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Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission 2025–26 Departmental Plan

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, 2025

Catalogue No. BC9-26E-PDF
ISSN 2371-8463

On this page

From the Minister

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, P.C., M.P.

The arts, culture, heritage and broadcasting sectors occupy an important place in our lives. They offer us a wide array of experiences, promote conversations, strengthen our social fabric and shape our collective identity. The organizations in the Canadian Heritage portfolio, including the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), work tirelessly to support the development of these sectors. Over the coming year, they will fulfill their respective mandates in an ever-evolving world where technology continues to increase both challenges and possibilities.

The CRTC is a modern and inclusive regulator that brings Canadians together through technology and culture. In the coming year, it will focus on delivering reliable, affordable and high-quality Internet and cellphone services for Canadians, as well as a modernized Canadian broadcasting framework and a bargaining framework for the Online News Act. The CRTC is also investing in itself to better serve Canadians.

As Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, I invite you to read the Departmental Plan 2025–26 prepared by the CRTC to get an overview of its activities in the year to come.

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages

From the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer

Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer

On behalf of the CRTC, I am pleased to present the 2025-26 Departmental Plan.  

The CRTC is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal that regulates the Canadian communications sector in the public interest. Through our public consultations and outreach with groups and communities across the country, we hear about the importance of telecommunications and broadcasting to the daily lives of Canadians.

The CRTC will continue to deliver tangible results for Canadians, who are at the heart of what we do. In the coming year, that means promoting competition and investment in Internet and cellphone services, modernizing Canada’s broadcasting framework, and implementing the bargaining framework for the Online News Act.

We look forward to continuing to move quickly and transparently, to consult broadly and build robust public records, and to take action for Canadians over the coming year.

Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer

Plans to deliver on core responsibility and internal services

Core responsibilities and internal services:

Core responsibility: Regulate and Supervise the Communications System

In this section

Description

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is an administrative tribunal that is responsible for regulating and supervising Canada’s communications system in the public interest.

Established to develop, implement and enforce regulatory policies on the Canadian communications system, the CRTC performs a wide range of functions, including rule making and policy development. It has the quasi-judicial powers of a superior court with respect to the production and examination of evidence and the enforcement of its decisions. As an administrative tribunal it operates at arm’s length from the federal government.

The CRTC develops regulatory policies for Canada’s communication system; approves mergers, acquisitions and changes of ownership of broadcasting distribution undertakings; approves tariffs and agreements for certain telecommunication services; issues, renews and amends licences for broadcasting distribution and programming undertakings; and resolves disputes regarding certain commercial arrangements. The CRTC intervenes specifically in situations where market forces alone cannot achieve the policy objectives set out within its legislative mandate.

Quality of life impacts

The CRTC’s core responsibility contributes to three domains of the Quality of Life Framework for Canada: “Prosperity,” “Society” and “Good governance.” More specifically, the CRTC contributes to “Access to high-speed Internet,” “Sense of Pride/belonging to Canada,” “Personal safety” and “Indigenous self-determination” through its work to regulate and supervise Canada’s communications system.

Indicators, results and targets

This section presents details on the department’s indicators, the actual results from the three most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2025-26 for Regulate and Supervise the Communications System. Details are presented by departmental result.

Table 1: Canadian content is created

Table 1 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Regulate and Supervise the Communications System.

Departmental Result Indicators 2021 – 2022 result 2022 – 2023 result 2023 – 2024 result Target Date to achieve target
Total investment in Canadian television programming production $4.1B $4.67B $4.7B Between $4.0 and $4.5B March 2026

Table 2: Canadians are connected to world-class communications services

Table 2 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Regulate and Supervise the Communications System.

Departmental Result Indicators 2021 – 2022 result 2022 – 2023 result 2023 – 2024 result Target Date to achieve target
% of households that have access to fixed broadband Internet access servicesfootnote 1 91.2% 91.9% 93.8% 100% December 2031
% of households that have access to the latest generally deployed mobile wireless technologyfootnote 2 99.4% 99.4% 99.5% 100% December 2026
% of total fixed broadband subscriptions that are high-capacity network connections compared to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) averagefootnote 3 4.8 percentage point lead 7.63 percentage point lead 7.6 percentage point lead At least a 7.9 percentage point leadfootnote 4 December 2025

Table 3: Canadians are protected within the communications system

Table 3 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Regulate and Supervise the Communications System.

