recognizes the linguistic
diversity of the Bathurst market. In the Commission’s view, approval of
Radio de la Baie’s request to broadcast a maximum of one hour and 30
minutes of English-language programming in each week will allow CKLE-FM
to better compete with CKBC-FM and will benefit Bathurst’s
English-speaking residents by providing them with an additional source
of information. |
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10. |
Furthermore, the Commission is satisfied
that approval of this application will allow a degree of programming
balance to be achieved between the two licensees operating in this
market. |
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11. |
The Commission notes that, based on
financial data for broadcast years 2002-2003 and 2003-2004, CKLE-FM and
CKBC-FM are both profitable. The Commission is of the opinion that the
potential for a negative financial impact on CKBC-FM will be minimized
because CKLE-FM is not authorized to broadcast English-language
commercial messages. |
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12. |
In light of the above, the Commission
approves the application by Radio de la Baie ltée to amend the
broadcasting licence for the radio programming undertaking CKLE-FM
Bathurst/Caraquet, in order to authorize the licensee to broadcast a
maximum of one hour and 30 minutes of English-language programming in
each week. |
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Secretary General |
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This decision is to be appended to each
licence. It is available in alternative format upon request, and may
also be examined in PDF format or in HTML
at the following Internet site: http://www.crtc.gc.ca.
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