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Telex: 06 -23469 EDITORIAL A FULL ROLE FOR FM The public hearings of the Canadian Radio -Television Commission on its Proposal for an FM Policy in the Private Sector produced few surprises. As already reported in Broadcaster in September, the Canadian Association of Broad- casters' brief endorsed the CRTC proposal in principle - describing it as "realistic, constructive and right" - but voiced reservations about some specifics. For his part, Pierre Juneau allayed fears that rigid programming standards would be imposed without consideration of each station's circumstances. It is not the intention of the commission, he said, "to establish a pattern which all stations must follow ". There is really no reason to doubt the CRTC on this point, but it is difficult to quiet all fears when it is common knowledge that few FM stations are in the black now - and more in -depth programming for even more select audiences is going to be expensive. Only three independently -owned FM stations exist and this may soon drop to two: as the hearings were taking place in Ottawa, Radio CKRM Regina announced that it will seek approval to take over CFMQ -FM, that city's only FM station. The CRTC's original FM policy, last April, stated, "The commission realizes that cost benefits can be achieved through common ownership of AM and FM licences in the same community and will permit such arrangements provided its proposals are respected." Will permit. But now the commission is being a little more realistic: Juneau said at the hearings that it could well be made a condition of a very profitable AM licence that an unprofitable FM station also be operated. The CRTC wants private FM to be of high quality, it wants it to develop on "parallel" lines to the CBC's FM service. (Not identical, because the CBC must be national.) But, while the CBC gets public money, the commission is, in effect, asking broadcasters to subsidize themselves: out of one pocket into the other, which has a hole in it. Certainly the CRTC's objective of adding new dimensions to radio is laudable, but the policy must enable FM stations to exist and flourish throughout the nation, not merely subsist. That's unhealthy. A start in this direction would be to get away from the preoccupation that FM has to be a distinct, identifiable entity, bearing little resemblance to AM. Good radio is good radio. At the time the FM proposals were introduced, there was much speculation that AM was next in line - and there is no reason why some of the measures proposed for FM can not be applied to its older sister. FM should be thought of as being undeveloped, not different. There is no reason, either, to completely throw out present FM. If asked individually, most people admit that they enjoy FM because it is predominantly music. If it turns out that stations are required to cut their schedules into blocks of different types of music, with documentaries, dramas, interviews and the like interspersed, it could well become a case of trying to please everyone and, in reality, pleasing no one. Improvements must be made carefully, so that fears of FM becoming too dull, too intellectual and too talk -filled can find no substance. It is quite possible to have in -depth programs based on popular music - with background information, interviews, readings .... Some stations have already discovered this, much to their credit and benefit. The positive approach is that FM will become profitable as more stations offer expanded, in -depth programming - its very quantity should aid its discovery by listeners. However, it will, of course, be the quality that holds them. Above all, like AM, FM stations should be allowed to retain an overall, identifiable format. They would then have a saleable commodity to offer advertisers: a particular type of audience. FM is finally about to fulfill a meaningful role in Canadian broadcasting. It is right to set high standards. It is also right that private FM stations enjoy flexibility in meeting the needs of their communities. If FM is to be healthy, the CRTC must prescribe carefully. J BROADCASTER /November, 1973 3 Broadcaster Founded 1942 by Richard G. Lewis FEATURES The CBC's Expanding - With CRTC Editor: Doug Loney Priorities by Jack Miller Assistant Editor: Susan Pearce Long -delayed FM licences are reviving Radio One /Radio Two 10 Broadcast Research Consultant: Arnold Acton Production & Layout: Rose Armstrong CCBA Report Advertising: James A. Cook L'Allier & Carton, award winners, station promotion, computers 14 Circulation: Virginia Neale ACA