Regulatory plan to modernize Canada’s broadcasting framework

Phase 1 lays the groundwork for future policy work and determines whether online streaming services need to make initial financial contributions to support Canada’s broadcasting system.

  Spring 2023 (complete)

• April 27: Online Streaming Act (Bill C-11) receives Royal Assent.
• May 8: CRTC publishes its Regulatory Plan.
• May 12: CRTC publishes an Information Bulletin.

• Consultation on contributions to the Canadian broadcasting system
  This consultation considered who should contribute, how much, and how. It focused on whether there should be an initial base contribution made by online streaming services in the system to support Canadian and Indigenous content.

  Status: Decision issued

• Consultation on registration of online streaming services
  This consultation considered which online streaming services need to be registered with the CRTC, how this should be done and helped define who will not need to register.

  Status: Decision issued. See list of registered online broadcasting ownership groups.

• Consultation on exemption orders and basic conditions of service
  This consultation considered changes to some basic conditions of service and orders under which online services have operated in Canada.

  Status: Decision issued

This phase looks at the policy issues for the new regulatory framework and will include the following public consultations and hearings.

  Summer/Fall 2023 (complete)

• Consultation on fees regulations
  This consultation reviewed the regulatory fees paid by Canadian broadcasters and how they should be extended to online streaming services.

  Status: Decision issued

  Winter 2024 (complete)

• Engagement on definitions of Canadian content
  These preliminary engagement sessions with industry and creators will help design the approach for a future public consultation.

  Status: Completed. A “What we heard” report from these sessions will be published in summer 2024.

  Spring 2024 (in progress)

• Consultation on Indigenous broadcasting policy
  The CRTC is co-developing with Indigenous peoples a modernized Indigenous broadcasting policy. This consultation is gathering views on how to support Indigenous broadcasters and content creators, and ensure Indigenous stories and voices are represented, easily found and shared across all platforms (both traditional and online). Indigenous content definitions will also be co-determined through this process.

  Status: Open from March 22 to July 22, 2024. This is the first consultation in a multi-step co-development process.

• Other activity:

  • Announced the creation of Indigenous Relations Team. This new team will support Indigenous participation in CRTC proceedings and will ensure the distinct nature and lived experiences of Indigenous peoples are considered across the CRTC’s work.

  Summer 2024 (upcoming)

• Consultation on closed captioning
  This consultation will study how Canadians who rely on closed captioning can have access to barrier-free programming on traditional and online platforms. Comments in American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) will be accepted.

  Status: Open from June 25 to August 19, 2024.

• Consultation on described video and audio description
  This consultation will study how Canadians who rely on described video and audio description can have access to barrier-free programming on traditional and online platforms.

  Status: Open from June 25 to August 26, 2024.

• Other activities:

  • Publish the list of registered online streaming services.
  • Strengthen the CRTC’s commitment to official languages, consistent with the modernized Act and the Official Languages Act.
  • Release a report on what we heard during the preliminary engagement sessions on the definitions of Canadian content.

  Fall 2024 (upcoming)

• Consultation on public interest participation
  This consultation will explore new ways to fund the participation of groups that represent the public interest in CRTC proceedings.

  Winter 2024–2025 (upcoming)

• Consultation on structural relationships
  This consultation will examine the relationships between small, medium, and large players in traditional broadcasting and online streaming. The CRTC will look at the tools currently in place and what tools it might use in the future.

  A public hearing will follow.

  Spring 2025 (upcoming)

• Consultation on definitions of Canadian audiovisual content
  This consultation will examine the CRTC’s definition of Canadian content for television and online programming.

  A public hearing will follow.

• Consultation on audio content
  This consultation will look at all aspects of radio and audio streaming services in Canada. The CRTC will examine issues including how to support the industry, support Canadian music, how to define audio content, and what regulatory obligations should exist.

  A public hearing will follow.

• Consultation on news programming
  This consultation will study how to ensure everyone has access to strong, high quality and diverse local and national news programming on TV, radio and online in Canada.

  A public hearing will follow.

  Winter 2025–2026 (upcoming)

• Consultations on inclusion and diversity
  The CRTC will hold a series of consultations to look at how the broadcasting system can better reflect the experiences of all people in Canada and foster access to diverse voices and perspectives.

  Spring 2026 (upcoming)

• Consultation on the CRTC Rules of Practice and Procedure
  This consultation will review the current Rules of practices and procedures, which govern CRTC proceedings, so that they are more agile, easier to understand and more efficient.

This phase will focus on implementing the policy decisions listed above.

The CRTC will finalize the contributions online streaming services and traditional broadcasters will have to make to support Canadian and Indigenous content. We will also start to issue conditions of service that reflect how each radio station, television service and online streaming service should support the goals of the broadcasting system.

More details on Phase 3 will be included in future updates to this plan.