Departmental Result Indicators 2021 – 2022 result 2022 – 2023 result 2023 – 2024 result Target Date to achieve target
% of organizations that remain compliant within three years after compliance / enforcement action is taken on unsolicited commercial communications Not availablefootnote 5 100% 100% At least 80% March 2026
% of broadcasting undertakings participating in public alerting system 96.4%footnote 6 96.99% 98.55% 100% March 2026
% of Canadian subscribers with access to public alerting through wireless service providers 99.98%footnote 7 99.99% 99.99% 100% March 2026
% of facilities-based telecommunications service providers that are compliant with obligations associated with ensuring all 9-1-1 communications made by Canadians are delivered to Public Safety Answering Points Not availablefootnote 8 Not available 100% 100% March 2026

Table 4: Proceedings related to the regulation of the communications system are efficient and fair

Table 4 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Regulate and Supervise the Communications System.

Departmental Result Indicators 2021 – 2022 result 2022 – 2023 result 2023 – 2024 result Target Date to achieve target
% of decisions on telecom and broadcasting applications (Part 1) issued within four months of the close of record 59% 73% 87.5%footnote 9 At least 75% March 2026
Number of decisions overturned on judicial appeal related to procedural fairness 0 0 0 0 March 2026

Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for the CRTC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

The following section describes the planned results for Regulate and Supervise the Communications System in 2025-26.

Canadian content is created

In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to modernize Canada’s broadcasting framework.

Implement the modernized Broadcasting Act

In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to implement the modernized Broadcasting Act to promote and support Canadian and Indigenous content. As part of its plan, the CRTC will hold public consultations on a wide range of issues, including on the definition of Canadian and Indigenous content for television and online streaming services; the market dynamics among small, medium, and large broadcasters, television service providers and online streaming services; and the rules for radio and audio streaming services. These consultations will help create the individual conditions of service for traditional and online broadcasters in Canada.

Implement the Online News Act and supervise the bargaining framework

The Online News Act aims to ensure that online platforms that make Canadian news content available fairly compensate Canadian news organizations.  The legislation requires the CRTC to implement the bargaining framework, handle complaints about unfair treatment and create a code of conduct to support fair negotiations. In 2024-25, the CRTC published its decision establishing the mandatory bargaining framework and how it will handle complaints from eligible Canadian news organizations. The CRTC also issued a decision paving the way for Google to contribute $100 million annually to Canadian news organizations through a collective. In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to advance the implementation of the legislation, including by supervising the bargaining framework, finalizing a code of conduct, and monitoring whether additional platforms are subject to the Online News Act. It will also gather data to support an independent auditor's report on the impact of the legislation on the Canadian news marketplace.

Co-develop the Indigenous Broadcasting Policy

In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue the second phase in the co-development of the Indigenous broadcasting policy with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The three-phase proceeding will result in a modernized framework that will support Indigenous broadcasters and creators and help ensure that Indigenous stories and voices are represented, easily found, and shared across all platforms. The CRTC will actively engage with Indigenous communities to gather feedback and views. It will establish a joint working group to help ensure the framework is developed in collaboration with Indigenous peoples and respects Indigenous self-determination.

Results we plan to achieve

  • Continued production of high-quality Canadian and Indigenous content
  • Access to Canadian and Indigenous content through a variety of platforms
  • Fair compensation for Canadian news organizations
Canadians are connected to world-class communications services

In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to promote competition and investment to deliver reliable, affordable and high-quality Internet and cellphone services to Canadians.

Increase choice, affordability and quality of cellphone services

In 2024-25, the CRTC implemented new rules in the cellphone services market that allow regional providers to compete as mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) using the networks of Canada’s large companies. This access has helped regional providers expand their reach and compete in new areas of the country, offering Canadians more affordable choices. In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to support the implementation of the MVNO framework by monitoring the industry’s progress in integrating these changes, encouraging timely agreements, and conducting arbitration where required to finalize the applicable rate.

In 2025-26, the CRTC will also continue to take action to help make cellphone use more affordable when Canadians travel internationally and within Canada. In 2024-25, the CRTC called on large cellphone companies to take immediate action to provide affordable roaming options to Canadians. The CRTC also took steps to help make it more affordable for Canadians to travel within Canada by requiring cellphone providers to set new wholesale roaming rates through timely negotiations with each other. If providers cannot come to an agreement, the CRTC will set the rates using a process known as final offer arbitration. In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to actively monitor international and domestic roaming rates, and take action, as needed.

Promote competition and investment in high-quality Internet services

In 2024-25, the CRTC took a major step forward to improve competition in Canada’s Internet market by giving competitors a workable way to sell Internet services using the fibre-to-the-home networks of large telephone companies nationwide. This access will help grow Internet competition and empower Canadians with new choices. In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to closely monitor the Internet services market to help ensure the right balance between increased competition and continued investment in high-quality networks, so that it can help deliver more choice to Canadians who want higher-speed Internet at lower prices.

Help connect rural, remote and Indigenous communities to high-speed Internet and cellphone services

Through the Broadband Fund, the CRTC contributes to a broad effort by federal, provincial and territorial governments to address the gap in connectivity in underserved rural, remote and Indigenous communities across Canada. The Broadband Fund improves high-speed Internet and cellphone service, connecting essential institutions such as schools, health care facilities and community centres.

