Search

Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-267

PDF version

Gatineau, 10 October 2025

Public record: 1011-NOC2025-0267

Call for comments on proposed amendments to existing exemption orders for various types of radio programming undertakings

Deadline for submission of interventions: 20 October 2025

Deadline for submission of replies: 30 October 2025

[Submit an intervention or view related documents]

Summary

Broadcasting exemption orders establish the terms and conditions under which certain types of broadcasting undertakings may be eligible to broadcast without a licence. The purpose of exemption orders is to ease the regulatory burden on broadcasters and use fewer Commission resources for small, temporary, or niche radio services that will have limited impact on licensed broadcasters.

Under the modernized Broadcasting Act, the Commission is authorized to make orders imposing conditions of service on exempt undertakings. The Commission considers that this is an efficient way to approach the imposition of regulatory obligations on such undertakings.

As a result, in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2025-265, the Commission announced that it would update the existing exemption orders to allow for the imposition of conditions of service on exempt radio undertakings. It also announced that it would require exempt tourist information stations to keep audio recordings and program logs similar to the requirement currently imposed on licensed undertakings in order to facilitate monitoring in case of complaints. In addition, it noted that it would require exempt house of worship stations to register with the Commission, allowing it to receive useful information from these stations.

Through this consultation, the Commission is seeking comments on the proposed amendments to existing exemption orders and on the proposed orders imposing conditions on the operation of exempt stations.

The deadline for the receipt of interventions is 20 October 2025. The deadline for the receipt of replies is 30 October 2025. Only parties who file interventions may file a reply to matters raised during the interventions phase.

Background

  1. The Commission is responsible for regulating and supervising the Canadian broadcasting system, including regulating radio programming undertakings in Canada and ensuring that they broadcast in compliance with their licences, or with an exemption order issued by the Commission.
  2. Pursuant to section 31.1 of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), all persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings, other than online undertakings, must hold a licence or be exempt from the requirement to hold a licence. Subsection 9(4) of the Act provides that the Commission shall exempt persons who carry on broadcasting undertakings from any or all of the requirements of Part II of the Act or an order or regulation made thereunder if it is “satisfied that compliance with those requirements will not contribute in a material manner to the implementation of the broadcasting policy set out in subsection 3(1).”
  3. Broadcasting exemption orders establish the terms and conditions under which undertakings must operate to be eligible to broadcast without a licence. Exempt broadcasting undertakings must comply at all times with the criteria and conditions of service set out in the exemption order that is relevant to them and adhere to certain technical requirements from the Department of Industry (also known as Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada, hereafter, the Department) when using the airwaves.
  4. As indicated in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2018-137, the purpose of exemption orders is to ease the regulatory burden on broadcasters and use fewer Commission resources for small, temporary or niche radio services that will have limited impact on licensed broadcasters.

Proposed amendments

  1. Under the previous version of the Act, the Commission could only hold persons operating exempt services to account by finding that they were broadcasting without a licence or proper authorization. This requirement was onerous and, in some cases, made it difficult to address concerns with the operation of these services. The modernized Act has introduced additional flexibility for the Commission to regulate and supervise exempt services. In particular, it has made it possible for the Commission to make orders imposing conditions of service on exempt undertakings. The Commission considers that the ability to address concerns through non-compliance with conditions of service offers a more efficient approach to regulatory oversight of exempt services than the current framework. As presently worded, however, the Commission’s exemption orders preclude the making of such orders.
  2. Accordingly, consistent with the determinations made in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2025-265, the Commission proposes to amend the following exemption orders to reflect the modernized Act and allow for the imposition of conditions of service on exempt undertakings, as well as to update certain language and provide consistency in the wording of the criteria and conditions:
    • Exemption order for low-power tourist information related radio programming undertakings (see Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2018-137);
    • Exemption order for low-power radio programming undertakings providing programming that is derived solely from houses of worship (see Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2018-137);
    • Exemption order respecting certain Indigenous radio undertakings (see Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2018-137);
    • Exemption order respecting radio and television temporary network special event type 1 undertakings (see Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2018-137);
    • Exemption order respecting low-power radio: limited duration special event facilitating undertakings (see Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2018-137);
    • Exemption order respecting low-power radio: ultra low power announcement service undertakings (see Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2018-137);
    • Exemption order respecting carrier current undertakings whose services are not carried on distribution undertakings (see Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2018-137);
    • Exemption order for radiocommunication distribution undertakings (see Broadcasting Order 2014-446);
    • Exemption order respecting network operations (see Broadcasting Public Notice 2006-143);
    • Exemption order respecting public emergency radio undertakings (see Public Notice 2000-11);
    • Exemption order respecting low-power radio: temporary resource development distribution undertakings (see Public Notice 2000-10); and
    • Exemption order respecting shortwave broadcast undertakings (see Public Notice 1991-105).
  3. Under the proposed approach, the exemption orders will clearly identify the purpose and criteria an undertaking must meet in order to qualify to operate under the exemption order. The undertaking will be ineligible to operate pursuant to the exemption order if it fails to comply with the purpose and criteria set out in it. As a result, an ineligible undertaking operating under an exemption order could be found to be broadcasting without a licence or authority pursuant to an exemption order, contrary to subsection 31.1(1) of the Act. The regulatory obligations, which will be imposed as orders pursuant to subsection 9.1(1) of the Act, will be identified separately as conditions of service. Failure to comply with these regulatory obligations will not render the undertaking ineligible to operate pursuant to the exemption order and, therefore, in contravention of subsection 31.1(1) of the Act, but rather will lead to other regulatory measures similar to those used for licensed undertakings.
  4. The Commission also considers it appropriate to clarify the wording of the exemption order for stations that operate under the Exemption order for low-power tourist information related radio programming undertakings(tourist information stations) to respond to concerns that relate to instances of misinterpretation or uses of those exemption orders beyond their intended purpose.Footnote 1
  5. Further, in order to have a more complete picture of the number of radio stations operating under the Exemption order for low-power radio stations that provide programming from houses of worshipFootnote 2(houses of worship stations), the Commission proposes to amend this exemption order to require that:


