Canadian radio wants the CRTC to “start over on radio regulations”

Talk to anyone who works with Canadian content in this country, and they’ll tell you the regulatory system is pretty messed up when it comes to government rules on how traditional, terrestrial, good ol’ over-the-air radio has to operate. Without boring you with all the details–you almost need a PhD to be CanCon ninja–let’s summarize it this way.

• The CanCon rules came into effect on January 18, 1971. Since then, Canadian radio stations have had to devote a specific percentage of everything they play between 6am and midnight to Canadian music. The quota began at 30% and is now 35%.
• Canadian radio has had to pay into various funds to make sure the domestic music industry was supported. That included FACTOR, Starmaker, something called Canadian Content Development, and in circumstances involving the transfer of ownership of stations, another thing called Tangible Benefits which could mount to tens of millions of dollars.
• The rules for defining what and what is not “Canadian” so bureaucrats has always been frustrating, contradictory, and confusing. (I try to explain things here.)
• There have been attempts to reform the Radio Act (I was deeply involved in the 2005 effort), but nothing has really changed since the 90s.
• Satellite radio runs under different rules than terrestrial radio.
• Internet radio (specifically streams other than simulcasts of terrestrial radio) doesn’t have any rules at all.
• Streaming music platforms don’t have any rules to worry about

So yeah, radio operates on regulations that were put in place before the internet came along in the 90s. That’s a little dumb, innit? Radio just wants the playing field for everyone.

The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (which represent 500 stations across the country) put out a statement today (March 12) demanding that the CRTC rip things up and start again.

“This is an exceptional request for the broadcasting industry to make of its regulator, but the response from our radio members was overwhelming and unified,” said CAB President Kevin Desjardins. “Rather than bold proposals to address the fundamental shifts in consumer and advertising behaviour fostered by online streaming services, the Commission’s preliminary views effectively affirm a regulatory status quo, proposing to maintain – and even increase – competitively disadvantageous obligations for Canadian commercial radio operators.”

“The Commission’s initial views outline an approach that hasn’t changed since 2006 – before the rise of iPhones, Apple Music, and Spotify – and that would be disastrous for commercial radio in hundreds of communities across Canada, at a time when local news and programming are increasingly at risk,” continued Desjardins.

The CRTC released Broadcasting Notice of Consultation 2025-52 on February 20, 2025, as part of its work to implement the Online Streaming Act. The CAB believes that this Notice fails to properly balance the need for radio to continue to remain relevant with their audiences and financially viable against the desire for them to continue to make contributions to meet cultural policy goals.

“A healthy commercial radio sector is the foundation of any public policy approach to the audio sector. The Canadian-owned and controlled broadcasting sector needs the Commission to let go of outdated approaches to regulation, and ground their important work in the reality of today’s audio market,” said Desjardins.

Ooo. It’s shaping up to be an interesting RadioDays North America in Toronto this May. It’s part of the Departure conference, the new version of Canadian Music Week.