Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2026-115

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Reference: 2025-265

Gatineau, 5 June 2026

Public record: 1011-NOC2026-0115

Call for comments – Renewing radio licences for indefinite terms

Deadline for submission of interventions: 6 July 2026

Deadline for submission of replies: 21 July 2026

[Submit an intervention or view related documents]

Summary

In Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2025-265 (the Modernization of Radio Processes Policy), the Commission determined that, going forward, radio licences would no longer be granted for a definite term. For radio services that already hold licences, this requires the Commission to renew those existing licences, but for indefinite terms.

Through the present proceeding, the Commission proposes to renew the licences for the radio services listed in the appendix to this notice of consultation for indefinite terms and invites comments on this proposal.

The scope of this proceeding is limited to implementing the Commission’s policy on indefinite licence terms, as set out in the Modernization of Radio Processes Policy. All existing conditions of service will remain in effect. Issues regarding radio services’ compliance with their conditions of service will be addressed in a separate public process.

Anyone can comment on the implementation of indefinite licence terms by filing an intervention on or before 6 July 2026. The deadline for the receipt of replies is 21 July 2026. Only parties who file interventions may file a reply to matters raised during the interventions phase.

Introduction

1. Following amendments to the Broadcasting Act (the Act), the Commission may now issue licences for indefinite terms. In addition, the Commission can impose regulatory obligations through orders as conditions of service, allowing it to review and change obligations without amending a broadcasting licence.^{Footnote 1}
2. In line with these amendments to the Act, the Commission determined in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2025-265 (the Modernization of Radio Processes Policy) that most radio services^{Footnote 2} would have indefinite licence terms going forward, with the detailed process for renewing existing licences to be announced at a later date. As noted in that regulatory policy, the transition to indefinite terms simplifies the management of licences and reduces administrative burden for licensees.

Proposal to renew licences for indefinite terms

3. In this notice of consultation, the Commission proposes to renew almost all existing radio licences for indefinite terms, regardless of their current licence expiry date or type of licence.
4. Specifically, the Commission proposes to renew, for indefinite terms, the licences for the radio services listed in the appendix to this notice of consultation, which excludes the following:
   • radio services operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in English and in French, due to their unique status; and
   • developmental radio stations, which, under the Modernization of Radio Processes Policy, are still subject to an initial five-year licence term.^{Footnote 3}
5. If you consider that a licence should be renewed for a radio undertaking that does not appear on the list, please advise the Commission by 6 July 2026 by filing an intervention to this notice of consultation.
6. The scope of this proceeding will be limited to the implementation of the Commission’s indefinite licence term policy. This means that it will deal exclusively with indefinite licence renewal terms for the radio services noted above. The Commission will not, at this time, consider the existing conditions of service applicable to each licensee, which will not be changed at this time and will remain in effect.
7. Licensees wishing to amend the technical parameters of their radio services, their conditions of service, or other regulatory obligations may continue to file applications at any time. These applications will be examined separately from this process.

Compliance process

8. Ensuring radio services comply with their regulatory obligations remains a priority for the Commission. In the Modernization of Radio Processes Policy, the Commission explained that amendments to the Act and the move to indefinite licence terms would require an updated monitoring and compliance framework. Since conditions of service are no longer tied to licences, compliance can now be reviewed at any time, rather than just at the time of licence renewal. Consistent with the Modernization of Radio Processes Policy, the Commission will conduct regular audits of a licensee’s requirements in the future to more efficiently address non-compliance issues.
9. For the services listed in the appendix to this notice, issues regarding apparent non-compliance will be addressed in an upcoming public process as part of a compliance approach adapted to the introduction of indefinite licence terms.
10. Since compliance issues will not be dealt with in the present proceeding, any interventions that raise concerns about the compliance of specific radio services will be placed on the public record of the upcoming compliance process.

Applications currently under review

11. The Commission is currently reviewing applications that might have an effect on certain services listed in the appendix. For instance, in some cases, services listed in the appendix may have filed applications for changes in ownership and control that would require the issuance of new licences. If any changes occur after this notice of consultation is published but before the proceeding has concluded, the appendix will be updated, and these changes will be reflected in any renewal decisions issued as a result of this proceeding. 

Call for comments

12. The Commission calls for comments on its proposal to renew, for indefinite terms, the licences for the radio services set out in the appendix to this notice of consultation. The Commission will accept interventions that it receives on or before 6 July 2026. Only parties to the proceeding can participate in later stages of the proceeding. The deadline for parties to file replies to matters raised during the intervention phase is 21 July 2026.