    (a) any person seeking to operate such an undertaking submit registration form 151 to the Commission prior to commencing operations (that is, upon receipt of the broadcasting certificate from the Department);

    (b) any existing services operating under the order register by submitting the above-noted registration form within 60 days of the effective date of that order; and

    (c) the undertaking update the registration information within 30 days of any subsequent change by resubmitting registration form 151.

  6. This requirement means that the registration must be filed at the same time as the undertaking submits its application to the Department, not upon receipt of the broadcasting certificate from the Department. This registration is strictly for information purposes. Among other things, it will allow the Commission to identify and contact the undertakings if necessary, as well as to know the number of such undertakings operating under the exemption order. Acceptance of the registration form does not mean that the Commission determines that the undertaking in question meets the exemption criteria.  
  7. Further, consistent with the Commission’s decision in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2025-265, the Commission proposes to amend the exemption orders for tourist information and houses of worship stations to require that where such a station makes use of Subsidiary Communications Multiplex Operation (SCMO) for the purpose of broadcasting audio programs, it must register that SCMO with the Commission using registration form 151.
  8. To facilitate monitoring in case of complaints, the Commission proposes to amend the Exemption order for low-power tourist information related radio programming undertakingsFootnote 3 to require that operators of such exempt services keep certain logs, records, and recordings consistent with the obligations for licensed undertakings set out in section 8 and subsection 9(4) of the Radio Regulations, 1986. Specifically, operators of low-power tourist information related radio programming undertakings are now required to:


    (a) keep, in a form acceptable to the Commission, a program log or a record of the matter broadcast by the licensee, retain the program log or record for a period of four weeks after the date when the matter was broadcast, and furnish to the Commission on request that program log and record for any day, with a certificate signed by or on behalf of the licensee attesting to the accuracy of its content.

    (b) retain a clear and intelligible audio recording or other exact copy of all matter broadcast for four weeks from the date of the broadcast; or, where the Commission receives a complaint from any person regarding the matter broadcast or for any other reason wishes to investigate it and so notifies the licensee before the expiration of the period of four weeks, for eight weeks from the date of the broadcast.

  9. In light of all of the above, the Commission proposes to make various orders pursuant to subsection 9(4) of the Act exempting certain classes of undertakings from Part II of the Act with the exception of sections 9.1, 10, 12, 31.1, 32, 33, 33.1 and 34. The Commission also proposes to make various orders pursuant to subsection 9.1(1) of the Act imposing conditions on the carrying on of the exempt broadcasting undertakings. The appendices to this notice identify the proposed orders under the headings “conditions of service.” These orders would be applicable to the undertakings operating under these exemption orders now or in the future without further process.

Call for comments

  1. The Commission calls for comments on proposed amendments to the above-noted exemption orders, including comments pursuant to subsection 9.1(4) on the proposed orders imposing conditions on the carrying on of the exempt broadcasting undertakings, set out in the present notice. The proposed exemption orders are set out in the appendices to this notice. The Commission will accept interventions that it receives on or before 20 October 2025. The deadline for the filing of replies is 30 October 2025.

Procedure

  1. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure (the Rules of Procedure) apply to the present proceeding. The Rules of Procedure set out, among other things, the rules for content, format, filing and service of interventions, answers, replies and requests for information; the procedure for filing confidential information and requesting its disclosure; and the conduct of public hearings. Accordingly, the procedure set out below must be read in conjunction with the Rules of Procedure and related documents, which can be found on the Commission’s website under Statutes and Regulations. The guidelines set out in Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin 2010-959 provide information to help interested persons and parties understand the Rules of Procedure so that they can more effectively participate in Commission proceedings.
  2. The Commission encourages interested persons and parties to monitor the record of the proceeding, available on the Commission’s website, for additional information that they may find useful when preparing their submissions.
  3. Submissions longer than five pages should include a summary. Each paragraph of all submissions should be numbered, and the line ***End of document*** should follow the last paragraph. This will help the Commission verify that the document has not been damaged during electronic transmission.
  4. Pursuant to Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin 2015-242, the Commission expects incorporated entities and associations, and encourages all interested persons and parties to file submissions for Commission proceedings in accessible formats (for example, text-based file formats that allow text to be enlarged or modified, or read by screen readers). To assist in this regard, the Commission has posted on its website guidelines for preparing documents in accessible formats.
  5. Any party can request accommodations to participate in this Commission proceeding. This could be related to disability, or to other reasons, like religious observance, or to a combination of reasons. If you wish to request accommodations in filing your comments, you are encouraged to make your request within the first 15 days after this notice of consultation is posted on the Commission’s website.
  6. Interested persons and parties who require assistance submitting comments can contact the Commission’s Hearings & Public Proceedings group at hearing@crtc.gc.ca.
  7. For more information on accessibility and accommodations in Commission proceedings, please see Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin 2025-95.
  8. Submissions must be filed by sending them to the Secretary General of the Commission using only one of the following means:


    by completing the
    [Intervention/comment/answer form]

