The CRTC released the fourth* part of its new policy framework for Canadian television on March 12, 2015, dealing with Canadian television programming, reducing annual Canadian content requirements for OTA TV stations from 55%, to 17%.
Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2015-86 announces that the Commission will drop the current requirement that 55% of the programming broadcast by over-the-air TV stations from 6 am to midnight be Canadian, but retain the current requirement that 50% of the programming broadcast in the six hours from 6 pm to midnight be Canadian.
Total Canadian content levels for free over-the-air television stations will therefore fall from 55%, to 16.7%.
(Here is the math:
The broadcast day is now defined by section 2 of the CRTC’s TV regulations as the eighteen hours from 6 am to midnight – 6,570 hours over 365 days. The evening broadcast period is defined by section 4(2) of the CRTC’s TV regulations as the six hours from 6 pm to midnight – 2,190 hours over 365 days. Fifty percent of the evening broadcast period amounts to 1,095 hours over 365 days: 1,095 hours represents 16.7% of the broadcast year.)
* The three other parts of the CRTC’s new television framework are:
• the over-the-air local TV programming and transmission policy (2015-24, 29 January 2015)
• the simultaneous substitution policy for the Super Bowl and major events (2015-25, 29 January 2015), and
• the 30-day cable/satellite cancellation policy (2014-576, 6 November 2014).