CRTC helps the radio star 

The CRTC has launched a public consultation on the creation of a temporary fund to support local radio news. The fund will be administered by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) and available to stations outside of the major centres of Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottawa-Gatineau.

The proposed fund is part of the CRTC’s implementation of the Online Streaming Act, formerly Bill C-11. 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, including local radio news. The CRTC determined that a new temporary fund for commercial radio stations in smaller markets should be created since local news has an important role in small communities across Canada.

The Act requires online streaming services to contribute 5% of their Canadian revenues to support the local broadcasting system. Audio online undertakings will be required to contribute 1.5% of their Canadian revenues to the temporary fund.

The Online Streaming Act, which amended the Broadcasting Act, requires the CRTC to modernize Canada’s broadcasting framework and ensure that online streaming services make meaningful contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content. Canadians are invited to submit comments about the proposed fund until December 19, 2024 via an online form, by fax or in writing to the Secretary General of the CRTC.

Pour one out for MTV Canada

Come January 1, 2025 MTV Canada will be no more.

Bell has confirmed that, because of changing audiences, the channel will be put to rest, with its remaining programs spread between Paramount+, Crave, or Bell linear channels like CTV or Much.

The channel lasted nearly 20 years. Bell debuted it as TalkTV in 2000, but was later relaunched in 2006 as MTV Canada. Though ostensibly the homegrown version of the iconic American music channel, MTV Canada was always a little different from its more famous sibling. Since MuchMusic was a channel that played music videos, the CRTC restricted how much music MTV Canada could broadcast at the time of its launch. Instead, it showed zeitgeisty reality shows like Jersey Shore, The Hills, and Teen Mom along with talk shows that discussed said programs. One of which, MTV Live, launched the career of actor Dan Levy.

With files from Greg Hudson