Two page fax to 819-994-0218

Mr. Robert A. Morin
Secretary General
CRTC
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0N2

Dear Mr. Morin:

Friends of Canadian Broadcasting supports the above applications and invites the Commission to consider the following comments:

• Approval of these applications at the earliest possible time appears critical to the continuing viability of the respective stations. We therefore urge the Commission to treat these applications as non-appearing items, as proposed in the notice.
• Over the past decade the applicant has established itself in the Canadian broadcasting landscape as an innovative and credible player.
• Both stations have important and distinct roles to play in the broadcasting system. In the case of CHCH, it offers the only local service to a population of well more than one million Ontarians. CJNT offers an important multicultural service in the greater Montreal area.
• The CHCH proposed programming model is innovative, highly local and has the potential to benefit the whole system by experimenting with a new locally-focused approach, abandoning the traditional simulcast importation of expensive foreign programming and offering to the population of Ontario access to the full range of Canadian, as well as foreign movies.
• In view of the financial distress of the licensees, it would be appropriate for the CRTC to follow precedent by waiving public benefits because they would not be in the public interest, nor over the $500,000 threshold.

Yours sincerely,

Ian Morrison
Spokesperson

cc: C. J. Millar 416-492-9539