Departmental Results Report 2023-24

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Canadian Heritage

His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, 2024

Catalogue No. BC9-27E-PDF

ISSN 2560-9971

Table of contents

• From the Minister
• From the Institutional Head
• Results - what we achieved
  • Regulate and Supervise the Communications System
  • Internal services
• Spending and human resources
  • Spending
  • Funding
  • Financial statements highlights
  • Human resources
• Corporate Information
• Supplementary information tables
• Federal tax expenditures
• Definitions

From the Minister

Through their various activities, the organizations in the Canadian Heritage portfolio, including the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), contribute to the vitality of Canadian society. Together, they not only foster and highlight creativity, but also create a space for dialogue that strengthens our social fabric. They play a fundamental role in today’s rapidly changing world.

The CRTC is hard at work adapting Canada’s communications system to that world. This includes modernizing Canada’s broadcasting framework through amendments to the Broadcasting Act and the implementation of the Online News Act. The CRTC is also adapting our telecommunications system, improving access in rural, remote and Indigenous communities, as well as making decisions that give Canadians more choice in Internet and cellphone services. At the same time, they are working within their mandate to create a safer and more secure online marketplace for Canadians.

As Minister of Canadian Heritage, I am pleased to present the 2023–24 Departmental Results Report for the CRTC. I would like to highlight all the work they have accomplished to serve the people of Canada and help reach our government’s goals over the past year.

The Honourable Pascale St-Onge

From the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer

On behalf of the CRTC, I am pleased to present the 2023-24 Departmental Results Report.

The CRTC is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal that regulates broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada. We hold public consultations and make decisions based on the public record. During these consultations, and through other engagement with Canadians, we hear about the importance of the sector to our daily lives.

The past year has been one of action for the CRTC. We continued to fulfill the mandate given to us by Parliament and tackled complex issues in broadcasting and telecommunications. In broadcasting, we quickly began implementing the amended Broadcasting Act and made important decisions that modernize the decades-old regulatory framework. We also started implementing the Online News Act and launched a consultation on the bargaining framework. In telecommunications, we continued to implement a renewed approach to telecommunications policy. We made decisions on Internet and cellphone services to promote competition and give Canadians more choice, while maintaining incentives for companies to invest in high-quality networks.

The CRTC will continue to move quickly, listen carefully, and take action for Canadians.

Vicky Eatrides

Results - what we achieved

Core responsibilities and internal services

• Regulate and Supervise the Communications System
• Internal services

Core responsibility 1: Regulate and Supervise the Communications System

In this section

• Description
• Progress on results
• Key risks
• Resources required to achieve results
• Related government-wide priorities
• Program inventory

Description

The CRTC is an administrative tribunal that is responsible for regulating and supervising Canada’s communications system in the public interest.

Established to develop, implement and enforce regulatory policies on the Canadian communications system, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission performs a wide range of functions, including rule making and policy development. It has the quasi-judicial powers of a superior court with respect to the production and examination of evidence and the enforcement of its decisions. As an administrative tribunal it operates at arm’s length from the federal government.

The CRTC develops regulatory policies for Canada’s communication system; approves mergers, acquisitions and changes of ownership of broadcasting distribution undertakings; approves tariffs and agreements for certain telecommunication services; issues, renews and amends licenses for broadcasting distribution and programming undertakings; and resolves disputes regarding certain commercial arrangements. The CRTC intervenes specifically in situations where market forces alone cannot achieve the policy objectives set out within its legislative mandate.

Progress on results

This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for Regulate and Supervise the Communications System. Details are presented by departmental result.

Table 1: Targets and results for Regulate and Supervise the Communications System

Table 1 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Regulate and Supervise the Communications System.

Table 1: Canadian content is created

Table 2: Targets and results for Regulate and Supervise the Communications System

Table 2 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Regulate and Supervise the Communications System.

Table 2: Canadians are connected to world-class communications services

Table 3: Targets and results for Regulate and Supervise the Communications System

Table 3 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Regulate and Supervise the Communications System.

Table 3: Canadians are protected within the communications system

Table 4: Targets and results for Regulate and Supervise the Communications System

Table 4 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Regulate and Supervise the Communications System.

Table 4: Proceedings related to the regulation of the communications system are efficient and fair

Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for the CRTC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Details on results

The following section describes the results for Regulate and Supervise the Communications System in 2023–24 compared with the planned results set out in the CRTC’s departmental plan for the year.