    or

    by mail to
    CRTC, Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0N2

    or

    by fax at 819-994-0218

  9. Parties who send documents electronically must ensure that they will be able to prove, upon Commission request, that filing, or where required, service of a particular document was completed. Accordingly, parties must keep proof of the sending and receipt of each document for 180 days after the date on which the document is filed or served. The Commission advises parties who file or serve documents by electronic means to exercise caution when using email for the service of documents, as it may be difficult to establish that service has occurred.
  10. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure, a document must be received by the Commission and all relevant parties by 5 p.m. Vancouver time (8 p.m. Gatineau time) on the date it is due. Parties are responsible for ensuring the timely delivery of their submissions and will not be notified if their submissions are received after the deadline. Late submissions, including those due to postal delays, will not be considered by the Commission and will not be made part of the public record.
  11. The Commission will not formally acknowledge submissions. It will, however, fully consider all submissions, which will form part of the public record of the proceeding, provided that the procedure for filing set out above has been followed.

Important notice

  1. All information that parties provide as part of this public process, except information designated confidential, whether sent by postal mail, fax, email or through the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca, becomes part of a publicly accessible file and will be posted on the Commission’s website. This information includes personal information, such as full names, email addresses, postal/street addresses, and telephone and fax numbers.
  2. The personal information that parties provide will be used and may be disclosed for the purpose for which the information was obtained or compiled by the Commission, or for a use consistent with that purpose.
  3. Documents received electronically or otherwise will be put on the Commission’s website in their entirety exactly as received, including any personal information contained therein, in the official language and format in which they are received. Documents not received electronically will be available in PDF format.
  4. The information that parties provide to the Commission as part of this public process is entered into an unsearchable database dedicated to this specific public process. This database is accessible only from the web page of this particular public process. As a result, a general search of the Commission’s website with the help of either its own search engine or a third-party search engine will not provide access to the information that was provided as part of this public process.

Availability of documents

  1. Links to interventions, replies and answers filed for this proceeding, as well as other documents referred to in this notice, are available on the Commission’s “Consultations and hearings: have your say” page.
  2. Documents are available upon request during normal business hours by contacting:


    Documentation Centre
    Examinationroom@crtc.gc.ca
    Tel.: 819-997-4389
    Fax: 819-994-0218

    Client Services
    Toll-free telephone: 1-877-249-2782
    Toll-free TTY: 1-877-909-2782

Secretary General

Related documents

Appendix 1 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-267

Proposed exemption order for low-power tourist information related radio programming undertakings

Exemption order for low-power tourist information related radio programming undertakings

Pursuant to subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), the Commission exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of Part II of the Act, with the exception of sections 9.1, 10, 12, 31.1, 32, 33, 33.1 and 34. The Commission also exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of any regulations, except as otherwise provided.

Purpose

The purpose of these radio programming undertakings is to provide the public with live or pre-recorded messages with tourist related information that may include information about local traffic, weather and marine conditions, road and boating conditions, highway construction and closures, airport arrival and departure information, ferry and train schedules, current border crossing regulations and wait times, marine traffic information, conditions on bridges and in mountain passes, advisories of approaching large vehicles (example: logging trucks and large construction and road maintenance vehicles) and any other locally relevant information relating to attractions and events of interest to tourists or the public.

Criteria

  1. The low-power undertaking operates in the AM frequency band or in the FM frequency band with parameters associated with low-power undertakings as defined by the Department of Industry in Parts II and III of its Broadcasting Procedures and Rules.
  2. The undertaking meets all technical requirements of the Department of Industry (the Department) and has acquired all authorizations or certificates prescribed by that Department.
  3. The Commission would not be prohibited from licensing the undertaking by virtue of any Act of Parliament or any direction to the Commission by the Governor in Council.
  4. The undertaking registers with the Commission prior to commencement of operations (that is, no later than upon receipt of the broadcasting certificate from the Department of Industry) using the form prescribed by the Commission for registration of low-power tourist information related radio programming undertakings. The undertaking is required to update the registration within 30 days of any subsequent change of information contained in that form, including, but not limited to, contact information, ownership information and any technical change.
  5. Neither the undertaking nor any person involved with the undertaking, including but not limited to involvement with the ownership, operation, management and financing of the undertaking, has been found by the Commission to have been carrying on a broadcasting undertaking in whole or in part in Canada without a licence or without authorization pursuant to an exemption, contrary to the Broadcasting Act, after 27 April 2018. Or, if such a finding has been made by the Commission, the undertaking or person involved with the undertaking has obtained prior written permission from the Commission to operate under this exemption order.

Conditions of service

  1. The programming provided by the undertaking consists of live or pre-recorded messages which provide the public with information about local traffic, weather and marine conditions, road and boating conditions, highway construction and closures, airport arrival and departure information, ferry and train schedules, current border crossing regulations and wait times, conditions on bridges and in mountain passes, advisories of approaching large vehicles (example: logging, construction, road maintenance and other large vehicles) and any other locally relevant information relating to attractions and events of interest to tourists. The programming must be principally relevant to tourists and temporary visitors to the area and is not meant to fulfill the same role in the broadcasting system as local programming for habitual residents.
  2. The undertaking does not rebroadcast the programming service of any licensed or exempted radio or television undertaking.
  3. The programming provided by the undertaking contains no musical selections, except as incidental background music.
  4. The undertaking does not broadcast programming that is religious or political in nature.
  5. The undertaking’s programming complies with the guidelines on gender portrayal set out in the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Equitable Portrayal Code, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.
  6. The undertaking adheres to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.
  7. The undertaking shall keep logs, records and recordings consistent with the requirements set out at section 8 and subsection 9(4) of the Radio Regulations, 1986.
  8. Where a station makes use of the Subsidiary Communications Multiplex Operation (SCMO) for the purpose of broadcasting audio programs, it must register that SCMO with the Commission using registration form 151.
Public Alerting System
  1. The undertaking


    (a) has implemented a public alerting system for the station that broadcasts without delay any audio alert that it receives from the National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System, that

    (i) announces an imminent or unfolding danger to life; and

    (ii) is designated by the applicable issuing authority for immediate broadcast in the station’s AM 5 mV/m contour or FM 0.5 mV/m contour, as the case may be.

