The Canadian Broadcasting Act came into force in 1991, protecting Canadian jobs while promoting homegrown content to the masses.
Canadian media have taken a backseat to international content. Other than increasing grants, the government does little to promote or instill any national pride in our media.
The Canadian Media Fund announced a $346 million budget for 2025-26. It’s almost doubled over the past decade, but throwing money at Canadian media isn’t the only spark Canadians need.
The last major reform of the Act was more than 30 years ago. Since then, the internet has become widely available in Canada and has influenced how Canadians discover, access, and consume content such as television shows, music and movies.
The government passed Bill C-11 in 2022. Known as the Online Streaming Act, it amended the existing Broadcasting Act. It does little in the way of solving the amount of quality Canadian media the country receives.
When the new bill was tabled, there was hope to amend some of the outdated measures in the Broadcast Act. The new act is intended to prioritize Canadian interests, while broadening the regulatory scope of the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications (CRTC) to include online broadcasting.
Some will argue that 40 per cent of Canadian content isn’t enough on the radio, for example. But that isn’t what the amendment proposes. Bill C-11 gives the CRTC power over streaming services to manipulate algorithms. The CRTC could bury international media into whichever viewership bracket it deems fit.
To its benefit, it requires streaming services to financially support Canadian media and recommend more Canadian productions on its platforms.
It aims to increase visibility, which is a good start, but put into the wrong hands, it’s censorship.
The tool constructed in Bill C-11 is to manipulate playlists, feeds and algorithms. The simple solution of producing and promoting quality local content, then having Canadians decide, has gone over the government’s head when enacting this bill.
Incentivizing Canadians to watch Canadian programming by producing better media than its competitors is far better than having the CRTC censor the content Canadians currently prefer to view. The goals of having more Canadian media are to cement the culture this country holds dear, not police it.
Canadians have seen what can happen when networks and streaming services produce high-quality programming with The Handmaid's Tale, Schitt's Creek and Shoresy.
Canadians have seen a surge in pride over the past year from the ongoing fight with U.S. tariffs, and have continued to show their pride by purchasing locally made items. Unfortunately, that pride hasn’t revealed itself by way of the media. Canadian media exists, but it blends in with the surrounding American and British media.
Companies such as Crave, a Canadian streaming service, have tried to do their part in promoting and producing Canadian content. Notably, Indigenous content has had little success.
Our media needs to reflect the country to know what it means to be Canadian. So far, that hasn’t been the case. Glimpses of it shine through, but the government doesn’t grab hold of the nationalism Canadians feel.
The way of defining Canadian programming among the populace varies. A survey done by the CRTC says 72 per cent of Canadians identify Canadian media based on its filming location, while only 58 per cent agreed that media reflecting Canadian realities justified its Canadian identity.
Location provides jobs, revenue and can instill a bit of pride, but Canadian content should reflect the culture and pride of the country. The CRTC is more interested in private entities being the centre point of benefiting from Canadian content, while Canadian patrons aren’t.
The purpose of the CRTC is to advocate and preserve Canadian culture in media. Unfortunately, their decisions are guided only by revenue. Revenue is important, but as we’ve seen with the “buy Canadian” reform, revenue is possible while maintaining pride in what Canada produces.
Bottom line, Canadians suffer. Canadians don’t get to enjoy or have a say in the music, TV or film that reflects them. While the majority cares, it’s a slight majority.
The rhetoric needs to change. Support Canadian film, music and television with your viewership. Let your voice be heard. Unfortunately, the CRTC has made it abundantly clear that they don’t hear voices. They hear wallets.