Departmental Results 1 and 4: “Canadian content is created” as a result of processes that are “efficient and fair”

In 2023-24, the CRTC continued to support a modern, diverse and robust sector, reaching Canadians with broadcasting content through television, radio and online platforms. It helped ensure that Canadians had access to compelling content from multiple sources on a variety of platforms.

The CRTC measures its effectiveness through the annual investment in the Canadian broadcasting sector.

In 2023-24, the total investment in Canadian television programming production was $4.7 billion -- above the target range of $4 billion to $4.5 billion.  

Implement the amended Broadcasting Act

The CRTC continued its work to modernize Canada’s broadcasting framework to promote and support Canadian and Indigenous content.

In 2023-24, significant amendments to the Broadcasting Act came into force when the Online Streaming Act received Royal Assent on April 27, 2023. The CRTC acted quickly and immediately published a regulatory plan and launched four public consultations, including one on the base contributions that online services should make to support the Canadian broadcasting system. As part of that consultation, the CRTC received more than 360 detailed submissions and held a three-week public hearing where it heard from over 120 groups. In 2023‑24, the CRTC made decisions on three of the public consultations it launched (registration of online streaming services, exemption orders and basic conditions of service and broadcasting regulatory fees to implement the new legislation).

The CRTC also completed nation-wide engagement activities on Canadian content, in English and in French. A series of 13 workshops brought together over 380 members of Canada’s broadcasting sector who shared their experiences and views about the definition of Canadian content.

Implement the Online News Act

In 2023-24, the Online News Act came into force when it received Royal Assent on June 22, 2023. The Act is intended to help Canadian news organizations reach fair commercial agreements with the largest online platforms. It requires the CRTC to implement the bargaining framework, handle complaints about unfair treatment and create a code of conduct to support fair negotiations. The regulations regarding the Act’s application came into force on December 19, 2023. In 2023-24, the CRTC launched a public consultation on how to set up the bargaining process and on how to handle complaints about unfair treatment.

Co-develop the Indigenous Broadcasting Policy

In 2023-24, the CRTC launched a public consultation to gather views on how to support Indigenous broadcasters and content creators, and to help ensure Indigenous stories and voices are represented, easily found, and shared across all platforms. The consultation is the second phase of a co-development process that will result in a modernized Indigenous broadcasting policy. The policy was introduced in 1990 and last amended over twenty years ago. During the first phase of the co-development process, and in other recent proceedings, the CRTC heard that it needs to make its proceedings more accessible to, and improve engagement with, Indigenous peoples. That is why the CRTC created an Indigenous Relations Team in 2023-24. The team supports Indigenous participation in CRTC proceedings and ensures the distinct nature and lived experiences of Indigenous peoples are considered across the CRTC’s work.

Results achieved

• Implement the amended Broadcasting Act
• Implement the Online News Act
• Co-develop the Indigenous Broadcasting Policy

Departmental Results 2 and 4: “Canadians are connected to world-class communications services” as a result of processes that are “efficient and fair”

In 2023-24, the CRTC continued to promote competition to deliver reliable and high-quality Internet and cellphone services to Canadians at affordable prices while supporting investment in high-quality networks.

The CRTC measures its effectiveness through the percentage of Canadian households that have access to fixed broadband Internet access services and to the latest generally deployed mobile wireless technology, and the percentage of total fixed broadband subscriptions that are high-capacity compared to the OECD average.

In 2023-24, 93.8% of households had access to Internet services and 99.5% had access to the latest mobile wireless technology. The percentage point lead of total fixed broadband subscriptions that were high-capacity compared to the OECD average was 7.6%.

Enhance competition to deliver high-quality Internet services

In 2023-24, the CRTC continued its major public proceeding to improve Internet services competition in Canada. In November 2023, the CRTC took a significant step to help stabilize the market. On a temporary and expedited basis, the CRTC provided competitors with a workable way to sell Internet services using the fibre-to-the-home networks of large telephone companies in Ontario and Quebec, where competition had declined most significantly. The CRTC also set the interim rates that competitors will pay to use these networks. These rates were set to allow Canada’s large Internet companies to continue investing in their networks to deliver high-quality services to Canadians. This initial decision increased choice and affordability of high-speed Internet services for more than five million Canadian households.

