CRTC Extends Exemption Of New Media Broadcasters

On June 4, 2009, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) released Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2009-329: Review of broadcasting in new media (the Decision). Unlike traditional television and radio broadcasting services, broadcasting services that are delivered and accessed over the Internet or received by mobile devices (new media broadcasters) had been exempted by the CRTC from licensing and other regulatory requirements of the Broadcasting Act. The CRTC had conducted a proceeding to examine, among other things, whether these exemption orders warranted revision or elimination.

In the Decision, the CRTC concluded that currently, regulatory intervention remains unnecessary; accordingly, it determined that it will continue to exempt new media broadcasters.