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About Radio and TV Licences (Applying, Renewing and Obligations)

Indigenous Radio Services and Licences

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About Indigenous Radio Services

Type A (exempted) Indigenous radio stations

In 1998, with the release of Public Notice CRTC 1998-62, the CRTC introduced an exemption order allowing certain types of Indigenous radio stations located in remote areas of Canada, where no other commercial AM or FM radio stations exist in the market, to operate with minimal regulatory oversight. These are known as “Type A” Indigenous radio stations.  The latest version of this exemption order is set out in Appendix 3 to Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2018-137.  Indigenous radio stations that meet the criteria listed in this exemption order do not need a broadcasting licence from the CRTC to operate in Canada.

Type A Indigenous radio stations are also permitted to air commercials, and there are no limits to the amount of advertising that is allowed.

Given the important role played by this sector within the Canadian broadcasting system, the CRTC wishes to maintain a record of the number and location of Indigenous radio stations operating in Canada. Potential Indigenous broadcasters that meet the exemption criteria and wish to take advantage of the exemption order should fill in the registration form and submit it using MyCRTC Account.

You may also reach us by mail (CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2), by Fax: (819) 994-0218, or by phone (toll-free): 1-866-781-1911.

Please note that you must apply to Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) to obtain a frequency and broadcast certification or amendment before submitting this registration to the CRTC.  For more information, call Industry Canada toll-free at 1-800-328-6189 or check its website for offices across the country. Once you have received a Call Sign from ISED, please register with the CRTC.

Type B (licensed) Indigenous radio stations

An Indigenous radio station is a “Type B” station if, at the time the licence is issued or renewed, at least one other commercial AM or FM radio licence is operating in all or any part of the same market, and meets the criteria set out in CRTC 1990-89 (further updated in CRTC 2001-70). Unlike a “Type A” exempted Indigenous radio station, you must apply to the CRTC for a Type B radio licence.

Apply for a Type B Indigenous radio broadcasting license

To apply for a Type B Indigenous radio licence, create a My CRTC Account , then fill out Form 103: Application to Obtain a Broadcasting Licence to operate a Type B Indigenous Radio Undertaking (from the Form pages, select “Radio”). Once completed, submit the form using your My CRTC Account.

You must also apply to ISED for a frequency, and for broadcast certification. To do this, you must contact ISED.

More information about how to apply for a broadcasting licence.

Renew a Type B radio broadcasting licence

To renew your radio broadcasting licence, fill out Form 310: Radio - Abridged Licence Renewal and submit it via your My CRTC Account.  All licensed radio stations must submit this form to be considered in the renewal process.

Obligation to submit annual returns

As set out in the Radio Regulations, 1986, section 9(2), all licensed broadcasters must submit annual returns:

9(2) On or before November 30 of each year, a licensee shall submit to the Commission a statement of accounts, on the annual return of broadcasting licensee form, for the year ending on the previous August 31.

To submit your Annual Return, you need to access the designated forms through the Data Collection System (DCS) using your MyCRTC Account Login.

Access the Data Collection System (DCS):

  • Login to the DCS with your MyCRTC Account Login (GCKey) or Sign-In Partner.
  • Select “Forms” (on the left-hand side in desktop view; select the triple lines at the top right in mobile view).
  • Forms assigned to your entity will be displayed: click “View forms” to access the form.

For help accessing DCS, contact us using the Online Form or call the DCS Help Desk.

For radio stations, you must completed the following DCS forms by November 30th every year:

  • Form 1110 - Radio Station Financial Summary (and other forms, as applicable, explained here)
  • REBP Reporting Entity Profile - Broadcasting
  • Form 1411 for the NPAS form

Obligation to implement National Public Alerting System

In 2014, the CRTC introduced new regulations that require all broadcasters to participate in the National Public Alerting System. As of 31 March 2016, all Indigenous radio and television broadcasters, whether exempt or licensed, are required to have implemented a National Public Alerting System to broadcast emergency alert messages warning the public of imminent or unfolding hazards to life and property (e.g., fire, natural disasters, biological threats, hazardous materials, environmental disasters, civil emergencies).

For more information:

Indigenous Television Services and Licences

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About Indigenous Television Services

Licensed television services

APTN provides a broad range of programming in both official languages and in many Indigenous languages and dialects that reflect the diverse perspectives, lives and cultures of Indigenous Peoples. APTN Inc. operates three regional feeds of its national service (APTN East, APTN West and APTN North) and one high definition (HD) feed (APTN HD). It provides an important television service with news and information programming, documentaries, drama and music programming – all from an Indigenous perspective.

