Radio Nord using labour dispute to save on local news production, union charges

Union officials in northern Quebec charge that there’s no incentive for Radio Nord Communications inc. to resolve an ongoing labour dispute because the broadcaster is saving money by not producing local news, and using non-unionized employees to air network programming from its facilities. Last Saturday marked a year since members of the Syndicat des employé(e)s en communication de l’Abitibi-Témiscaminque (SECAT) walked off the job over Radio Nord’s plans to cut positions and centralize Radio Nord operations in Gatineau QC. Residents of the region have been without local television news coverage since October 25, 2002, including of the recent Quebec election, because Radio Nord is responsible for producing the news for all three networks in the region. Radio Nord operates Radio-Canada affiliate CKRN-TV Rouyn, TVA affiliate CFEM-TV Rouyn, and TQS affiliate CFVS-TV-1 Rouyn. Radio Nord also operates a number of radio stations in the area. "We’re extremely surprised to still be on strike - a year later," says SECAT president André Anglehart, who is a Radio Nord news anchor. Pierre Roger, secretary general of the Fédération nationale des communications union, with which SECAT is affiliated, adds, "It seems that the owner continues to make money because one of his major expenses is producing local news. But he isn’t doing that now. Seventy people aren’t working so he doesn’t have to pay those people to produce the local news content specified by condition of licence of the three networks." The union has a complaint before the Canada Industrial Relations Board, but it is uncertain how it will fare after Bill C-328 that proposed banning scab labour failed to pass a week ago. Under condition of licence, CFVS is required to broadcast a minimum weekly average of 1 hour and 15 minutes of local news programming, CKRN a minimum of two hours and 30 minutes, and CFEM a minimum of two and 30 minutes. The union intends to raise questions about the lack of local news on the three Rouyn stations at Radio Nord’s next licence renewal hearings, which are expected before next summer. The CRTC has in past rapped Radio Nord on the fingers for its lack of local news content. The commission granted only short-term licence renewals to the stations Radio Nord operates in 1998 due to its failure to provide adequate local news programming. However, two subsequent administrative renewals, under current conditions, have ended up extending the licences to almost seven years anyhow. In April 1998, the CRTC granted a renewal of only four years to Radio Nord due to non-compliance with the licence conditions on local news (Decision 98-111, Decision 98-112, Decision 98-113). "The four-year term granted herein will enable the commission to assess at an early date the licensee’s adherence to the commitments made for the new licence term," the CRTC stated at that time. But in July 2002, the three Rouyn stations were among a group of broadcast licences granted an administrative renewal until August 31, 2003 (Broadcasting Decision 2002-175), and a second administration renewal issued this summer until August 2004 (Broadcasting Decision 2003-291). Union officials say that Radio Nord has indicated that it now wants to cut 33% of its broadcast force in the region, up from the 25% it said would be axed at the beginning of the strike. The union contends that some of the jobs will be relocated to Lachute QC, which isn’t unionized. Radio Nord officials could not be reached for comment at press time. "There’s nothing new to report on negotiations," Anglehart says. "The impasse continues, regardless of all the efforts we’ve made. It seems to be a disguise for not having to produce the local content." When the CRTC licensed Radio Nord to operate the TQS affiliate when it was already responsible for the Radio-Canada and TVA stations, concerns were raised about the concentration of TV ownership in the region that serves about 152,000 people in Quebec and a portion of northeastern Ontario. "With the present decision, the licensee will be the first in Canada authorized to operate three television services in the same market to rebroadcast the programs of three different networks," the CRTC noted in April 1986 when it granted Radio Nord permission to add CFVS-TV-1 Rouyn. Although a regional local business group was interested in submitting an application to run the TQS affiliate, the CRTC noted that the Radio Nord submission was the only one received by the deadline. "With regard to the issue of concentration of ownership, and as emphasized in a number of past decisions, the commission has maintained a flexible, case-by-case approach in assessing ownership applications based on the particular circumstances of each region," the CRTC noted in granting the licence to Radio Nord. "The Abitibi-Témiscamingue region is one of the most isolated markets in the province of Quebec. It covers a vast area and its communities are small in population and widely scattered. This environment has an unavoidable impact on the region’s economy and on the local broadcaster’s capacity to earn enough revenue to maintain a reasonable level of profitability while providing adequate service to the audience that it is licensed to serve." Anglehart says the union plans to bring up many issues during Radio Nord’s licence renewal hearings, which have yet to be announced. "We want to know how Radio Nord’s service is reflecting the region. How can the CRTC issue licences that grant such a monopoly? And there’s also a problem with diversity and sources of information," Anglehart notes. "If the CRTC doesn’t ensure that they produce local news, they’ll run the stations like they are now - with no local news - but while making money from the network programming," Roger says.

Radio Nord using labour dispute to save on local news production, union charges

News | 10/31/2003 5:00 am EST

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