    (b) shall implement the public alerting system for each of its transmitters.

    (c) shall broadcast the alert on transmitters that serve the area that is targeted by the alert.

    (d) shall take all reasonable measures to ensure that the alerts that it broadcasts are in conformity with the specifications and recommended practices set out in the document entitled National Public Alerting System: Common Look and Feel Guidance, produced at the request of the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Public Alerting Working Group of Senior Officials Responsible for Emergency Management with the support of Defence Research and Development Canada – Centre for Security Science, Canadian Safety and Security Program, and in consultation with the public-private Common Look and Feel Working Group, as that document is amended from time to time.

For the purposes of this provision, the terms “issuing authority” and “National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System” shall have the same meaning as that set out in the Radio Regulations, 1986.

Appendix 2 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-267

Proposed exemption order for low-power radio programming undertakings providing programming that is derived solely from houses of worship

Exemption order for low-power radio programming undertakings providing programming that is derived solely from houses of worship

Pursuant to subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), the Commission exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of Part II of the Act, with the exception of sections 9.1, 10, 12, 31.1, 32, 33, 33.1 and 34. The Commission also exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of any regulations, except as otherwise provided.

Purpose

The purpose of these radio programming undertakings is to provide live local broadcasts of religious services, weddings, funerals, and other such religious celebrations and ceremonies.

Criteria

  1. The low-power undertaking operates in the AM frequency band or in the FM frequency band with parameters associated with low-power undertakings as defined by the Department of Industry in Parts II and III of its Broadcasting Procedures and Rules.
  2. The undertaking meets all technical requirements of the Department of Industry (the Department) and has acquired all authorizations or certificates prescribed by that Department.
  3. The Commission would not be prohibited from licensing the undertaking by virtue of any Act of Parliament or any direction to the Commission by the Governor in Council.
  4. The undertaking registers with the Commission prior to commencement of operations (that is, no later than upon receipt of the broadcasting certificate from the Department of Industry) using the form prescribed by the Commission for registration of low-power radio programming undertakings providing programming that is derived solely from houses of worship. If the undertaking is already in operation on the effective date of this order, the undertaking registers with the Commission within 60 days. The undertaking is required to update the registration within 30 days of any subsequent change of information contained in that form, including, but not limited to, contact information, ownership information and any technical change.
  5. Neither the undertaking nor any person involved with the undertaking, including but not limited to involvement with the ownership, operation, management and financing of the undertaking, has been found by the Commission to have been carrying on a broadcasting undertaking in whole or in part in Canada without a licence or without authorization pursuant to an exemption, contrary to the Broadcasting Act, after 27 April 2018. Or, if such a finding has been made by the Commission, the undertaking or person involved with the undertaking has obtained prior written permission from the Commission to operate under this exemption order.

Conditions of service

  1. The programming provided by the undertaking consists solely of live local broadcasts of religious services, weddings, funerals, and other such religious celebrations and ceremonies.
  2. The programming provided by the undertaking contains no advertising material.
  3. The undertaking does not broadcast the programming of any other programming undertaking.
  4. The undertaking does not broadcast any musical selections unless they form an integral part of the religious ceremony being broadcast.
  5. The undertaking’s programming complies with the guidelines on ethics for religious programming set out in section IV of Religious Broadcasting Policy, Public Notice CRTC 1993-78, 3 June 1993, regarding tolerance, integrity, social responsibility and the solicitation of funds.
  6. The undertaking’s programming complies with the guidelines on gender portrayal set out in the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Equitable Portrayal Code, as amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.
  7. Where a station makes use of the Subsidiary Communications Multiplex Operation (SCMO) for the purpose of broadcasting audio programs, it must register that SCMO with the Commission using registration form 151.

Appendix 3 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-267

Proposed exemption order respecting certain Indigenous radio undertakings

Exemption order respecting certain Indigenous radio undertakings

Pursuant to subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), the Commission exempts those persons carrying on radio programming undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of Part II of the Act, with the exception of sections 9.1, 10, 12, 31.1, 32, 33, 33.1 and 34. The Commission also exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of any regulations, except as otherwise provided.

Purpose

The purpose of these radio programming undertakings is to provide radio programming that reflects the interests and needs of and is specifically oriented to the Indigenous communities they serve. These undertakings have a distinct role in fostering the development of Indigenous cultures in Canada and, where possible, the preservation of ancestral languages. These undertakings broadcast programming in any Indigenous language or in either or both of English and French languages and make the greatest practicable use of Canadian creative and other resources in the creation and presentation of programming.