Due to the importance of this service and the diversity it brings to the broadcasting system, in CRTC 2018-340, the Commission renewed APTN’s licence and the requirement for its mandatory distribution on the basic service of all television distributors across Canada.

Low-power television stations

Low-power television stations are also in operation in a number of Indigenous communities across Canada. They are distributed over-the-air and can be received for free using antennas. These services provide local news and information originating from the community.

Exempted (unlicensed) television services

As with certain radio stations, some television services are exempt from the obligation to hold a licence due to their small size (for example, those serving fewer than 200,000 subscribers - see Appendix 4 of Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2023-306) or for other considerations.

One important example of such a service is the one operated by the Legislative Assemblies of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories (read the latest Legislative Assemblies exemption order and mandatory distribution order). This service is devoted exclusively to the broadcast of live and recorded coverage of the proceedings of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories legislative assemblies in Indigenous languages, as well as in English and French.  It is a mandatory service offered in the basic package to all subscribers of television distributors in Canada’s North.

Indigenous television productions

The CRTC believes that private television broadcasters can play an important role in providing access to Indigenous programming, and encourages non-Indigenous broadcasters to air Indigenous-produced programs. As outlined in several recent licence renewal decisions  (for example, Broadcasting Decisions CRTC 2017-143 and CRTC 2017-148), broadcasters can take advantage of certain flexibilities related to their Canadian programming expenditure (CPE) requirements in exchange for spending on programming produced by an Indigenous producer.

In the context of television productions, “Indigenous” means an individual who self-identifies as Indigenous, which includes First Nations, Métis or Inuit, and is a Canadian citizen or resides in Canada, or an independent production company in which at least 51% of the controlling interest is held by one or more individuals who self-identify as Indigenous and are Canadian citizens or reside in Canada.

The effectiveness of these measures will be monitored and assessed each year by requiring private broadcasters to provide the following information, annually: the number of Indigenous producers they meet with each year, a list of projects commissioned from Indigenous producers that are in development, in production and completed; their budgets; and the total CPE devoted to such projects. This data will allow the CRTC and the public to better gauge Indigenous production within the system.

Apply for a television broadcasting licence

For basic television services, a broadcaster may provide its programming to broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs) that distribute its service to their subscribers. All OTA (Over the Air) services must obtain a broadcasting licence. To apply for a television broadcasting licence, fill out Form 102: Application to Operate a Television Programming Undertaking (from the Form page, select “Television”). Once completed, submit the form using your My CRTC Account.

For discretionary services, as described in Broadcasting Order CRTC 2023-307, set out in Appendix 4 of Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2023-306, a broadcaster is exempt from the obligation to hold a broadcasting licence until it reaches a threshold of 210,000 subscribers for three consecutive months. (This does not apply to mainstream sports services.) Once this threshold is attained, the broadcaster must apply for a broadcasting licence using Form 125: Application to operate a discretionary programming undertaking (television) serving more than 200,000 subscribers (from the Form page, select “Television”). Once completed, submit the form using your My CRTC Account.

All exempt discretionary television undertakings must submit Form 308: Registration for exemption of a discretionary programming undertaking (from the Form page, select “Television”), indicating the owner, the name under which the service operates, the service’s contact information, and a brief description of the programming offered by the service. Once completed, submit the form using your My CRTC Account.

More information about how to apply for a broadcasting licence.

Obligation to submit annual returns

To submit your Annual Return, you need to access the designated forms through the Data Collection System (DCS) using your MyCRTC Account Login.

Access the Data Collection System (DCS):

  • Login to the DCS with your MyCRTC Account Login (GCKey) or Sign-In Partner.
  • Select “Forms” (on the left-hand side in desktop view; select the triple lines at the top right in mobile view).
  • Forms assigned to your entity will be displayed: click “View forms” to access the form.

For help accessing DCS, contact us using the Online Form or call the DCS Help Desk.

For television stations, you must complete the following DCS forms by November 30th every year:

  • Form 1210 - Television Station Financial Summary (and other forms, as applicable, explained here)
  • REPB Reporting Entity Profile - Broadcasting
  • Form 1411 for the NPAS form

Obligation to implement National Public Alerting System

In 2014, the CRTC introduced new regulations that require all broadcasters to participate in the National Public Alerting System. As of 31 March 2016, all Indigenous radio and television broadcasters, whether exempt or licensed, are required to have implemented a National Public Alerting System to broadcast emergency alert messages warning the public of imminent or unfolding hazards to life and property (e.g., fire, natural disasters, biological threats, hazardous materials, environmental disasters, civil emergencies).

For more information:

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