Following the November 2023 decision, the CRTC continued to collect evidence and build a robust record. The CRTC received over 300 submissions and heard directly from 22 groups, including large Internet services providers, competitors and consumers, during a week-long public hearing in February 2024.

Promote choice, affordability, and high-quality cellphone and wireless services

In 2023-24, the CRTC took major steps forward to increase cellphone service competition in Canada with its policy that allows regional cellphone providers to compete as mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) using the networks of Canada’s large companies. With access to larger networks, regional competitors are able to offer services in parts of Canada that they do not currently serve. Regional competitors must then build their own networks in these areas within seven years. In May 2023, the CRTC set the rules for MVNO access and gave companies 90 days to negotiate agreements.

When companies cannot come to an agreement, they can ask the CRTC to set the rate through a process known as final offer arbitration (FOA). This process requires each company to submit a proposed rate for the CRTC’s consideration. The CRTC issued two decisions following FOA processes – between Québecor and Rogers in July 2023 and between Québecor and Bell Mobility in October 2023. The CRTC’s approach is already showing results. Canadians can go online today and find cellphone plans from both regional and national players that were not there a couple of years ago.

In 2023-24, the CRTC also launched a consultation to simplify and help the deployment of fifth generation (5G) networks. In this proceeding, the CRTC is examining whether it should modify existing rules that allow third parties to attach equipment – such as 5G small cells – onto poles across Canada.  

Improve reliability and affordability to help connect all Canadians

The Government of Canada set a target that 100% of households have access to fixed broadband 50/10 Internet access services by December 2031. Through its Broadband Fund, the CRTC contributes to a broad effort by federal, provincial, and territorial governments to help reach this target, and to address the gap in connectivity in underserved rural, remote, and Indigenous communities across Canada. As of December 2023, 93.8% of households have access to these services.

In 2023-24, the CRTC received over 100 applications seeking $1.9 billion in funding through its third call for applications to the Broadband Fund. The CRTC committed $46.9 million in funding to projects that will help connect communities, including households and essential institutions, such as schools, and health care and community centres. This includes a project that will bring high-speed satellite Internet service to all 25 communities (encompassing over 11,000 households) in Nunavut for the first time; a project to maintain satellite Internet connectivity in two First Nations communities in Northern Ontario; and a project to help improve access to emergency services along 70 kilometres of highway in northern British Columbia.

The CRTC also continued its public proceeding to review and improve its Broadband Fund, by making the application process faster and easier. As part of the review, the CRTC will be launching a process, in collaboration with Indigenous partners, to create an Indigenous stream under the Broadband Fund.

In 2023-24, the CRTC conducted the second phase of its proceeding to improve affordability, reliability and competition in the Far North. The CRTC received over 80 submissions and heard from 25 groups, including First Nations, consumer groups, large service providers, and competitors during the public hearing in Whitehorse in April 2023. As part of the proceeding, the CRTC directed Northwestel Inc. to end its practice of adding a $20 surcharge to the bills of customers who purchase digital subscriber line (DSL) Internet services without also purchasing a Northwestel home phone service. This decision will help make Internet services more affordable in the Far North, improve consumer choice by providing customers with telephone and cellphone services, and support consumer rights by making prices more transparent and by removing an additional fee that may have been confusing for customers.

Accessibility of telecommunications services

In 2023-24, the CRTC continued its review of Video Relay Service (VRS) in Canada to help ensure Canadians whose first language is sign language have access to a communications option that meets their needs. The CRTC will issue an updated regulatory policy in English, French, American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ).

Results achieved

• Enhance competition to deliver high-quality Internet services
• Promote choice, affordability, and high-quality cellphone and wireless services
• Improve reliability and affordability to help connect all Canadians
• Accessibility of telecommunications services

Departmental Results 3 and 4: “Canadians are protected within the communications system” as a result of processes that are “efficient and fair”

Part of the CRTC’s role as Canada’s communications regulator is to help ensure that Canadians are protected within the communications system.

The CRTC measures its effectiveness through the percentage of organizations that remain compliant within three years after enforcement action is taken on unsolicited commercial communications; the percentage of broadcasting undertakings participating in public alerting system; the percentage of Canadian subscribers with access to public alerting through wireless service providers; and the percentage of facilities-based telecommunications service providers that are compliant with obligations associated with ensuring all 9-1-1 communications made by Canadians are delivered to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs).

