Red Estatal de Medios Comunitarios

Ottawa, 29 May 1992
Public Notice CRTC 1992-38
POLICIES FOR COMMUNITY AND CAMPUS RADIO

In Public Notice CRTC 1991-118 the Commission requested comments on new policy proposals for campus and community radio. The proposed policy followed consultations between representatives of the Commission and various parties interested in that sector of the broadcasting system. This document includes a discussion of the points made in the 35 submissions received, and sets out the policies that the Commission has now adopted.

Although the Commission proposed separate policies for community radio and campus radio, there are many similarities between the two. As noted in some of the submissions, community and campus radio are important components of the private non-profit sector of Canadian broadcasting. These stations, along with other non-profit stations operated by native broadcasters, provincial educational station CKUA-FM in Alberta, and CJRT-FM Toronto, make up a third sector of Canadian radio broadcasting that provides to Canadians a style of radio that is an alternative to that available from the CBC or private commercial stations.

A COMMUNITY RADIO - 1.Definition
In its draft policy on community radio, the Commission proposed to retain the same definition it has used since the emergence of this type of broadcasting undertaking in the early 1970s. That definition is based on the principles of collective ownership, member access, and commitment to the community.

Comments received during the consultations and in the briefs indicated some differences of opinion on this definition. The Commission notes the views of certain parties that broadcasters should be allowed to determine how they will operate and what services they can offer to their particular audience. Others stated that the Commission should place more emphasis on the community aspect of community radio programming.

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Type A stations, which provide first service in one of the two official languages in a particular market; and Type B stations, which operate in competitive markets.
In Public Notice CRTC 1991-118, the Commission proposed to maintain the existing definition of "market", that being the geographical area:
(a)within the 5 millivolt-per- metre daytime official contour of an AM station; or
(b)within the 500 microvolt-per-metre official contour of an FM station.

The Commission also recognizes that first service (Type A) community stations have been pioneers in serving markets that were once considered unprofitable. Moreover, these stations continue to provide an essential service as agents of cultural and social development within the communities they serve. The Commission considers that the establishment of a new station in a market hitherto served exclusively by a community station should not automatically cause the community station to forfeit its Type A status. Accordingly, the Commission has amended, as follows, the definitions of the types of licence to allow Type A stations to retain their Type A status when one or more new stations are established in the same market: Type A

A community radio station is a Type A station if, when the licence is issued, no other AM or FM radio station is licensed to operate in the same language in all or any part of the same market.

If one or more stations are licensed to operate in the same language in all or any part of the same market at the time of the licence renewal, the station will retain its Type A status. In all other cases, including applications to increase power, the Commission will assess the application on its merits.

Type B
A community station is a Type B station if, when the licence is issued, at least one other AM or FM station is licensed to operate in the same language in all or any part of the same market.

For the purpose of determining whether a licence should be a Type A or Type B licence, the Commission proposed that existing campus radio stations would be counted as stations operating in a market, while CBC originating stations would not.

The Commission received only one brief opposing this proposal. The brief recommended that the presence of a campus radio station in a market not be considered in the determination as to which type of community licence should be issued. Despite this opposing view, the Commission is satisfied that this measure is appropriate and will further enhance diversity in the Canadian broadcasting system. Accordingly, the Commission has decided that the existence of campus radio stations in the same market will be considered in the determination as to whether to issue a Type A or Type B licence in the same market. CBC originating stations, however, will not be included in such determinations. 3.Role and Mandate

The Commission proposed to retain the six characteristics of community radio as set out in the existing policy.