Fort Erie radio station must keep 3 hours of news per week: CRTC

The CRTC has denied Byrnes Communications Inc.’s request to amend its broadcasting licence so that its Fort Erie station is no longer bound to broadcast a minimum of three hours of news programming per week, of which 30 per cent (54 minutes) must be devoted to local news. The CRTC released its decision for the English-language commercial radio station CFLZ-FM in Fort Erie, Ont., on Tuesday. “The licensee stated that the challenges it faces in meeting the above-noted condition of licence arise during statutory holidays and other unique situations such as staff illnesses or a global pandemic,” the CRTC wrote in the decision. However, according to the regulator, as the “sole station licenced to serve Fort Erie, CFLZ-FM offers an independent news voice unique to the Fort Erie-Niagara market, distinct from other market competitors.” “Further, the amount of news required under the condition of licence is not high, and is a weekly, not a daily requirement, so it is possible for CFLZ-FM to broadcast a lower level of news on weekends and statutory holidays,” the decision continued. In relation to the COVID-19 concerns, the CRTC found that the pandemic has affected all licence holders “so it does not result in a competitive disadvantage.” The local news conditions were first imposed in 2005, when the CRTC renewed CFLZ-FM’s (then known as CKEY-FM) licence for a one-year term, when it was under the ownership of CJRN 710 Inc. According to the CRTC’s Tuesday decision, in 2005 “the commission was not satisfied with the level of local service provided to the Fort Erie-Niagara market” and required CJRN to “take immediate steps to enhance the news component of the station’s programming” by imposing the three hours of new programming per broadcast week requirement. In 2007 it added the 30 per cent local news requirement. “The station has subsequently experienced several ownership changes and the commission re-imposed the condition of licence with respect to news programming as part of each approval,” the CRTC wrote. This condition was also imposed in 2018 when the regulator approved Byrnes acquisition of CFLZ-FM (101.1 Juice FM) and 105.1 2day FM in Niagara Falls from Vista Radio Ltd. According to the CRTC, it received an intervention from Durham Radio Inc., opposing Brynes application, which argued that “if the application were approved, CFLZ-FM would not have a local presence in Fort Erie and would essentially become a repeater of Byrnes’ second station, CJED-FM Niagara Falls.” Byrnes responded that “ programming, format, and announce staff are different from each other and that it intends to maintain that business model,” according to the CRTC’s decision, adding that the conditions were “imposed punitively on a previous owner and argued that deletion of the condition of licence would allow it to operate on a level playing field with other licensees of radio stations in the Niagara region.” The CRTC did note in its decision that it “expects licensees of radio stations that were granted licences through a competitive process to maintain their original conditions of licence.” Although Byrnes is still in its first licence term under the current licensee, it is not in its first licence term of operation and has been compliant with its conditions, therefore, it has met the thresholds needed for considering the deletion of its condition of licence. However, because in 2018 the CRTC “relieved CFLZ-FM of the requirement to offer tangible benefits in light of the station’s financial situation” and because Byrnes made a commitment to invest in the station and develop local programming specifically targeted to Fort Erie, “the commission is of the view that the condition of licence remains appropriate,” it wrote in its decision. — Reporting by Jenna Cocullo at jcocullo@thewirereport.ca, and editing byMichael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca

Fort Erie radio station must keep 3 hours of news per week: CRTC

Broadcast | May 11, 2021

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Fort Erie radio station must keep 3 hours of news per week: CRTC

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