Criteria

  1. The undertaking is owned and controlled by a not-for-profit organization whose structure provides for board membership by the Indigenous population of the region served.
  2. The primary purpose of the undertaking is not to provide a religious programming service.
  3. No commercial AM, FM or digital radio programming undertaking or terrestrial radiocommunication distribution undertaking that distributes the programming of a commercial radio undertaking is licensed to operate in all or in any part of the undertaking’s geographical area enclosed within: (a) in the case of an Indigenous AM station, the 5 millivolt-per-metre daytime contour; or (b) in the case of an Indigenous FM station, the 500 microvolt-per-metre contour. For greater clarity, the contour means a service contour marked for each transmitter on the map that pertains to that station and that is most recently published by the Minister of Industry.
  4. The undertaking meets all technical requirements of the Department of Industry (the Department) and has acquired all authorizations or certificates prescribed by the Department.
  5. The Commission would not be prohibited from licensing the undertaking by virtue of any Act of Parliament or any direction to the Commission by the Governor in Council.
  6. Neither the undertaking nor any person involved with the undertaking, including but not limited to involvement with the ownership, operation, management and financing of the undertaking, has been found by the Commission to have been carrying on a broadcasting undertaking in whole or in part in Canada without a licence or without authorization pursuant to an exemption, contrary to the Broadcasting Act, after 27 April 2018. Or, if such a finding has been made by the Commission, the undertaking or person involved with the undertaking has obtained prior written permission from the Commission to operate under this exemption order.

Conditions of service

  1. The undertaking provides radio programming that reflects the interests and needs of and is specifically oriented to the Indigenous communities it serves.
  2. The undertaking broadcasts programming in Indigenous languages, English and/or French.
  3. The undertaking’s programming complies with the guidelines on gender portrayal set out in the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Equitable Portrayal Code and the provisions of the CAB’s Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children, as may be amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.
  4. The undertaking shall adhere to the requirements of sections 3, 3.1, 4 and 5 (broadcasting content) of the Radio Regulations, 1986, with the necessary modifications.
Public Alerting System
  1. The undertaking

    (a) has implemented a public alerting system for the station that broadcasts without delay any audio alert that it receives from the National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System, that

    (i) announces an imminent or unfolding danger to life; and

    (ii) is designated by the applicable issuing authority for immediate broadcast in the station’s AM 5 mV/m contour or FM 0.5 mV/m contour, as the case may be.

    (b) shall implement the public alerting system for each of its transmitters.

    (c) shall broadcast the alert on transmitters that serve the area that is targeted by the alert.

    (d) shall ensure that the alerts that it broadcasts are in conformity with the specifications and recommended practices set out in the document entitled National Public Alerting System: Common Look and Feel Guidance, produced at the request of the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Public Alerting Working Group of Senior Officials Responsible for Emergency Management with the support of Defence Research and Development Canada – Centre for Security Science, Canadian Safety and Security Program, and in consultation with the public-private Common Look and Feel Working Group, as that document is amended from time to time.

For the purposes of this provision, the terms “issuing authority” and “National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System” shall have the same meanings as those set out in the Radio Regulations, 1986.

Appendix 4 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-267

Proposed exemption order respecting radio and television temporary network special event type 1 undertakings

Exemption order respecting radio and television temporary network special event type 1 undertakings

Pursuant to subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), the Commission exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of Part II of the Act, with the exception of sections 9.1, 10, 12, 31.1, 32, 33, 33.1 and 34. The Commission also exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of any regulations, except as otherwise provided.

Purpose

The purpose of these radio and/or television network undertakings is to supply radio and/or television stations licensed or exempted by the Commission with coverage of unexpected, non-recurring events, such as special concerts and commemorative programs, recurring annual special events such as awards shows and fund-raising telethons, or of public emergencies such as natural disasters and major accidents.

Criteria

  1. The undertaking is a network operation and, in Canada, distributes programming to licensed or exempted radio or television undertakings only.
  2. The undertaking meets all technical requirements of the Department of Industry (the Department) and has acquired all authorizations or certificates prescribed by the Department.
  3. The Commission would not be prohibited from licensing the undertaking by virtue of any Act of Parliament or any direction to the Commission by the Governor in Council.
  4. The undertaking


    (a) distributes its programming for a period of less than 24 consecutive hours, where the broadcast is either a one-time, non-recurring event, or a recurring annual special event, or

    (b) distributes its programming over a period of not more than seven consecutive days, where the broadcast is of a public emergency.

  5. Neither the undertaking nor any person involved with the undertaking, including but not limited to involvement with the ownership, operation, management and financing of the undertaking, has been found by the Commission to have been carrying on a broadcasting undertaking in whole or in part in Canada without a licence or without authorization pursuant to an exemption, contrary to the Broadcasting Act, after 27 April 2018. Or, if such a finding has been made by the Commission, the undertaking or person involved with the undertaking has obtained prior written permission from the Commission to operate under this exemption order.

Conditions of service

  1. The programming is live or pre-recorded and, if the latter, is broadcast within 24 hours of the original recording.
  2. The undertaking does not broadcast programming that is religious or political in nature.
  3. The undertaking’s programming complies with the guidelines on gender portrayal set out in the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Equitable Portrayal Code and the provisions of the CAB’s Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children, as may be amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.

Appendix 5 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-267

Proposed exemption order respecting low-power radio: Limited duration special event facilitating undertakings Exemption order respecting low-power radio: Limited duration special event facilitating undertakings

Pursuant to subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), the Commission exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of Part II of the Act, with the exception of sections 9.1, 10, 12, 31.1, 32, 33, 33.1 and 34. The Commission also exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of any regulations, except as otherwise provided.

Purpose

The purpose of these radio programming undertakings is to allow those attending special, generally recognized events a fuller appreciation of those events through the provision of locally originated informational programming related directly to these events.

