tranquileye free media papers

This CRTC public notice detail's the Commission's 2000 policy on community-based campus radio.

Introduction: This document sets out the Commission’s revised policy for campus radio broadcasting, concluding the review announced in Public Notice CRTC 1997-105. The policy it replaces has been effect since 1992 (Public Notice CRTC 1992-38). The revised policy set out in this document provides more flexibility to campus radio stations by streamlining the various regulatory and administrative requirements to which they are subject. In developing the revised policy, the Commission has considered the written comments submitted with respect to its proposed new policy for campus radio contained in Public Notice CRTC 1999-30... Section 3(1)(b) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act) provides for a Canadian broadcasting system composed of public, private and community elements. Campus radio stations are an important element of the Canadian broadcasting system. The primary purpose of such stations is to offer programming that is different in style and substance from the programming offered by other types of radio stations... Campus radio stations are not-for-profit undertakings associated with institutions of post-secondary education. Campus radio stations rely almost exclusively on volunteers from the campus, and from the community at large, for their programming and operation. For the purpose of the policy, the term "volunteers" includes students.

March 15, 2006. This is the submission from the National Campus and Community Radio Association in response to CRTC Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2006-1, Call for comments on Commercial Radio Review. It includes a formal proposal for the creation of a The Community Radio Fund of Canada in partnership with Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada (ARC du Canada) and Association des radiodiffuseurs communautaires du Québec (ARCQ).

A number of people have written to me over the past few weeks about a post on Tod Maffin`s I Love Radio blog about the new Concordia campus station, CJLO-AM. It seems Tod, whose reports and comments I generally think are great, has seriously misinterpreted the CRTC decision licensing CJLO.

1994. CRTC Decision 94-774, Bayview Avenue Non-profit Student Radio Ltd., North York, Ontario - 932267800: new campus/community FM station - denied.

November 4th 2004. National Campus and Community Radio Association presentation to the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission in response to Broadcasting Notice of Public Hearing CRTC 2004-6.

September 2004 submission to CRTC concerning subscription radio applications.

Introduction: We believe that satellite radio may represent the single greatest threat to the relevance and vitality of campus and community radio since the creation of the sector some thirty years ago. Not only will the proposed services, if accepted, have a negative economic impact on campus and community radio in Canada, they fail to incorporate any aspect of community media, and their approach to Canadian Content runs contrary to thirty years of Canadian radio policy.

New media collapse space and time, and what is in danger of being lost is the local... Satellite radio and Internet audio are wonderful at serving specialized, yet geographically distributed audiences, but they fail when it comes to supporting local communities. As we move to more national and international services, the local is in danger of being further marginalized... We believe that community radio is the most effective means by which the local can be nurtured in Canadian broadcasting. We are inexpensive – the average revenue of our member stations is less than $120 000 – and unlike commercial and public broadcasters our focus is always clearly on the local community...
We urge the Commission to link the creation and expansion of new national audio services with support for local, community broadcasters through a Canadian Community Radio Fund.

Submission from Caroline Côté, Iain Cook, and John Harris Stevenson on Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2004-6.

"We believe that satellite radio may represent the single greatest threat to the relevance and vitality of campus and community radio since the creation of the sector some thirty years ago. Not only will the proposed services, if accepted, have a negative economic impact on campus and community radio in Canada, they fail to incorporate any aspect of community media, and their approach to Canadian Content runs contrary to thirty years of Canadian radio policy."

A brief report detailing the efforts of the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA/ANREC) to the lobby the Ontario government to provide funding for community and student radio stations in the province in 1988 and 1989.

6 July 1990

Dear NCRA member:

The national conference is fast approaching, and I thought I would take this opportunity to present a brief report of what's gone on in the association over the past year. As this will most likely be my last year as NCRA president, I also thought I'd make some general comments about my experience with the association and where we might be going.

I think it's fair to say that this past year was one of both frustration and encouragement. First, the encouragement part.

Thanks to the efforts of the record service committee and our members commitment to the national boycott, PolyGram Records dropped its service fees to NCRA members, and the struggle received a far bit of national press.

After some delay, Carl Jorgenson of CFLR and the folks at CITR-FM in Vancouver took over the production of the national newsletter.

