The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) said the oldest public broadcaster — Alberta's CKUA Radio — has repeatedly breached terms of its licence, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. .“The Commission reminds the licensee it must comply at all times with the requirements set out in the Broadcasting Act,” said the CRTC in a ruling. .The CRTC imposed no sanctions on CKUA Radio. It renewed CKUA’s licence for five years. .One former CRTC chair testified at parliamentary hearings licence renewals for public broadcasters were a formality. .CKUA operates out of an Edmonton studio, with 15 transmitters across Alberta. Records showed management filed its annual financial statements two years late, breaching the Broadcasting Act. .The CRTC said the late filing of the financial statements was “due to a misunderstanding.”.It failed to implement a public alert system as required of all commercial radio stations since 2015. More than seven years have elapsed. .CKUA was cited for a third breach in failing to play a minimum 35% of Canadian content on its daytime music playlist. Regulators found Canadian music content was as little as 3% some weeks. .“CKUA Radio stated the apparent non-compliance relating to its Canadian content requirements was due in part to the station’s annual fundraising campaign,” said the CRTC. .“In this regard, the licensee noted it generates 70% of its operating revenues from listeners by way of donations.”.Former CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein said at a Senate Communications Committee hearing in 2014 no federal regulators would ever revoke a public broadcaster’s licence for breaches of its requirements. The CBC had its licence renewed when it committed technical violations of the Broadcasting Act. .Von Finckenstein acknowledged there is “very little the CRTC can do vis-a-vis the CBC.”.“In effect, the only means you have to deal with them is you cannot renew their license,” said von Finckenstein..“That’s not going to happen, and we know it.”.CKUA embarked on a fundraising drive in March. .READ MORE: MAKICHUK: Loving CKUA ... in Alberta, it's an identity issue.CKUA boss Marc Carnes said while COVID-19 was tough for many Albertans, it was there for them. .“We stretch across the province, we connect thousands of artists and practitioners of all stripes to listeners who are hungry to discover new music and discover what's happening in their own backyard and across campus, around the world,” said Carnes.