Criteria

  1. The low-power undertaking operates in the AM frequency band or in the FM frequency band with parameters associated with low-power undertakings as defined by the Department of Industry in Parts II and III of its Broadcasting Procedures and Rules.
  2. The undertaking meets all technical requirements of the Department of Industry (the Department) and has acquired all authorizations or certificates prescribed by the Department.
  3. The Commission would not be prohibited from licensing the undertaking by virtue of any Act of Parliament or any direction to the Commission by the Governor in Council.
  4. The undertaking operates as ancillary to and for the purpose of facilitating a special event.
  5. The undertaking is operated for a single period, in respect of any special event, consisting of no more than 28 consecutive days in any calendar year.
  6. Neither the undertaking nor any person involved with the undertaking, including but not limited to involvement with the ownership, operation, management and financing of the undertaking, has been found by the Commission to have been carrying on a broadcasting undertaking in whole or in part in Canada without a licence or without authorization pursuant to an exemption, contrary to the Broadcasting Act, after 27 April 2018. Or, if such a finding has been made by the Commission, the undertaking or person involved with the undertaking has obtained prior written permission from the Commission to operate under this exemption order.

Conditions of service

  1. The undertaking originates all of its programming from the property upon which the event takes place.
  2. The undertaking does not rebroadcast the programming of any other undertaking.
  3. The undertaking restricts its programming to the specific recognized (sports, cultural or touristic) event and does not duplicate the programming service of any licensed or exempted radio undertaking or the audio portion of a licensed or exempted television undertaking.
  4. The undertaking does not broadcast programming that is religious or political in nature.
  5. The undertaking’s programming complies with the guidelines on gender portrayal set out in the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Equitable Portrayal Code and the provisions of the CAB’s Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children, as may be amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.
  6. The undertaking limits on-air commercial activity to sponsor identification or promotion with sponsor mention.


    In this section:

    “commercial message” means an advertisement intended to sell or promote goods, services, natural resources or activities and includes an advertisement that mentions or displays in a list of prizes the names of the person selling or promoting those goods, services, natural resources or activities;

    “sponsor identification” means the identification of a sponsor of a program or program segment other than a commercial message or a promotion with sponsor mention; and

    “promotion with sponsor mention” means verbal or musical material promoting increased listening to the station or to specific announcers, programs or programming elements, when accompanied by the identification of a sponsor.

Appendix 6 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-267

Proposed exemption order respecting low-power radio: Ultra low power announcement service (LPAS) undertakings

Exemption order respecting low-power radio: Ultra low power announcement service (LPAS) undertakings

Pursuant to subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), the Commission exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of Part II of the Act with the exception of sections 9.1, 10, 12, 31.1, 32, 33, 33.1 and 34, The Commission also exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of any regulations, except as otherwise provided.

Purpose

The purpose of these radio programming undertakings is to allow those such as real estate agents, store owners and local authorities to communicate to the public messages of an informative, sometimes commercial nature, regarding their activities by means of ultra low-power transmitters, e.g., “talking signs.”

Criteria

  1. The undertaking operates between 525 and 1705 kHz in the AM frequency band or between 88 and 107.5 MHz in the FM frequency band.
  2. In the case of an undertaking using the AM broadcasting band, the maximum power output of the transmitter into its antenna, without modulation, does not produce a field strength, as measured at a distance of 30 metres, of more than 0.25 millivolts per metre (mV/m) and, in the case of an undertaking using the FM broadcasting band, the maximum power output of the transmitter into its antenna, without modulation, does not produce a field strength, as measured at a distance of 30 metres, of more than 0.1 mV/m.
  3. The undertaking meets all technical requirements of the Department of Industry (the Department) and has acquired all authorizations or certifications prescribed by the Department.
  4. The Commission would not be prohibited from licensing the undertaking by virtue of any Act of Parliament or any direction to the Commission by the Governor in Council.
  5. Neither the undertaking nor any person involved with the undertaking, including but not limited to involvement with the ownership, operation, management and financing of the undertaking, has been found by the Commission to have been carrying on a broadcasting undertaking in whole or in part in Canada without a licence or without authorization pursuant to an exemption, contrary to the Broadcasting Act, after 27 April 2018. Or, if such a finding has been made by the Commission, the undertaking or person involved with the undertaking has obtained prior written permission from the Commission to operate under this exemption order.

Conditions of service

  1. The undertaking only communicates to the public messages of an informative, sometimes commercial nature, regarding their activities by means of ultra low-power transmitters, e.g., “talking signs.”
  2. The undertaking originates all of its programming.
  3. The undertaking does not rebroadcast the programming of another undertaking.
  4. The undertaking does not broadcast programming that is religious or political in nature.
  5. The undertaking, if it promotes commercial activity or is commercially oriented, does not broadcast the same message on more than one transmitter.

Appendix 7 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-267

Proposed exemption order respecting carrier current undertakings whose services are not carried on distribution undertakings

Exemption order respecting carrier current undertakings whose services are not carried on distribution undertakings

Pursuant to subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), the Commission exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below, from the requirements of Part II of the Act with the exception of sections 9.1, 10, 12, 31.1, 32, 33, 33.1 and 34. The Commission also exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of any regulations, except as otherwise provided.

Purpose

The purpose of these carrier current undertakings is to provide a locally originated programming service for the benefit of residents of such institutions as colleges and universities.

