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Do you live in an area where you have choice of service?
For concerns related to PVRs, digital boxes and remote controls, please contact your service provider directly.
For concerns related to billing errors, rate increases or equipment costs, you should try to resolve the issue with your service provider. Many questions or complaints are resolved at this stage. If your issue remains unresolved, you may want to consider re-examining the services you have with your provider or consider an alternative, competitive provider.
If you subscribe to a cable service (that has over 20,000 subscribers in your area); or to a satellite TV provider; or a telephone company offering TV service over the internet, your provider must give you the option of subscribing to a basic TV package priced at no more than $25 (excluding equipment and taxes).
The basic TV package includes:
- local and regional television stations
- channels of public interest that must currently be distributed to all subscribers (such as the Cable Public Affairs Channel, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, and the Weather Network)
- provincial educational channels
- and, if available, community channels and the services operated by provincial legislatures.
In addition, providers may also include, in the basic TV package, local AM and FM radio stations, additional Canadian stations from another province or territory, and stations affiliated with the U.S. commercial networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and PBS).
After you subscribe to the entry-level service, you may choose to pick and pay for singular additional services; or choose from small pre-assembled packages; or create your own package.
Make sure you shop around. If you decide to switch, you won’t be charged disconnection fees. However, make sure you consider:
- whether there are any charges for new equipment;
- whether the new provider offers service to your area;
- that there are no unmet conditions to you receiving their service such as equipment restrictions where you live; and
- if you subscribe to a bundle of services with your current provider, you may lose any benefits or rebates by removing the TV service from the bundle.
See all of the competitive options available to you: You Have Choices. Demand Better.
If you suspect that your provider is not following the CRTC’s rules, please let us know by filling out our complaint form.
If you think that a TV commercial is excessively louder than the preceding program, and that the perceived difference in volume is not due to other factors, contact your broadcaster or television service provider about your concerns.
If you cannot resolve the issue by dealing directly with your broadcaster or television service provider, and you believe that they have not adopted the necessary measures to ensure that commercials are transmitted at a similar volume to the adjacent programming, contact us about your sound levels issue. We will get back to you within 10 business days.
Your complaint must include:
- an acknowledgement that you have contacted the broadcaster or television service provider regarding this issue
- a description of the problem and/or your concerns
- the name of your television provider and the name of the TV station
- the date and time of the program
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For concerns related to rate increases, please contact your service provider directly.
For concerns related to , you should try to resolve the issue with your service provider. Many questions or complaints are resolved at this stage.
If your issue remains unresolved, please contact the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) for assistance. The CCTS is an independent organization dedicated to working with you and your telecommunications service provider to resolve complaints relating to your telecommunications services.
Contact the CCTS
If you are a Northwestel customer, please contact us directly.
The National Do Not Call List (DNCL) gives consumers a choice about receiving telemarketing calls. You can choose to reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive by registering your residential, wireless, fax or VoIP telephone number on the National DNCL. Register for the National DNCL.
Telemarketing complaints must be submitted to the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) online or by phone at 1-866-580-DNCL (3625).
Contact the DNCL
Political parties that are registered on the Voter Contact Registry (VCR) are permitted by law to contact you.
If you have been called by someone you think may have violated the VCR requirements, contact us about your issue.
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For concerns related to inappropriate content in advertising, you should try to resolve the issue with the broadcaster. Many questions or complaints are resolved at this stage.
If your issue remains unresolved, please contact Advertising Standards Canada (ASC). As Canada’s advertising self-regulatory body, they administer the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, the principal instrument of advertising self-regulation in Canada. The Code sets the criteria for acceptable advertising and forms the basis for the review and adjudication of consumer and advertising disputes.
Contact the ASC
If you believe the ad to be false or misleading, please contact the Competition Bureau. The Competition Bureau promotes truth in advertising in the marketplace by discouraging deceptive business practices and by encouraging the provision of sufficient information to enable informed consumer choice.
Contact the Competition Bureau
For concerns related to programming, you should try to resolve the issue with the station. Many questions or complaints are resolved at this stage.
Is the broadcaster a member of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC)?
The CBSC is the complaints resolution body for private radio and TV stations and discretionary services. Check if the broadcaster is a member of the CBSC. If it is, contact the Council.
Contact the CBSC
What to do if the broadcaster is not a member of the CBSC.
If your broadcaster is not a member of the CBSC, contact us about your issue. We will get back to you within 10 business days.
Your complaint must include:
- a description of the problem and/or your concerns
- the name of the station
- the date and time of the program
Contact us
For concerns related to programming, you should try to resolve the issue with the station. Many questions or complaints are resolved at this stage.
Is the broadcaster a member of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC)?
The CBSC is the complaints resolution body for private radio and TV stations and discretionary services. Check if the broadcaster is a member of the CBSC. If it is, contact the Council.
Contact the CBSC
What to do if the broadcaster is not a member of the CBSC.
If your broadcaster is not a member of the CBSC, contact us about your issue. We will get back to you within 10 business days.
Your complaint must include:
- a description of the problem and/or your concerns
- the name of the station
- the date and time of the program
Contact us
If you have a question about Internet spam, visit Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation website.
If you have a complaint about Internet spam, please submit it to the Spam Reporting Centre.
Contact the Spam Reporting Centre
If you have an accessibility complaint related to phone, TV or Internet services, we can help.
If your accessibility complaint is not related to phone, TV or Internet services, we may refer you to another organization that is better suited to address your issue.
Before you file a complaint with us, you may want to look into whether one of the organizations listed below is more appropriate to deal with your accessibility complaint.
- Transportation services
- Human Rights
- If you are employed in a Government of Canada department or agency, or by the Parliament of Canada
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This appears to fall within our mandate. We will get back to you within 10 business days.
Your complaint must include:
- a description of the problem and/or your concerns
- the name of your television provider and the name of the TV station
- the date and time of the program
Your complaint must include:
- the date and time of the program
- the title or description of the program
- the channel number and name of the programming service
- the name of your television provider
- how the apparent error affected your ability to the watch program
Contact us
Get answers for the most popular questions this month.