SOCAN, the new body formed to handle music copyright fees, announced that they will be in future monitoring campus radio stations.

Chris Migone resigned as editor of the national chart after two years of excellent work. Ed Skira and David Akerman, both of CHRY, are now handling the chart, and the publication has been expanding.

In November, we began work on creating a charitable organization which will take on support projects which are charitable in nature, such as training. We planned the organization from the start to be exclusively charitable, and it will not be incorporated until our activities and objectives are given prior approval by Revenue Canada. So far, our objects have been approved by Revenue Canada, and we're waiting to hear back about our proposed activities.

In the fall I met with the outgoing president of the Canadian University Press. She offered the NCRA shared office space in CUP's Ottawa office, as well as possible other support such as use of CUP's charitable foundation. In January, I attended a regular meeting of CUP's advertising wing, Campus Plus. We discussed the possibility of Campus Plus servicing NCRA members. However, Campus Plus decided to take no action at this point, but to study the matter further.

In March, I travelled to Ottawa for a week of lobbying and meetings. I met with representatives of the Department of Communications concerning possible funding for association activities, as well as the CRTC and the CAB.

For the first time in five years, the NCRA made an appearance before the CRTC to speak about the review of FM radio policy. The text of the presentation is available. The reaction of the commission, particularly the new chair Keith Spicer, was very positive. A review of student radio policy will be taking place in the near future. As well, Spicer invited the association to participate in the commission's strategic planning process.

Now, the frustration part.

Much of the time of the members of the board was taken up this year with managing the transition from the Montreal national office to a more decentralized system as accepted at the last conference. It was not, however, a smooth transition.

The move of the office material, the change of bank, and so on, were to have taken place quite soon after the conference. However, our repeated requests to the former national coordinator Martha-Marie Kleinhans to transfer funds to our account in Guelph, and forward to us all of the association files, fell on deaf ears. Treasurer John Matthews wished to complete a financial report for the board immediately, but financial records were not forthcoming.

In October, the former national coordinator notified me that she would be leaving the country for several months, and that she was giving up her responsibility for the VIA Rail account, which she claimed to have invoiced for. In November, Matthews and national chart editor Chris Migone took advantage of her absence to secure the remainder of the national office material, as well as the financial records. A check of those records by myself and Matthews indicated that $1200 in association funds had been diverted for the former national coordinator's own use. Matthews and I then went about the task of winding down office activities in Montréal, informing creditors of the change in status.

Upon the former national coordinator's return to Canada, I contacted her requesting return of the money which she had taken without board authorization. After some delay, the full amount of the money was returned. At the winter NCRA board meeting, we requested the former national coordinator's resignation from the the board, she offered it, and it was accepted. Nadine Glenineau was selected to replace her as a Québec rep until elections could be held at the national conference.

What the former national coordinator left behind, in addition to a number of unpaid bills, was the matter of the VIA Rail advertising account. The national coordinator indicated that Media Canada, the ad agency involved, had been invoiced. It took several weeks of effort to determine which stations were owed what amount. Finally, association secretary Monique Lanoix invoiced Media Canada.

The selected host for NCRC 90, CJAM-FM in Windsor, was forced to drop the conference after the student union at the University of Windsor reorganized the station and eliminated a number of part-time positions. CJSR-FM in Calgary was selected by the board to host the conference this year.

That's it. In many ways, it was a very draining year for the NCRA board and volunteers.

After two years as NCRA president, I can truthfully say that I think there is little more we can do in the area of association development without more extensive and focused work. There are a far number of funding sources out there, but all require a level of sustained work which I don't think our current level of organization can manage. I have been encouraged by the glimpses I have seen of support from both the public and private sector, but until we exploit them, they remain unrealized opportunities.

For this reason, I prepared a written proposal which details how we could create and fund an association office in Ottawa with only a modest increase in membership fees. I am presenting this proposal to the board on July 9th and to you now to serve as a basis for discussion about the future of the organization at NCRC. Please read it over and give the topic some thought. You should treat it like Miles Davis says he treats food and music: take what like want and leave the rest.

See you in Calgary,

John Stevenson
President