Criteria

  1. The undertaking operates in the AM frequency band, using a transmitter that radiates a signal solely through the electrical system of a building or adjacent buildings.
  2. The undertaking meets all technical requirements of the Department of Industry (the Department) set out in Part II of its Broadcasting Procedures and Rules and has acquired all authorizations or certificates prescribed by the Department.
  3. The Commission would not be prohibited from licensing the undertaking by virtue of any Act of Parliament or any direction to the Commission by the Governor in Council.
  4. Neither the undertaking nor any person involved with the undertaking, including but not limited to involvement with the ownership, operation, management and financing of the undertaking, has been found by the Commission to have been carrying on a broadcasting undertaking in whole or in part in Canada without a licence or without authorization pursuant to an exemption, contrary to the Broadcasting Act, after 27 April 2018. Or, if such a finding has been made by the Commission, the undertaking or person involved with the undertaking has obtained prior written permission from the Commission to operate under this exemption order.

Conditions of service

  1. The undertakings provide a locally originated programming service for the benefit of residents of such institutions as colleges and universities.
  2. The programming of the undertaking is not distributed by any distribution undertaking.
  3. The undertaking’s programming complies with the guidelines on gender portrayal set out in the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Equitable Portrayal Code and the provisions of the CAB’s Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children, as may be amended from time to time and approved by the Commission.

Appendix 8 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-267

Proposed exemption order for radiocommunication distribution undertakings

Exemption order for radiocommunication distribution undertakings

Pursuant to subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), the Commission exempts those persons carrying on radiocommunication distribution undertakings (RDUs) as defined by the purpose and criteria set out below, from the requirements of Part II of the Act with the exception of sections 9.1, 10, 12, 31.1, 32, 33, 33.1 and 34. The Commission also exempts those persons carrying on RDUs as defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of any regulations, except as otherwise provided.

Purpose

The purpose of these RDUs is to serve small, rural and/or often remote communities having small populations by distributing the services of one or more programming undertakings, as authorized by the Commission.

Criteria

  1. Each channel used by the undertaking to distribute radio and/or television signals does not exceed the power limits for low and very low power transmitters, as defined in the Department of Industry’s Broadcast Procedures and Rules (Parts II, III and IV).
  2. The undertaking meets all the technical requirements of the Department of Industry (the Department) and has acquired all authorization or certificates prescribed by the Department.
  3. The Commission would not be prohibited from licensing the undertaking by virtue of any Act of Parliament or any direction to the Commission by the Governor in Council.
  4. The undertaking distributes services by means of radiocommunication and distributes no service of a programming undertaking other than one which the Commission has authorized by regulation or otherwise.
  5. The undertaking operates in an area covered by the local service contour (official Grade A contour or official digital urban contour) of no more than two licensed television programming undertakings.
  6. Any undertaking licensed by the Commission as a radiocommunication distribution undertaking as of 1 November 2012 shall be deemed to meet the requirements of this exemption order so long as it continues to operate in accordance with the specific frequencies, contours, effective radiated powers and effective height of antenna above average terrain authorized by the Department of Industry for the undertaking as of 1 November 2012.

Conditions of service

  1. The undertaking does not alter the content or format of a programming service or delete a programming service in the course of its distribution except:


    (a) for the purpose of complying with subsection 328(1) of the Canada Elections Act;

    (b) for the purpose of deleting a programming service to comply with an order of a court prohibiting the distribution of the service to any part of the licensed area;

    (c) for the purpose of altering a programming service to insert a warning to the public announcing:

    (i) any danger to life or property if the insertion is provided for in an agreement entered into by the licensee with the operator of the service or the network responsible for the service; or

    (ii) an imminent or unfolding danger to life if there is no agreement with the operator of the service or the network responsible for the service;

    (d) for the purpose of preventing the breach of programming or underlying rights of a third party, in accordance with an agreement entered into with the operator of the service or the network responsible for the service; or

    (e) for the purpose of deleting a subsidiary signal, unless the signal is itself a programming service or is related to the service being distributed.

  2. The undertaking originates no programming itself.
  3. The undertaking


    (a) has implemented a public alerting system that alters without delay a programming service being distributed by the undertaking in its service area in order to insert any alert that it receives – in a form including both text and audio content – from the National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System, that 

    (i) announces an imminent or unfolding danger to life; and

    (ii) is designated by the applicable issuing authority for immediate broadcast or distribution in all or part of the undertaking’s A.M. 5mV/m contour, F.M. 0.5 mV/m contour or Grade B official contour, as the case may be.

    (b) shall implement the public alerting system for each of its transmitters.

    (c) shall broadcast the alert on transmitters that serve the area that is targeted by the alert.

    (d) shall take all reasonable measures to ensure that the alerts are in conformity with the specifications and recommended practices set out in the document entitled National Public Alerting System: Common Look and Feel Guidance, produced at the request of the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Public Alerting Working Group of Senior Officials Responsible for Emergency Management with the support of Defence Research and Development Canada – Centre for Security Science, Canadian Safety and Security Program, and in consultation with the public-private Common Look and Feel Working Group, as that document is amended from time to time. 

For the purpose of this provision, the terms “issuing authority” and “National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System” shall have the same meaning as that set out in the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations.

Appendix 9 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-267

Proposed exemption order respecting network operations

Exemption order respecting network operations

Pursuant to subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), the Commission exempts those persons who carry on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of Part II of the Act, with the exception of sections 9.1, 10, 12, 31.1, 32, 33, 33.1 and 34. The Commission also exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of any regulations, except as otherwise provided.

Purpose

The purpose of these network undertakings is to provide programming that originates from a licensed radio or television station for simultaneous broadcast by one or more licensed or exempted radio stations.