Seminar BROADCASTER is published monthly What's Good for Manitoba Not by R. G. Lewis Company Limited, and 22 printed by Northern Miner Press Limited Bad For Agencies Juneau Asks Industry for Editorial and Business Office: 23 77 River Street, Constructive Criticism Toronto, Canada M5A 3P2 Telephone (416) 363 -6111 Telex 02 -2666 Western Representative: Frank G. Bowles DEPARTMENTS Broadcaster, Suite 402 - 1200 West Pender St., Vancouver 1, B.C., Telephone (604) 688 -9908 Editorial 3 President & Treasurer: G. A. Clark Newscast 6 People 8 Vice -President: S. T. Hilliard Cableline 17 Secretary: M. G. Meleski Transmission Set 19 Head End 20 Network Notes 24 Promo 26 Products & Services 114, 118 To the Editor 115 PLAYLIST CRTC Decisions 115 Special Events 115 The Recorded Music Supplement of 116, 117 BROADCASTER Careers /Classified Editor: John Porteous BROADCASTER's full range of editorial coverage (including Associate Editor: Martin Melhuish CABLECASTER) will return next month. Features Editor: James Porteous Quebec Editor: Michel Goodwill Your new BROADCASTER Directory . Circulation Audited by: IM'7 You now have in your hands the most comprehensive and most referred -to Directory of Canadian broadcasting and its allied $1.00 per copy, $10.00 per year, $25.00 for three years. Directory issue, $7.50. fields available today. Hopefully, this Directory is even more informative and Second Class Mail Registration Number: 0002 easier to use than its predecessors: for example, you will now find the Index at the beginning of the magazine, and the keys have been repeated wherever practical. In our next Directory, we are planning to integrate AM and FM radio station listings, and add listings for the provincial Volume 33 Number 11 Communications Departments. Copyright © 1973 by Broadcaster magazine. If you can suggest further improvements to help Broad- maga- All rights reserved. The contents of this get in touch. zine may not be reproduced in whole or in part caster meet the industry's growing needs, please without written permission of the publisher. - Doug Loney 4 BROADCASTER /November, 1973 Broadcaster CONTINENTAL Fall BUILDS THE MOST =973 AM TRANSMITTER D ¡rector y FOR YOUR MONEY. MOST EFFICIENT & MOST RELIABLE Continental's unique modulation technique elimin- ates modulation transformers and reactors. More than 200 Continental standard AM broadcast trans- mitters are operating without the limitations of high power audio iron core components or the asso- Index ciated potential instabilities of plate modulation. Continental's Type 317C is still the most efficient, ADVERTISING AGENCIES 105 most reliable 50 KW AM transmitter available today. ASSOCIATIONS 111 MOST POPULAR AUDIO PRODUCTION 99 There are more Continental Type 317C 50 KW AM transmitters in service than any other single type CABLE TELEVISION SYSTEMS 90 50 KW AM transmitter built by any manufacturer. 15 of the new Type 315/316F 5/10 KW AM CONSULTANTS transmitters were sold in the - Engineering 78 short period of May thru July, 1973. - Management /Creative 79 - Media 109 EQUIPMENT 80 FILM LABS 104 GOVERNMENT AGENCIES 113 Type 315/316F 5/10 KW NETWORKS 65 transmitter uses only two tubes. NEWS SERVICES 78 RADIO PROGRAM DISTRIBUTORS 104 RADIO STATIONS - Index 28 - AM Stations 29 - FM Stations 54 - Student Stations 62 RADIO /TELEVISION COURSES 112 RECORD COMPANIES 109 RESEARCH SERVICES 79 SALES REPRESENTATIVES Canada 76 - Type 317C 50 KW - U.S. 77 AM transmitter has logged more than 1,000,000 TELEVISION hours of air time. - Index 65 For performance and reliability, it's Continental! - Stations 66 TELEVISION PROGRAM C.ax.túwt.LaL DISTRIBUTORS 103 CONTINENTAL ELECTRONICS MFG. CO. 4212 SOUTH BUCKNER BLVD. MAIL ADDRESS: BOX 17040 DALLAS. TEXAS 75217 (214) 381 -7161 UNIONS 113 CABLE ADDRESS: CONTRONICS TELEX ADDRESS: 73 -398 VIDEO PRODUCTION 100 BROADCASTER /November, 1973 5 NEWSCAST CRTC APPROVES CBC PLANS The competition is designed to focus material was at the discretion of The Canadian Radio -Television Com- attention on the 1200 hours of pro- stations. mission has approved six new FM grams produced by private stations ALBERTA GETS ADS radio stations for the Canadian Broad- every week -the major segment of casting Corporation. Stations in Ottawa, Canadian tv production and about 25 FOR BEER, WINE Quebec City and Chicoutimi will join per cent of each station's schedule - Advertising of wine and beer on radio CBF -FM Montreal to form a new and all programs accepted for Can Pro and television stations is now permitted French -language FM network, while '74 will subsequently be made available in Alberta.