Search

ASL – Conditions of Service for Online Streaming Undertakings (2 of 3)

Video is also available in Langue des signes québecoise (LSQ).

LSQ

Video Transcript

Pursuant to subsections 9.1(1) and 9.1(4) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act) the CRTC proposes to make orders imposing the following conditions of service on the carrying on of certain audio-visual online streaming undertakings.

The orders come into effect on 25 May 2027, unless otherwise specified in this order.

Interpretation

The following definitions apply in this order:

An “original program” is a program created or commissioned by an online streaming undertaking, or a related entity, and made available on its platform.

A reference to “program” only includes a program in which the original language is English or French.

Application

The proposed conditions of service set out herein apply to the operators carrying on audio-visual online streaming undertakings that must register pursuant to the Online Undertakings Registration Regulations and Online Undertakings Registration Regulations, and exemption order regarding those regulations, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2023-329 and Broadcasting Order CRTC 2023-330, 29 September 2023. The proposed conditions of service do not apply in respect to the unique transaction services of these online undertakings.

The proposed conditions of service also do not apply when the undertaking is operating as the online extension of a traditional broadcasting distribution undertaking and, in that capacity, is broadcasting programs from a Canadian on-demand service operating pursuant to an exemption order issued by the CRTC under subsection 9(4) of the Act.

Conditions of service

  1. Audio-visual online streaming undertakings shall provide closed captioning for 100% of new original pre-recorded programs broadcast on their platforms.
  2. Audio-visual online streaming undertakings shall provide closed captioning for 100% of programs broadcast on their platforms that have previously been broadcast on linear television with captions.
  3. Audio-visual online streaming undertakings shall provide closed captioning for 100% of their original live programs.
  4. Audio-visual online streaming undertakings shall include closed captioning for non-original live programs when made available by a third-party supplier.
  5. Audio-visual online streaming undertakings shall provide closed captioning for 80% of programs available on their platforms by 27 May 2030, followed by 100% of programs available on their platforms by 26 May 2031.
  6. Audio-visual online streaming undertakings shall provide closed captioning for 100% of promotional and short-form original programs.
  7. Audio-visual online streaming undertakings shall attain 100% accuracy for new original pre-recorded programs. Accuracy refers to captions that match the spoken words in the dialogue, that include accurate spelling, and that convey non-speech contextual information, such as background noises, music, and other sounds, as well as the identity of speakers and their manner of speaking, to the fullest extent possible.
  8. Audio-visual online streaming undertakings shall adhere to the following additional quality standards for new original pre-recorded programs:
    1. Placement: captions must be positioned to avoid covering action, visual elements, or any information required to understand the message, must not overlap one another, and must not run off the edge of the screen. The placement of captions must meet this standard unless the user has deliberately customized the captions in a way that does not match the standard;
    2. Lag time or synchronicity: captions must coincide with their corresponding spoken words and sounds to the greatest extent possible and must be displayed on the screen at a speed that can be read by viewers; and
    3. Completeness: captions must run from the beginning to the end of the program, to the fullest extent possible.
  9. Audio-visual online streaming undertakings must submit an implementation report confirming their compliance with the requirements listed above by 25 June 2027.
  10. Beginning in 2027, audio-visual online streaming undertakings shall submit a report by 30 November of each year that details, for the 12-month period ending on the previous 31 August:
    1. what internal closed captioning quality standards they employ for original live programs, including standards for accuracy, lag time or synchronicity, placement, and completeness;
    2. what they are doing to ensure that the closed captioning provided by third parties, when available, is of high quality, including standards for accuracy, placement, lag time or synchronicity, and completeness, and any internal quality control processes in use or in development for non-original programs;
    3. the number of complaints received related to closed captioning on an annual basis; and
    4. their progress:
      1. providing closed captioning for non-original live programs on an annual basis;
      2. achieving the benchmarks set out in condition of service 5 in their annual closed captioning report until they can confirm their compliance with the 100% benchmark;
      3. providing closed captioning for advertisements, non-original promotional programs and short-form programs; and
      4. implementing caption customization.
Previous video Next video

Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2026-98

Consultation on closed captioning of programming from online streaming services

Date modified: