OTTAWA – After renewing the broadcasting licences of Rogers’ OMNI television stations for another six years, the CRTC has denied its request to broadcast ethnic programming during "peak" time, and to remove the conditions of licence relating to the overlap of programming between OMNI and Rogers’ Citytv stations.
The Commission did approve Rogers’ request to “harmonize” its requirement for Canadian programming across all of its multiethnic OMNI stations. It further agreed to amend the requirement of CJMT-TV Toronto (OMNI.2) for the provision of ethnic programming in order to harmonize it with the conditions of licence of the other OMNI stations, and will eliminate the restrictions on the broadcast of non-Canadian, non-ethnic programming during specific broadcast periods for both CJMT-TV and CFMT-TV Toronto (OMNI.1).
After a public hearing that began on April 27, 2009, the CRTC also approved Rogers’ request to harmonize the OMNI stations’ requirement to provide programming to a minimum of 20 distinct ethnic groups in a minimum of 20 distinct languages monthly.
Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2009-504 also agreed to an amendment that no more than 16% of the programming be in any one foreign language during each broadcast month. However, the Commission denied Rogers’ request to remove the restriction relating to the overlap of ethnic programs in a foreign language on CJMT-TV and CFMT-TV during the same broadcast year.
CHNM-DT Vancouver and its transmitter CHNM-DT-1 Victoria had its deadline to begin digital operation extended to August 31, 2011.
Lastly, due to “unresolved issues” with the filing of logs and records which raise “an apparent non-compliance situation” with the station CHNM-TV, the CRTC has asked Rogers to file detailed monthly programming reports in addition to its television logs for the next year.
