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Route reference: Part 1 application posted on 18 April 2011
Ottawa, 28 September 2011
Trust Communications Ministries
Owen Sound, Ontario
Application 2011-0634-4
The Commission denies an application by Trust Communications Ministries to change the authorized contours of its transmitter CJLF-FM-1 Owen Sound.
1. The Commission received an application by Trust Communications Ministries (Trust) relating to the broadcasting licence for the English-language specialty radio programming undertaking CJLF-FM Barrie in order to change the authorized contours of its transmitter CJLF-FM-1 Owen Sound by increasing the effective radiated power (ERP) from 75 watts to 780 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 79 metres). All other technical parameters would remain unchanged.
2. The applicant stated that the technical change would improve the signal’s strength and quality for the City of Owen Sound.
3. The Commission received an intervention in opposition to the application from Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation, to which the applicant replied. The public record for this proceeding can be found on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca under “Public proceedings.”
4. After examining the public record for this proceeding in light of applicable regulations and policies, the Commission considers that the issue it must address is whether the applicant has demonstrated an economic or technical need for the change.
5. When a licensee files an application to change its authorized technical parameters, the Commission expects that it should present compelling economic or technical evidence that its existing technical parameters are not adequate to provide the service as originally proposed.
6. In regard to demonstrating economic need, the applicant indicated in its application that if the proposed technical parameters were approved, the improved signal quality may result in some incremental benefit to its ability to generate listener donations and advertising in the Owen Sound market. In this respect, the Commission notes that only a very modest proportion of the applicant’s total revenues currently come from the Owen Sound market and therefore considers that there is no compelling economic need to support the proposed change.
7. In regard to demonstrating a technical need, the Commission notes that the applicant did not submit realistic maps or measurements. Further, the complaint letters that the applicant submitted with its application were in fact support letters and did not address interference or reception issues in the station’s licensed area. Consequently, the Commission determines that Trust did not provide sufficient evidence of a technical need for the proposed change.
8. In light of all of the above, the Commission denies the application by Trust Communications Ministries to change the authorized contours of the transmitter CJLF-FM-1 Owen Sound by increasing the ERP from 75 watts to 780 watts.
Secretary General