Criteria

  1. The undertaking only provides programming that originates from a licensed radio or television station for simultaneous broadcast by one or more licensed or exempted radio stations.
  2. The undertaking meets all technical requirements of the Department of Industry (the Department) and has acquired all authorizations or certificates prescribed by the Department.
  3. The Commission would not be prohibited from licensing the undertaking by virtue of any Act of Parliament or any direction to the Commission by the Governor in Council.

Conditions of service

  1. The undertaking does not involve any station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
  2. The programming provided by the undertaking originates from a licensed radio or television station.
  3. The operator of the undertaking is also the licensee of the originating radio or television station.
  4. The undertaking provides programming in Canada only to licensed or exempted radio stations.
  5. All stations involved in the undertaking broadcast the programming simultaneously.

Appendix 10 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-267

Proposed exemption order respecting public emergency radio undertakings

Exemption order respecting public emergency radio undertakings

Pursuant to subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), the Commission exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of Part II of the Act with the exception of sections 9.1, 10, 12, 31.1, 32, 33, 33.1 and 34. The Commission also exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of any regulations, except as otherwise provided.

Purpose

The purpose of these radio programming undertakings is to provide information related to public emergencies, such as natural disasters and major accidents, to those immediately affected.

Criteria

  1. The undertaking operates between 525 and 1705 kHz in the AM frequency band or between 88 and 107.5 MHz in the FM frequency band.
  2. The undertaking broadcasts at a power of 5 watts or less transmitter power for AM or with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 5 watts or less for FM.
  3. The undertaking meets all technical requirements of the Department of Industry (the Department) and has acquired all authorizations or certificates prescribed by the Department.
  4. The undertaking is operated by a member, in their capacity as such, of a police department, fire department or any organization designated by a federal, provincial or municipal government as being responsible for the coordination of emergency relief.
  5. The undertaking broadcasts its programming over a period of not more than seven consecutive days.

Conditions of service

  1. The programming provided by the undertaking is information and instruction regarding a public emergency.
  2. The programming provided by the undertaking contains no music or advertising material.
  3. The programming is live or pre-recorded and, if the latter, is broadcast within 24 hours of the original recording.
  4. The undertaking does not broadcast programming that is religious or political in nature.

Appendix 11 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-267

Proposed exemption order respecting low-power radio: Temporary resource development distribution undertakings

Exemption order respecting low-power radio: Temporary resource development distribution undertakings

Pursuant to subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), the Commission exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of Part II of the Act, with the exception of sections 9.1, 10, 12, 31.1, 32, 33, 33.1 and 34. The Commission also exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the purpose and criteria set out below from the requirements of any regulations, except as otherwise provided.

Purpose

The purpose of these radio programming undertakings is to make available to employees of temporary mining, logging and other such temporary installations, rebroadcasts of Canadian radio stations, for the duration of the use of the installations.

Criteria

  1. The undertaking operates between 525 and 1705 kHz in the AM frequency band, or between 88 and 108 MHz in the FM frequency band.
  2. The undertaking broadcasts at a power of less than 100 watts transmitter power for AM, or with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 50 watts or less for FM.
  3. The undertaking operates in an area that is not within the 0.5 millivolt per metre (mV/m) daytime contour of a protected AM station licensed by the Commission, or the 0.5 mV/m realistic contour of a protected FM station licensed by the Commission, broadcasting in the same language as the undertaking.
  4. The undertaking meets all technical requirements of the Department of Industry (the Department) and has acquired all authorizations or certificates prescribed by the Department.
  5. The Commission would not be prohibited from licensing the undertaking by virtue of any Act of Parliament or any direction to the Commission by the Governor in Council.
  6. The undertaking operates within a temporary installation for activities such as mining or logging and ceases operation upon completion of the work project.
  7. The undertaking is operated by or on behalf of the person who owns or leases all of the property on which the undertaking is situated and who supplies the population of the installation served by the undertaking with such common amenities as food and shelter.

Conditions of service

  1. The undertaking originates no programming itself.
  2. The undertaking distributes, without curtailment or alteration, the signal of a Canadian station licensed or exempted by the Commission.

Appendix 12 to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-267

Proposed exemption order respecting shortwave broadcast undertakings

Exemption order respecting shortwave broadcast undertakings

Pursuant to subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act (the Act), the Commission exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the criteria set out below from the requirements of Part II of the Act, with the exception of sections 9.1, 10, 12, 31.1, 32, 33, 33.1 and 34. The Commission also exempts those persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of the class defined by the criteria set out below from the requirements of any regulations, except as otherwise provided.

Criteria

  1. The undertaking operates on the high frequency band 3 MHz to 30 MHz.
  2. The Commission would not be prohibited from licensing the undertaking by virtue of any Act of Parliament or any direction to the Commission by the Governor in Council.
  3. The undertaking provides a service that is intended only for reception outside Canada and that is receivable only outside Canada, except for limited spillover reception in Canada that cannot be avoided close to the transmitter site or because the desired coverage outside Canada could not otherwise be attained.

Conditions of service

  1. The undertaking broadcasts or rebroadcasts no programming other than:


    (a) programming of, or supplied by, a publicly funded government agency whose mandate is to provide an international radio service, such as, for example, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio Canada International, and

    (b) simple statements of sponsorship that identify the sponsors of a program or of the station. Such statements may incorporate the name of the sponsor and a brief general description of the types of services or products the sponsor provides, including the price, name and brand name of the product. Such statements must not contain language that attempts to persuade consumers to purchase and thus must not contain references to convenience, durability or desirability or contain other comparative or competitive references.

Date modified: