The head of Canada’s broadcast regulator says implementing new streaming rules is taking time because the work is complex, even as critics accuse the agency of moving too slowly.
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission chair Vicky Eatrides said the regulator wants to modernize Canada’s broadcasting system quickly, but must balance speed with getting decisions right.
She said the agency is dealing with a major overhaul of decades-old rules while weighing many competing views from the public and industry stakeholders.
The debate centres on the Online Streaming Act, passed in 2023, which expanded the CRTC’s authority to regulate online streaming platforms operating in Canada.
The law is meant to require streaming services to contribute more to Canadian content and bring online platforms closer to the rules long applied to traditional broadcasters.
Critics say progress has been too slow. This week, CPAC linked part of its decision to cut two flagship programs and reduce staff to delays in the implementation of the new regime.
Federal Culture Minister Marc Miller also expressed disappointment, saying the regulator should be moving faster to ensure online streamers pay their fair share.
Eatrides responded that the CRTC has already introduced some important steps, including a new definition of Canadian content and initial contribution requirements for streamers.
She also noted the regulator received more than 1,700 submissions during consultations, showing how divided and complicated the issue has become.
One early CRTC decision required streamers to contribute five per cent of annual Canadian revenues toward funds supporting Canadian programming. However, that move is currently being challenged in court, and the Federal Court of Appeal previously paused those payments pending a ruling.
Despite that legal challenge, Eatrides said the CRTC is continuing its broader work and remains focused on the mandate given by Parliament.
The issue has also taken on international significance. U.S. officials have identified both the Online Streaming Act and the Online News Act as trade concerns ahead of future North American trade discussions.
Still, the CRTC says its role is not political. It maintains that decisions will continue to be based on legislation, evidence and the public record rather than outside pressure.
For Canadians, the outcome of these decisions could shape how global streaming giants contribute to local television, film, music and news for years to come.