Introduction

The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) is the national voice of Canada’s private broadcasters, representing the vast majority of Canadian programming services, including private radio and television stations, networks, specialty, pay and pay-per-view services. The goal of the CAB is to represent and advance the interests of Canada’s private broadcasters in the social, cultural and economic fabric of the country.

The CAB advocates for a strong Canadian broadcasting system through its work on a number of important public policy and regulatory matters. This section of our website provides an overview of the key issues the Association is actively working on at this time, on behalf of its members and the Canadians they serve, in every community across our country.

Canada's Private Broadcasting Industry – A Primer

	The Canadian broadcasting system is comprised of private, public and community broadcasters offering a variety of programming in English, French, and over 40 other languages including Aboriginal languages.
	Canada’s private broadcasters are a vital economic engine in urban centres and in small communities in all regions of the country. Private broadcasting (radio, television, specialty and pay, and pay-per-view) employs over 23,000 people.
	Canadian private television broadcasters make substantial expenditures on programming in a number of different genres. In the 2005/06 broadcast year, broadcasters invested more than $1.5 billion in news and other information; sports; drama and comedy; music and variety; human interest and other content.
	Private radio and television services enjoy by far the largest share of the Canadian audience, attracting the majority of viewers and listeners to Canadian content.
	Every year, Canada’s private broadcasters help raise tens of millions of dollars for various charitable initiatives in communities across the country. The industry’s contribution takes many forms, including the donation of airtime for telethons or radiothons, the airing of public service announcements in support of charitable organizations, or the volunteering of time and energy in support of local groups.
	Private broadcasting in Canada is a regulated industry, with conditions of licence for each individual broadcaster established by the CRTC.  The industry is also overseen by the federal departments of Canadian Heritage and Industry Canada, through numerous Acts of Parliament. The rates of tariff payments for the use of copyrighted works by broadcasters are set by the Copyright Board.

Private Radio

	Private radio is the soul of many Canadian communities, acting as a great unifier in times of celebration and a source of information in emergency situations.
	Under the CRTC’s current Commercial Radio Policy, most private radio stations must ensure that 35 per cent of all popular music aired each week is Canadian. Private French-language radio stations are also required to ensure that 65 per cent of the vocal music they broadcast each week, and 55 per cent of vocal music broadcast between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, is in the French language.
	Programming is key to Canadian Radio. Private radio broadcasters pay almost $75 million each year in copyright royalties for the use of music they broadcast.
	Private radio broadcasters help foster and develop Canadian music artists through direct financial contributions to eligible third parties associated with Canadian Content Development such as FACTOR, MUSICACTION, national and provincial music organizations, performing arts groups, schools and scholarship recipients. Private radio has also created the Radio Starmaker Fund / Fonds RadioStar, designed to market and to promote Canadian music artists.
	In the 2005/06 broadcast year, private radio broadcasters contributed almost $24 million to the development of Canadian music artists.

Private Television

	Canadian television plays an important role in informing and entertaining audiences and showcasing Canadian talent.
	Conventional television broadcasters’ primary source of revenue is the sale of advertising. Advertising revenue for the English language conventional private television sector increased from almost $4 billion in 2001/02 to slightly more than $5 billion in 2005/06, based on a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2%. By comparison, Internet ad revenues have increased from $176 million in 2002 to $1 billion in 2006, based on an impressive CAGR of 55%.
	Private television broadcasters generally must achieve a yearly Canadian content level of at least 60%. In addition, each television broadcaster must devote at least 50% of its evening broadcast to Canadian programming.
	Canada’s private television broadcasters make considerable investments in Canadian programming, with expenditures on eligible Canadian programming totalling close to $624 million during the 2005/06 broadcast year.

Specialty, Pay and Pay-Per-View Services

	Canada’s specialty and pay services play an increasingly important role in bringing Canadian programming to Canadian viewers. In 2005/06, this sector invested more than $890 million in Canadian programming.
	Specialty, pay and pay-per-view services have varying Canadian content requirements which are set by the CRTC taking into account a number of factors, including the nature of the service, the availability of programming and distribution status.

Revised: November 2007