blog post CBC's Searchlight: Rules and Regulations

CONTEST RULES

CBC’s Searchlight – The Hunt For Canada’s Best New Artist (“Contest”)

February 4, 2013 from 9 a.m. ET to February, 14, 2013 at midnight ET (“Contest Period”)

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (“CBC”)

1. HOW TO ENTER

No purchase required. To enter the Contest, first, if you don’t have one already, create a CBC Music artist page with a photo, a biography and at least one uploaded song. Once your page is created, submit an original song written by you or your band to the Contest at cbcmusic.ca/searchlight (the “Website”).  You will need to log in under your CBC Music username and provide the following information:

• Select your region which must be the participating (important as all CBC bureau locations aren’t participating) CBC station closest to where you live (“Region”) within your island, province, or territory.  If you are entering on behalf of your band, your Region will be the participating CBC station closest to where the majority of band members live within your island, province or territory.  If there is a tie, select one of the Regions
• If CBC Music determines that you entered yourself in the wrong Region, CBC Music reserves the right to transfer your entry to the correct Region
• Select the track you are entering in the Contest
  • The song must be an original composition by you or your band and performed by you or your band
  • You must have the permission of all the band members to enter the song and performance in the Contest
  Please note that the track selected cannot be changed once the entry is submitted

To be valid, entries and Submissions must be received by February 14, 2013 at midnight ET.

You and your band members may only enter the Contest once. If you or your band members attempt or are suspected of attempting to enter more than once, or use robotic, automatic, programmed or any entry methods not authorized by these Rules, it shall be deemed as tampering and will void your entries.

If you delete your song Submission from the website, your Submission will be removed from the Contest.  

Submissions:

Any Submissions you make will be deemed to be “Submissions” under the cbc.ca Terms of Use available at http://www.cbc.ca/aboutcbc/discover/termsofuse.html#submissions.

Any Submissions deemed by CBC to be inappropriate or not suitable for its audience will be disqualified at the sole discretion of CBC.

Submissions should be no longer than five minutes. Submissions may not show clothing items bearing business, designer or sports logos or design.  Submissions must be the original work of you and your band members and must not infringe the rights of any third party including but not limited to copyright, trademark, privacy and personality rights. You must have consent from any people appearing and/or performing in the Submissions.  Submissions must not: (i) contain threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane or indecent information of any kind; (ii) violate or encourage anyone to violate any law or regulation; (iii) contain advertising or commercial messages.  By making a Submission, you give CBC a perpetual royalty-free license to use and waive any moral rights you may have in such Submission. You acknowledge that CBC may broadcast and exploit Submissions in whole or in part on any medium (radio, television, internet or other). You will still receive royalties from any applicable collective (eg Socan) for CBC's use of your Submission. For more details, see our broadcast waiver at:  http://music.cbc.ca/blogs/2012/1/CBC-Music-broadcast-waiver.

2. ELIGIBILITY

Contest is open to all Canadian residents aged 13 or older at the Contest opening date. For any contestant who has not reached the age of majority, parent or guardian consent is necessary to enter the Contest. Where appropriate, the terms “contestant” and “winner” mean parent or guardian of that person. 

Employees of CBC, its affiliates, as well as such employees’ immediate family (father/mother, brother/sister, son/daughter) or persons living under the same roof are not eligible to enter this Contest.

Employees of Yamaha Canada Music, its affiliates, as well as such employees’ immediate family (father/mother, brother/sister, son/daughter) or persons living under the same roof are not eligible to enter this Contest.

3. PROCEDURE FOR AWARDING PRIZES
(Please note: the vote times for the national rounds were revised on March 6, 2013 to account for technical issues, and the April 1st stat holiday.)

All Submissions will be posted on the Website where public voting will begin on February 18, 2013 at 12:01 a.m. ET until February 24, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. ET to determine the top 20 from each Region (“Regional Semi-Finalists”).  

The Regional Semi-Finalist Submissions will be posted on the Website where pubic voting will begin on February 25, 2013 at 9:00 p.m. ET until March 3, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. ET to determine the top 5 from each Region (“Top 5”).  

The Top 5 will be posted on the Website where public voting will begin on March 4, 2013 at 9:00 p.m. ET until March 7, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. ET to determine one regional finalist from each region (“Regional Finalist”).

The 24 regional finalists will be posted on the Website where public voting will begin on March 11, 2013 at 12:01am ET until March 17, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. ET to determine the national Sweet 16 (“Sweet 16”).

The Sweet 16 Submissions will be posted on the Website where public voting will begin March 18, 2013 at 3 p.m. ET until March 24, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. ET to determine the national elite 8 (“Elite 8”).

The Elite 8 Submissions will be posted on the Website where public voting will begin March 25, 2013 at 3 p.m. ET until March 31, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. ET to determine the final 4 (“Final 4”).

The Final 4 Submissions will be posted on the Website where public voting will be begin on April 2, 2013 at 3 p.m. ET until April 7, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. ET to determine the national Finalists (National Finalists”).

The National Finalists Submissions will be posted on the Website where public voting will begin on April 8, 2013 at 3 p.m. ET until April 11, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

The National Finalist with the most votes will be deemed the winner of the Contest.  In the case of a tie situation a judging panel (“Judging Panel”) as described below will determine the entrant who will proceed to the next level or the winner of the Contest based upon:

• quality of music and lyric composition
• quality of musical performance

The judging panel will comprise of three members of CBC Music’s editorial staff.

If a high number of entries are received, CBC will determine in its sole discretion 100 entries per region to be for public online voting.

