FORT ERIE, Ont. — In an application posted Tuesday to the CRTC’s website, radio station owner Byrnes Communications is asking that a condition of licence, related to the broadcasting of local news content, be removed from the licence of its CFLZ FM station in Fort Erie, Ont.
Burlington, Ont.-based Byrnes Communications acquired CFLZ FM (along with CJED FM in Niagara Falls) from Vista Radio in February 2018, and “inherited a legacy Condition of Licence (COL) placed on CFLZ FM over a decade prior,” reads Byrnes’ supplementary brief to its application.
The COL in question (condition #3) states: “During each broadcast week, the licensee shall broadcast, at a minimum, three hours of news programming. Of this amount, a minimum of 30% (54 minutes) each week shall be devoted to local news of direct and particular relevance to Fort Erie and the Niagara region.”
In its application, Byrnes provides data showing CFLZ FM’s weekly total and local news hours during June and July 2020, indicating it exceeded its COL nearly every week, with the exception of the July 1 holiday week. Overall, Byrnes says it has met and exceeded its COL requirements during the almost 134 weeks it has operated CFLZ FM.
“However, under unique circumstances, such as statutory holidays (and more recently, occasionally under Covid-19) management has been unable to maintain a full complement of news staff to adequately complete the daily requirements necessary to achieve the weekly targets in the COL,” reads Byrnes’ supplementary brief.
“Therefore, BCI is requesting the removal of COL #3 to allow for more flexibility in programming local news, and to maintain regulatory parity with other regional radio services unencumbered by such a condition.”
Byrnes argues the COL is no longer necessary, as its CFLZ FM station (and others including CIHR FM in Woodstock, Ont.) has demonstrated a commitment to provide local news and information. The company points out CFLZ FM offers 67 minutes of traffic, 35 minutes of weather and 35 minutes of sports on a weekly basis, beyond the pure news content required in its condition of licence.
“BCI has proven its commitment to offering local programming to listeners in Fort Erie, and believes it has met and exceeded the requirements. This Condition is a long-term legacy placed upon a former owner with many compliance issues…It is no longer applicable to BCI in 2020,” the company says.
Interested parties have until December 17 to submit interventions.