In 2023-24, 100% of organizations remained compliant within three years after enforcement action was taken, 98.55% of broadcasting undertakings participated in the public alerting system, 99.99% of Canadians had access to public alerting through wireless service providers, and 100% of facilities-based telecommunications service providers were compliant with ensuring 9-1-1 communications by Canadians were delivered to PSAPs.

Protection from online spam and nuisance calls

The CRTC, along with the Competition Bureau and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, is responsible for a civil regulatory regime that promotes and monitors compliance with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). The CRTC also promotes compliance with the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules (UTRs). The UTRs include the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) Rules, the Telemarketing Rules, and the Automatic Dialing-Announcing Device (ADAD) Rules.

In 2023-24, the CRTC issued penalties of $1,236,345 for alleged violations under either CASL or the UTRs. This includes a penalty in the amount of $40,000 for violations of CASL following an investigation into a high-volume phishing campaign.  

The CRTC also launched a public proceeding on whether telecommunications services providers should be required to participate in call traceback (a process that helps identify the origin of nuisance calls), and a public proceeding on a network-level blocking framework to limit botnet traffic.

Improved access to emergency services and public alerts

9-1-1 is a bridge that connects Canadians to emergency services in times of need. In the majority of cases, 9-1-1 calls are connected directly to provincial, territorial or municipal 9-1-1 call centres. The CRTC does not oversee these public 9-1-1 call centres, also known as PSAPs. They are a public safety responsibility of provinces, territories and municipalities. The CRTC’s role regarding 9-1-1 is to regulate telecommunications services. Through its regulations, the CRTC helped ensure that 100% of facilities-based telecommunications service providers were compliant with their obligations to deliver 9-1-1 communications made by Canadians to PSAPs.

In 2023-24, the CRTC also issued decisions to help improve the 9-1-1 services provided by telecommunications service providers. These include a decision to help enable more Canadians who are Deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability to communicate with 9-1-1 services via text message, and a decision to help enhance the safety of Canadians by improving the quality of location data for 9-1-1 calls. In addition, in May 2023, the CRTC launched a proceeding on enabling direct 9-1-1 and 9-8-8 calls from multi-line telephone systems like those in hotels, hospitals and office buildings.

The National Public Alerting System (NPAS) is a federal, provincial, and territorial system that enables emergency management organizations across Canada to warn the public about imminent or possible dangers such as floods, tornados, fires, and other disasters. Emergency alerts are created and sent by authorized emergency management organizations, such as police departments, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and provincial and territorial governments. For public alerting, the CRTC ensures that all broadcasting undertakings participate in the public alerting system and that all Canadians have access to public alerts through wireless service providers.

In 2023-24, 98.55% of broadcasting undertakings participated in the public alerting system. The broadcasters that were not yet participating were small independent services, such as community stations. They cited challenges with funding and technical expertise as reasons for being unable to implement public alerting. These broadcasters have been given deadlines to participate in the system based on their individual circumstances. 

In 2023-24, 99.99% of Canadians had access to public alerting through wireless service providers. Two small wireless service providers with a small number of subscribers were not participating in the system. The CRTC is investigating their circumstances and will determine what steps are necessary to ensure their participation.

Enhanced network resiliency and reliability

Outages, caused by a variety of factors, including extreme weather events, disrupt the lives of Canadians by affecting access to telecommunications services. In 2023-24, the CRTC continued its consultation on enhancing the resilience and reliability of Canada’s telecommunications networks. The CRTC invited Canadians to comment on notification and reporting requirements in connection with major service outages. To encourage broader participation and help ensure that the policies being developed better address the perspectives of all Canadians, the CRTC published key information and accepted comments in ASL and LSQ video format.

Results achieved

• Protection from online spam and nuisance calls
• Improved access to emergency services and public alerts
• Enhanced network resiliency and reliability

Key risks

The broadcasting and telecommunications environments are characterized by intense change. The CRTC has been given a new and significantly expanded mandate and is being called on to rework its rules and regulations, and to create new ones, all within a short period of time. This requires significant consultation to obtain a broad range of views and build a robust public record to make decisions, while also moving quickly to provide certainty to all parties.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 5: Snapshot of resources required to Regulate and Supervise the Communications System

Table 5 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.

Complete financial and human resources information for the CRTC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Related government-wide priorities

Gender-based analysis plus

In 2023-24, the CRTC continued its efforts to improve its understanding of the needs of all Canadians by developing a Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) Tool. This tool will help ensure inclusion and diversity continues to be a key consideration for its staff.