Regulatory and administrative burden

13. Through this notice of consultation, the Commission aims to reduce regulatory and administrative burden by implementing licences with indefinite terms. This would eliminate the need for full or administrative licence renewals, thereby reducing the associated time, effort, and costs for radio stations. The present proceeding supports the Commission’s ongoing efforts to simplify processes and ensure a more efficient regulatory framework for stakeholders.
14. In your intervention, please indicate how your proposal may lead to a change to the regulatory or administrative burden for regulated undertakings. If this adds to the burden, please explain why in your comments as well as why the added burden would be reasonable or necessary for the public interest. You are encouraged to provide specific evidence or data to support your comments. General or unsupported statements may be given less weight in the Commission’s consideration.

What you need to know to participate in this proceeding

Procedure

15. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure (the Rules of Procedure) apply to the present proceeding. 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.

Submitting comments

16. The Commission invites comments that address the issues set out above. The Commission will accept interventions that it receives on or before 6 July 2026. Only parties to the proceeding can participate in further stages of the proceeding. The deadline for parties to file replies to matters raised during the intervention phase is 21 July 2026.
17. Interested persons who wish to become parties to this proceeding must submit an intervention.
18. Any interested persons can request accommodations to participate in this proceeding. Accommodations 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.
19. Interested persons who require assistance submitting comments can contact the Commission’s Hearings & Public Proceedings group at hearing@crtc.gc.ca.
20. For more information on accessibility and accommodations in Commission proceedings, please see Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin 2025-95.
21. 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 provide assistance in this regard, the Commission has posted on its website guidelines for preparing documents in accessible formats.
22. Interested persons and parties can coordinate, organize, and file, in a single submission, interventions by other interested persons or parties who share their position. Information on how to file this type of submission, known as a joint supporting intervention, as well as a template for the covering letter to be filed by the parties, can be found in Broadcasting Information Bulletin 2010-28-1.
23. 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.
24. All documents required to be served on parties to the proceeding must be served using the contact information contained in the interventions.
25. 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.
26. 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

27. 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.
28. 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.
29. 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.

Confidentiality notice

30. The Commission’s proceedings are designed to allow everyone to provide input so that it can make an informed decision in the public interest. As a result, the general rule is that all information filed with the Commission is placed on the public record so that it can be accessed by everyone.
31. However, the Commission also often needs detailed information from the companies it regulates and supervises to make an informed decision. This information can be commercially sensitive, especially as the environment in which the companies operate becomes more competitive. The Commission will therefore accept certain information as confidential.
32. Parties can designate information as confidential under subsection 25.3(1) of the Act and provide a detailed rationale as to why that information should be considered confidential. The Commission reminds parties that when a document is filed with confidential information, an abridged version must also be filed so that it can be included in the public record.

Privacy notice

33. Please note the following:
    • Documents will be posted on the Commission’s website exactly as received, in the official language and format in which they are received. This includes any personal information contained in them, such as full names, email addresses, postal/street addresses, and telephone and fax numbers.
    • All personal information parties provide as part of this proceeding, except information designated as confidential, will be posted on the Commission’s website and can be accessed by others.
    • However, the information parties provide can only be accessed from the web page of this particular proceeding. As a result, a general search of the Commission’s website using either its search engine or a third-party search engine will not provide access to the information that was provided as part of this proceeding.
    • Personal information that parties provide may be used by the Commission for the purpose the information was obtained, or for a similar purpose.

Availability of documents

34. Links to interventions, as well as other documents referred to in this notice, are available on the Commission’s Consultations and hearings: have your say page.
35. Interested persons can find electronic versions of the documents by clicking on Submit an intervention or view related documents at the top of this notice.
36. Documents are available upon request during normal business hours by contacting:

    
    Documentation Centre
    Examinationroom@crtc.gc.ca

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

Secretary General

Appendix to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2026-115

Radio programming undertakings for which the Commission proposes to renew the licences for indefinite terms

Related documents

• Modernization of radio processes, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2025-265, 10 October 2025
• French-language community FM radio station in Iqaluit, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2025-121, 23 May 2025
• Accessibility and accommodations guidelines, Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2025-95, 14 May 2025
• CFCO Chatham – Conversion to the FM band, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2025-88, 14 April 2025
• French-language community FM radio station in Joliette, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2024-113, 27 May 2024
• English-language community FM radio station in Newmarket, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2023-241, 7 August 2023
• Filing submissions for Commission proceedings in accessible formats, Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2015-242, 8 June 2015
• Guidelines on the CRTC Rules of Practice and Procedure, Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-959, 23 December 2010
• Changes to certain practices for filing interventions – Expansion of filing practices to include the filing of joint supporting comments for broadcasting policy proceedings, Broadcasting Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-28-1, 10 December 2010

Date modified:

2026-06-05