55 lines
2.6 KiB
Plaintext
55 lines
2.6 KiB
Plaintext
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Subject: NEW CANADIAN LOW POWER LICENSING POLICY
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[Note: This was received by the moderator of rec.radio.broadcasting and was
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felt to be of sufficient intereste to cross-post. Bill]
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[In Canada] Non-profit broadcasters have gained an advantage
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when applying for Low Power radio allotments in congested areas with a
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new CRTC Policy announced last summer.
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Public Notice 1993-95, entitled "A Licensing Policy for Low Power
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Radio Broadcasting" establishes guidelines for the allotment of
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unprotected allotments of less than 50 watts ERP. This policy does not
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affect licensees or applications for protected class allotments of greater
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than 50 watts.
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The Comission initiated a review of Low Power policies in 1991 in
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response to the growing requests for LP frequencies, especially for non-
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conventional services in congested areas. The NCRA's comments to the
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Commission calling for preferential treatment for conventional non-profit
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services and severe limits on non-conventional services was well
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reflected in the new policies.
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The notice establishes two tiers of priority services for low power
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frequncies in congested areas. This means that some types of services
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will have priority over others when the commission makes licensing
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decisions. The Commission notes congested areas to currently include the
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Montreal area, Southern Ontario and the lower mainland / Island of British
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Columbia.
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The new heirarchy of service places conventional not for profit radio
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services (community, campus, native, etc.) at the top of the first tier,
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followed by originating private broadcasters, local private rebroadcasters
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and distant rebroadcasters (including CBC rebroads). The second tier will
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include non-profit public information services (i.e. traffic/weather info
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services) and commercial announcement services (real estate / talking
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billboards).
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The Commission also established a policy of issuing a call for
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competiting applications upon receipt of any application for a low power
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drop in allotment in areas where frequencies are scarce. This will include
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applications from non-profit broadcasters. The commission noted that, in
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addition to the priority heirarchy, the duration of the proposed service,
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the proposed power and the availability of alternate delivery means may
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be used in assessing competing applications.
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The new policy also places a general requirement on all LP licensees
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to adhere to all existing policies for other services. However, the
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Commission notes that individual applications for exemptions
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from specific policies will be dealt with on a case by case basis.
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