In accordance with the Accessible Canada Act, in 2023-24, the CRTC continued to engage with persons with disabilities to identify, remove and prevent barriers. The CRTC published its 2023 Accessibility Progress Report, which describes the actions taken to implement its 2023-2025 Accessibility Plan. It also published its 2022-2023 Report on Accessibility, which keeps the public up to date on the specific accessibility measures it has taken for the industries it regulates.

The CRTC also continued its Secret Shopper Program, which includes analysis that examines whether the needs of all Canadians, and especially Canadians with disabilities, seniors and persons whose first language is neither English nor French, are being met. Preparatory work continues with a target of 2024‑25 for the next iteration of the Secret Shopper Program to be in the field.

The CRTC also enhanced its engagement with Official Language Minority Community (OLMC) organizations and ensured that they were consulted in decisions that affect them. For example, the CRTC invited OLMC members to review and comment on an application to amend the conditions of service of a French-language community radio station.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

More information on the CRTC’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Program inventory

Regulate and Supervise the Communications System is supported by the following programs:

• Connection to the Communications System
• Protection Within the Communications System
• Support for Canadian Content Creation

Additional information related to the program inventory for Regulate and Supervise the Communications System is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.

Internal services

In this section

• Description
• Progress on results
• Resources required to achieve results
• Contracts awarded to Indigenous business

Description

Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:

• management and oversight services
• communications services
• legal services
• human resources management services
• financial management services
• information management services
• information technology services
• real property management services
• materiel management services
• acquisition management services

Progress on results

This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for internal services.

A more fair, inclusive and diverse workplace

In 2023-24, the CRTC continued to create a more fair, inclusive and diverse workplace to better represent the Canadian population.

The CRTC continued its Mentorship Plus program in 2023-24. The program targets managers in designated employment equity and equity-deserving groups to develop a diverse succession pool and increase representation among its executive group.

The CRTC reviewed its staffing system, policies, processes, guidelines and developmental programs to implement the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA)amendments. This review helped remove potential biases or barriers that could disadvantage persons belonging to employment equity and equity-deserving groups. The CRTC also offered an internal information session to hiring managers and human resource specialists on how to mitigate or eliminate biases or barriers.

The Human Resources team, the Inclusion and Diversity Committee, the Reconciliation Circle and other CRTC Champions organized and promoted activities in support of diversity, inclusion and reconciliation. Activities included guest speakers on Black history and Indigenous law; and CRTC mandatory training on disability, inclusion and barriers to accessibility; and understanding the Employment Equity Act.

To keep staff informed of mental health and wellness training, events, tools and resources in a timely manner, the CRTC created a CRTC Mental Health and Wellness MS Teams Channel and offered information sessions to staff on mental health and wellness, as well as on civility and respect in the workplace.

Since publishing its 2023-2025 Accessibility Plan, the CRTC has been working toward improving accessibility. In 2023-24, mandatory accessibility training and other information sessions on autism, bipolar disorder, neurodiversity, plain language, MS 365’s Accessibility Features and Deaf culture were provided to staff. It provided access to automatic generated caption in internal meetings, Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services and sign language interpretation. The CRTC also added a commitment in executives’ performance agreements to support the Accessibility Plan and improve representation in their work units. The CRTC increased participation of persons with disabilities in its processes and key consultations by establishing a formal engagement function to engage with disability communities, promoting videos in sign language and offering live streaming with closed captioning for all public hearings.

The CRTC has gained valuable insights through these initiatives, emphasizing the need for continuous engagement and feedback from diverse groups. Moving forward, the CRTC plans to refine its equity, diversity and inclusion strategies by enhancing feedback mechanisms and increasing support for underrepresented groups.

Information technology services

As part of its mandate, the CRTC engages with Canadians through various public proceedings that may include public hearings and written submissions. To facilitate participation in its public proceedings and improve accessibility, the CRTC published all forms in a central location online. The CRTC also developed tools and processes to solicit and manage feedback and complaints from employees and Canadians, as required under the Accessible Canada Act.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 6: Resources required to achieve results for internal services this year

Table 6 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.

The complete financial and human resources information for the CRTC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

Government of Canada departments are to meet a target of awarding at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year. This commitment is to be fully implemented by the end of 2024–25.

