Canada: Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission opened consultation on reviewing definition of Canadian program and expenditure requirements

On 15 November 2024, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) opened the consultation on reviewing the definition of Canadian program and expenditure requirements (CRTC 2024-288), until 20 January 2025, to review the definition of “Canadian program” and the expenditure requirements applied to traditional broadcasting undertakings and online undertakings. The consultation seeks comments on creative positions, cultural elements, the definition of “showrunner,” creative control, the role of intellectual property rights, production-cost thresholds, time credits, foreign courtesy credits, and discontinuation of certification for production packages, twinnings, pilot projects, and adult programming. It requests input on Canadian programming expenditures, programs of national interest, news programming, Indigenous content, French-language content, OLMC content, and data-reporting obligations under paragraph 9.1(1)(o) of the Broadcasting Act. The notice states that a public hearing will begin on 31 March 2025 in Gatineau, Quebec, and that interventions must comply with the CRTC Rules of Practice and Procedure. It states that the proceeding forms part of the CRTC’s regulatory plan and will rely on workshops conducted in February and March 2024 and forthcoming public opinion research.