The following is taken from a submission made by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, to the CRTC, in advance of a regulatory review of campus and community radio. A link to the entire PDF document is provided at the foot of the text.
For the radio sector to turn the corner and grow advertising revenue again, it must be able not only to remain relevant to its listeners but also to grow its listenership in an environment where the Canadian consumer has access to a plethora of content choices through alternative delivery platforms.
To this end, the CAB notes that over the course of the last ten years (1998-2008), total listening hours tuned to Canadian radio music format stations have declined by a fifth (20 %), despite the fact that the number of music stations licensed by the Commission has increased by more than 30 %. Over the same period, total listening hours tuned to Canadian talk radio format stations more than doubled (115 %). Yet, the significant increase of tuning to Canadian talk radio stations did not offset losses of tuning to music radio stations. As a result, between 1998 and 2008, total hours tuned to Canadian radio decreased by five percent (5 %).
It is therefore against this backdrop that the CAB is intervening in the context of the current proceeding. As stated at the outset of this submission, the CAB will limit its comments and recommendations to: (i) the role of community/campus radio in the broadcasting system; (ii) licensing mechanisms for community/campus stations; (iii) approaches to funding; and (iv) spectrum issues. As an outcome of the current proceeding the CAB makes the following recommendations:
that the Commission eliminate the distinction both between the types of community stations and campus stations, as well as the distinction between campus stations and community stations creating one not-for-profit class of licence to be governed by one policy and regulatory framework.
That policy must ensure that the not-for-profit radio sector remains community focused and complementary to the other components in the system by setting out clear requirements with respect to programming diversity;
that the Commission exempt elementary or high school based stations from licensing provided that there are at least three FM frequencies available in their market unless it is proposed to use an AM frequency in which case there would not be spectrum restrictions;
that the Commission maintain its current policy which authorizes private radio stations to direct their CCD contribution, on a voluntary basis to the Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC). However the policy should also recognize as eligible CCD funding provided by private radio stations in support of individual campus/community radio
stations operating in their local market, irrespective of the use of that support by campus or community radio stations;
that the Commission refrain from establishing any new financial requirements on the private radio sector in regards of the funding of not-for-profit stations; and
that, in accordance with its jurisdiction, the Commission refrain from setting aside spectrum for the expansion of the campus/community radio sector.