The CRTC’s result for 2023-24:

Table 7: Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses^{Footnote *}

As shown in the Table 7, the CRTC awarded 5.9% of the total value of all contracts to Indigenous businesses for the fiscal year.

The following activities were used to reach the minimum 5% target:

• Outreach to Indigenous Suppliers in Information Technology;
• Event management and outreach for Indigenous communities by Indigenous suppliers;
• Updated training aides and guides for sector on Indigenous procurement;
• Additional reporting mechanisms; and
• Evaluations and audits of previous procurement files to transfer to Indigenous suppliers.

In its 2024–25 Departmental Plan, the CRTC forecasted that, by the end of 2023–24, it would award 5% of the total value of its contracts to Indigenous businesses.

Spending and human resources 

In this section

• Spending
• Funding
• Financial statement highlights
• Human resources

Spending

This section presents an overview of the department's actual and planned expenditures from 2021–22 to 2026–27.

Budgetary performance summary

Table 8 Actual three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

Table 8 presents how much money the CRTC spent over the past three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.

Analysis of the past three years of spending

For fiscal years 2021-22 to 2023-24, spending represents the actual expenditures as reported in the Public Accounts of Canada.

The increase in actual spending from 2021-22 to 2023-24 was mainly due to the ratification of several government-wide collective agreements (including retroactive payments), which caused salaries and related costs to rise.  

More financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase. 

Table 9 Planned three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

Table 9 presents how much money the CRTC plans to spend over the next three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.

Analysis of the next three years of spending

Planned spending for fiscal years 2024-25 to 2026-27 corresponds to the Main Estimates.  Supplementary funding for items such as legislated amendments, salary adjustments for ratified collective agreements and carry-forward adjustments are currently unknown and, therefore, not reflected.

Planned spending for fiscal year 2024-25 is expected to increase due to the increase in regulatory work to support amendments to the Broadcasting Act. The CRTC is seeking immediate funding for additional resources to accelerate the implementation of the amended Broadcasting Act.

The decrease in planned spending in 2025-26 is attributable to the sunset of temporary funding in 2024‑25, which was allocated to the CRTC to implement the Online News Act. Costs to regulate the Act will be recoverable through fees and funded through vote-netted revenues.

More detailed financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.

Table 10: Budgetary actual gross and net planned spending summary (dollars)

Table 10 reconciles gross planned spending with net spending for 2023–24.

Analysis of budgetary actual gross and net planned spending summary

The CRTC collects fees in line with fees regulations to finance its regulatory activities in broadcasting and telecommunications. These regulations are:

• Broadcasting fees (Broadcasting Fees Regulations);
• Annual telecommunications fees (Telecommunications Fees Regulations, 2010); and
• Unsolicited telecommunications fees for compliance and enforcement activities related to the National DNCL (Unsolicited Telecommunications Fees Regulations).

Information on the alignment of the CRTC’s spending with Government of Canada’s spending and activities is available on GC InfoBase.

Funding

This section provides an overview of the department's voted and statutory funding for its core responsibilities and for internal services. For further information on funding authorities, consult the Government of Canada budgets and expenditures.

Graph 1: Approved funding (statutory and voted) over a six-year period

Graph 1 summarizes the department's approved voted and statutory funding from 2021-22 to 2026-27.

Table version

Year	2021–22	2022–23	2023–24	2024–25	2025–26	2026–27
Statutory	7,836,167	8,290,627	9,911,805	9,949,408	9,902,206	9,907,693
Voted and Vote-netted revenue	65,510,839	68,771,502	82,669,733	94,885,096	93,439,984	92,732,742
Total	73,347,006	77,062,129	92,581,538	104,834,504	103,342,190	102,640,435

Analysis of statutory and voted funding over a six-year period

The CRTC is mainly funded through fees that are collected to cover the cost of its regulatory activities. The increase in funding from 2021-22 to 2023-24 was mainly due to increased vote-netted revenues related to the ratification of several government-wide collective agreements (including retroactive payments), which caused salaries and related costs to rise.

The coming into force of the amended Broadcasting Act in April 2023 resulted in an increase in regulatory activities, which required an increase in vote-netted revenues in 2024-25. A slight decrease in funding in 2025-26 follows the sunset of voted funding to implement the Online News Act.