Finalists/winner will be contacted by telephone or by e-mail during the week following the selection. If a winner cannot be reached within 7 days following the first attempt of contact, declines the prize, or fails to return the required release form, the prize shall be forfeited and CBC has the right, at its sole discretion, to select another winner.

4. DESCRIPTION OF PRIZE(S)

The winner and his/her band will receive a trip for all of the band members to Toronto, including:

• one $20,000 credit toward music equipment from Yamaha Canada Music.  ($20,000 value)
• accommodation for the winner(s) at a hotel to be chosen by CBC in its sole discretion (double occupancy), from May 24-26, 2013;
• an audio/video recording session at a CBC location of CBC's choosing pursuant to the CFM Agreement or CBC’s ACTRA Agreement

The prize includes only what is specifically described and no other allowance will be granted. The winner(s) will have to pay all other expenses including, but not limited to:

• transportation costs, including round-trip transfers between the winner(s) residence and departure airport; and between the destination airport and hotel;
• gratuities, tips, taxes of any kind;
• personal expenses.

The winner(s) are responsible for obtaining a valid passport and/or other required travel documentation at their own expense. If the winner(s) are unable to travel because they lack proper documentation, the prize will be forfeited without compensation, and the runner-up will be declared the winner. Winner(s) may be required by the hotel to provide a valid credit card to cover incidental expenses.

The winner(s) must be available to travel on the dates mentioned in the prize description. If the winner(s) are unable to travel on the designated dates, the prize will be forfeited without compensation and a new winner may be selected.

The grand prize, outlined above, has an approximate value of $36,500.

5. GENERAL RULES

5.1.  The Winner(s) must first correctly answer a mathematical skill-testing question. 

5.2.  The winner(s) shall sign a release declaring his/her eligibility as stipulated in Section 2 of these rules; agreeing that his/her name, image and/or voice may be used for advertising purposes related to this Contest free of charge; and releasing CBC, Yamaha, as well as their respective directors, officers and employees (the “Contest Parties”) from all liability for any damage or loss arising from participation in this Contest or from the awarding, acceptance or use of the prize.

Anyone accompanying the winner in connection with the Grand Prize shall sign a release agreeing that their name, image and/or voice may be used for advertising purposes related to this Contest free of charge, and releasing the Contest Parties from all liability for any damage or loss arising from use of the prize.

5.3.  The prize shall be accepted as is and may not be exchanged or refunded for an amount of money, sold or transferred. No substitutions will be allowed. Any unused portion of a prize will be forfeited.

5.4.  If the prize cannot be awarded as described in these Rules, CBC reserves the right to substitute a prize or prize component with another of comparable value, as determined in its sole discretion.

5.5.  Refusal to accept the prize releases the Contest Parties from any obligation toward the winner.

5.6.  If a contestant makes any false statement, (s)he will be automatically disqualified from the Contest.

5.7.  The Contest Parties assume no liability for any loss, damage or injury, including without limitation: (i) lost, stolen, delayed, damaged, misdirected, late, destroyed, illegible or incomplete entries; (ii) loss, theft or damage to software or computer or telephone data, including any breach of privacy; (iii) fraudulent calls; (iv) inability of any person to participate in the Contest for any reason including mistaken addresses on mail or e-mail; technical, computer or telephone malfunctions or other problems with computer on-line systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment, or software; congestion on the internet or at any website, or any combination of the foregoing; (v) damage to any person’s computer, including as a result of playing or downloading any material relating to the Contest; (vi) any delay or inability to act resulting from an event or situation beyond their control, including a strike, lockout or other labour dispute at their location or the locations of the organizations and businesses whose services are used to administer this Contest; or (vii) prizes that are lost, damaged or misdirected during shipping.

5.8.  CBC reserves the right to cancel or suspend this Contest should a virus, bug or other cause beyond their reasonable control corrupt the security or proper administration of the Contest. Any attempt to deliberately damage any website or to undermine the legitimate operation of this Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws.  Should such an attempt be made, CBC reserves the right to seek remedies and damages to the fullest extent permitted by law, including criminal prosecution.

5.9.  All personal information, such as name and contact information, is collected by CBC solely for the purposes of administering this Contest and shall not be used for any other purpose without your express consent. By providing this information, you consent to it being used for the stated purposes. Please see CBC’s privacy policy at http://www.cbc.ca/aboutcbc/discover/privacy.html.

5.10.   If the identity of a contestant is disputed, the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry will be deemed to be the contestant.  The individual assigned to the e-mail address for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address is considered the authorized account holder.  A selected contestant may be required to provide proof that (s)he is the authorized account holder of the e-mail address associated with the selected entry.  All entries must be submitted from a valid e-mail account that may be identified by reverse domain name search. The sole determinant of time for the purposes of receipt of a valid entry in this Contest will be the Contest server.

5.11.   Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries.  All entries that are incomplete, illegible, damaged, irregular, have been submitted through illicit means, using any robotic, automatic programmed method that artificially increases the odds of winning or do not conform to or satisfy any condition of the rules may be disqualified by the CBC.  CBC is not responsible for any errors or omissions in printing or advertising this Contest.

5.12.   CBC reserves the right to amend the Contest rules or to terminate the Contest at any time without any liability to any contestant.  Any amendments to these Contest rules will be posted on the Website.

5.13.   By entering, you agree to abide by the Contest rules and the decisions of CBC and the Judging Panel, which decisions are final and binding on all contestants.

5.14.   Contest Rules are available online on the Website.

February 4^th, 2013                        

Elliott Garnier

Contest Coordinator

CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION