Ensuring a Place for Canadian Services

Canadian Services First

A strong and diverse Canadian broadcasting system is a primary objective of Canada's Broadcasting Act, which states, in part, that:

Canadians have reason to be proud of their television system. Although it has developed in close proximity to the world's most prolific producer and exporter of popular television programming, our system supports a large number of distinctly Canadian television stations and discretionary television services. It also offers some of the best of foreign programming, whether on available foreign services or in the schedules of Canadian television stations.

Ensuring a Place for Canadian Services

Distribution undertakings (e.g. cable, direct-to-home (DTH)) must offer more Canadian than non-Canadian audio and television services to each of their subscribers.

The CRTC recognizes the importance of reflecting French-language broadcasting services in a minority environment. It has also adopted policies and regulations to increase the availability to cable subscribers of discretionary services in the minority official language.

In addition, CRTC policies and regulations use the following tools to ensure a diversity of Canadian programming services:

Mandatory Canadian Services

The CRTC has identified Canadian television services that cable companies and direct-to-home satellite services must provide to their subscribers as part of their basic programming package.  These channels are also part of the entry-level package that must be priced at no more than $25 a month. For details read sections 17 to 19 of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations.

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