Funding for fiscal years 2024-25 to 2026-27 corresponds to the Main Estimates. Supplementary funding for items such as legislated amendments, salary adjustments for ratified collective agreements and carry-forward adjustments are currently unknown and, therefore, not reflected.

For further information on the CRTC’s departmental voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.

Financial statement highlights

The CRTC’s complete financial statements (unaudited or audited) for the year ended March 31, 2024, are available online.

Table 11 Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited or audited) for the year ended March 31, 2024 (dollars)

Table 11 summarizes the expenses and revenues for 2023–24 which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers (dollars).

The 2023–24 planned results information is provided in the CRTC’s Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2023–24.

Table 12 summarizes actual expenses and revenues which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers.

Expenses

Expenses increased by $16.2 million compared to 2022‑23 mainly due to an increase in personnel costs (salary and employee benefits) following the ratification of several government-wide collective agreements, which caused salaries and related costs to rise, and a growth in the number of FTEs to support the implementation of new regulatory requirements under the amended Broadcasting Act and the Online News Act, and to advance complex telecommunications matters.

Revenues

Revenues do not include the non-respendable revenues collected on behalf of the Government of Canada, which totaled $12.8 million for 2023-24.

Revenues increased by $10.6 million compared to 2022-23 due to increases in recoverable expenses mainly from the ratification of collective agreements and increases in the activities to regulate telecommunications.

Table 13 Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited or audited) as of March 31, 2024 (dollars)

Table 13 provides a brief snapshot of the department’s liabilities (what it owes) and assets (what the department owns), which helps to indicate its ability to carry out programs and services.

The net financial position increased by $4.0 million compared to 2022-23 due to increases in the department’s net financial assets and non-financial assets.

Net financial assets increased by $3.2 million mainly due to an increase of $3.3 million from the Consolidated Revenue Fund offset by a decrease of $0.1 million in accounts receivable and advances.

Non-financial assets increased by $0.8 million mainly due to an increase of $0.5 million in tangible capital assets and an increase of $0.3 million in prepaid expenses.

Human resources

This section presents an overview of the department’s actual and planned human resources from 2021‑22 to 2026–27. 

Table 14: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services

Table 14 shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for the CRTC’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years.

Analysis of human resources over the last three years

The increase in actual FTEs from 2022-23 to 2023-24 is attributable to staffing required to prepare for and implement the amended Broadcasting Act and the Online News Act, and to advance complex telecommunications matters.

Table 15: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services

Table 15 shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of the CRTC’s core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for the next three years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date. 

Analysis of human resources for the next three years

The planned increase in FTEs in 2024-25 to 2026-27 is attributable to staffing required to prepare for and implement the amended Broadcasting Act, the Online News Act,and to advance complex telecommunications matters.   

Corporate Information

Departmental profile

Appropriate minister: The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage, P.C., M.P.

Institutional head: Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer

Ministerial portfolio: Canadian Heritage

Enabling instrument[s]:

• Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act
• Bell Canada Act
• Broadcasting Act
• Telecommunications Act
• Canada Elections Act
• An Act to promote the efficiency and adaptability of the Canadian economy by regulating certain activities that discourage reliance on electronic means of carrying out commercial activities, and to amend the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act, the Competition Act, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, and the Telecommunications Act, referred to as “Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation” or “CASL” in this document.
• Online News Act

Year of incorporation / commencement: 1968

Departmental contact information

Mailing address:

Les Terrasses de la Chaudière
Central Building
1 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Quebec J8X 4B1

or

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2

Telephone:

In Canada:
Toll-free: 1-877-249-CRTC (2782)
Toll-free TTY line: 1-877-909-CRTC (2782)

Outside Canada:
819-997-0313
TTY line: 819-994-0423

Fax: 819-994-0218

Website: https://www.crtc.gc.ca

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on the CRTC’s website:

• Gender-based analysis plus

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.

Definitions

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3-year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental priority (priorité)

A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. For a particular position, the full-time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])

An analytical tool used to assess support the development of responsive and inclusive how different groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and policies, programs, and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2023–24 Departmental Results Report, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the November 23, 2021, Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fight harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just and equitable world.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

The process of communicating evidence-based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)

A consequence attributed, in part, to an department, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single department, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the department’s influence.

Indigenous business (entreprise autochtones)

For the purpose of the Directive on the Management of Procurement Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses and the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses, a department that meets the definition and requirements as defined by the Indigenous Business Directory.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an appropriation act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.