CRTC looks for input on how to spend new revenue to support local news in smaller communities

Shortliffe is the CRTC’s Executive Director of Broadcasting. He says there are increasing pressures on advertising, news is expensive to produce and news sources are drying up.

The Canadian Radio-television Commission (CRTC) is looking for input on a temporary fund to support local news in smaller communities. In June, the CRTC announced that new funding from online streaming services would be directed to areas of immediate need in the Canadian broadcasting system. The fund will be administered by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and will be available to stations outside of larger cities. Scott Shortliffe is the CRTC’s Executive Director of Broadcasting. He says there are increasing pressures on advertising, news is expensive to produce and news sources are drying up. The CRTC has funded independent local tv stations and provided support for  the Community Radio Fund of Canada for some time now. but Shortliffe says the part that was missing is commercial radio stations. The Online Streaming Act gave the CRTC authority over specific companies and that’s where this money is coming from. Shortliffe  says the Online News Act involves Google’s arrangement to pay 100 million to Canadian News operations. Shortliffe says they estimate it could be up to tens of millions of dollars and could support 100’s of radio stations. Roughly one third of the fund will go to broadcasters and money should start flowing early in 2025. To make comments visit the CRTC website which will be accepted until  December 4th