Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault announced on March
30, 2020 that after discussions with the Government of Canada, the
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
will not require broadcasters to pay Part I licence fees for the
2020–21 fiscal year. The Minster also indicated that the
government will transfer necessary funds to the CRTC to support its
operations. This is the first concrete step to provide fiscal
support to the broadcasting industry in the fight against
COVID-19.
Like all other essential services that must operate during the
pandemic, broadcasters are facing immense challenges amid
widespread concerns about meeting programming requirements and
their employee obligations despite declining revenue.