In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to review the Broadband Fund. In 2024-25, as part of the first phase of its review, the CRTC took action to improve the fund and help make it faster and easier. These improvements will be integrated into the fourth call for applications to the fund. In the next phase, the CRTC will consider how to best support projects that make Internet and cellphone networks more resilient to outages caused by extreme weather and accidental network damage. In 2025-26, the CRTC will also develop the Indigenous stream of the Broadband Fund.

Canadians in the Far North face unique challenges in accessing reliable, affordable and high-quality Internet and cellphone services. In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to take action to help improve the reliability, affordability and competitiveness of telecommunications services in the Far North. The CRTC will move forward with a decision it issued in 2024-25 to introduce a subsidy for retail Internet service for all residents of the Far North to help make Internet services more affordable. The CRTC will also help improve wholesale services to foster competition and provide more choice in the Far North.

Support and protect consumers

Canadians should be provided with more options and clearer information to make it easier to decide what they need when shopping for Internet and cellphone services. In 2025-26, the CRTC will hold a public hearing to consult on consumer labels that would show clear and simple information on price and speeds to help Canadians easily compare plans.

In 2024-25, the CRTC continued its efforts to help protect consumers, including by launching three public consultations. First, the CRTC is considering new measures to ensure Canadians are notified when their plans or discounts are about to end. Second, the CRTC is looking at stopping providers from charging fees when Canadians cancel or change their plans. Third, the CRTC is exploring how self-serve options could help Canadians when they need to change or cancel their plans. In 2025-26, the CRTC will issue decisions on these consultations and help make it easier for Canadians to choose the Internet and cellphone plans that are best for them.

Results we plan to achieve

  • Increased choice and affordable telecommunications services
  • Investment in high-quality networks
  • Connectivity for rural, remote and Indigenous communities
  • More control for consumers over their Internet and cellphone services
Canadians are protected within the communications system

In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue its work to help protect Canadians from scam communications, online spam, and nuisance phone calls and SMS texts.

Protection from Internet domain name spoofing and nuisance phone calls

The CRTC, along with the Competition Bureau and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, is responsible for a civil regulatory regime that promotes and monitors compliance with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).

CASL is intended to help protect Canadians from spam communications by setting rules for sending commercial messages, network redirection and the installation of computer programs. In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to advise the industry on ways to comply with CASL and better protect Canada’s domain name system (e.g., websites ending in .ca) from bad actors who impersonate legitimate websites to scam Canadians.

The CRTC also works to ensure compliance with the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules (UTRs). The UTRs are a set of rules that include the National Do Not Call List, which individuals, companies and organizations must follow when communicating with Canadians. They are designed to protect the privacy of Canadians and prevent nuisance calls. In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to investigate non-compliance with the UTRs and review and update them in response to evolving technologies and business models.

Improve access to emergency services and public alerts

In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to help improve access to emergency services and public alerts.

9-1-1 is a bridge that connects Canadians to emergency services in times of need. In the majority of cases, 9-1-1 calls are connected directly to provincial, territorial or municipal 9-1-1 call centres. The CRTC does not oversee these public 9-1-1 call centres. They are a public safety responsibility of provinces, territories and municipalities. The CRTC’s role regarding 9-1-1 is to regulate the telecommunications services that connect Canadians to these call centres.

In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to take action to help modernize 9-1-1 services by supporting the transition to Next-Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) networks. NG9-1-1 will provide Canadians access to new, improved and innovative emergency services and tools. These include enabling Canadians to send texts, photos and videos to 9-1-1 call centres. These improvements will help enhance public safety by providing quicker, more effective and inclusive communication during emergencies.

Since November 2023, anyone in Canada can call or text 9-8-8 to receive bilingual, trauma-informed and culturally appropriate support for mental health crisis and suicide prevention. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is the government agency responsible for funding and overseeing the 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and their partners deliver the service. The PHAC and the CAMH have informed the CRTC that some calls that were being made to 9-8-8 were not being routed to the nearest local response centre. In 2025-26, the CRTC will work to address this issue to help improve the routing of 9-8-8 calls and texts.

The National Public Alerting System (NPAS) is a federal, provincial and territorial system that enables emergency management organizations across Canada to warn the public about imminent or possible dangers such as floods, tornados, fires and other disasters. Emergency alerts are created and sent by authorized emergency management organizations, such as police departments, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and provincial and territorial governments. The CRTC’s role is to help ensure that all television and radio services issue public alerts, and that Canadians receive alerts on their cellphones. In 2025-26, the CRTC will hold a public consultation to consider targeted improvements to public alerting, within its jurisdiction. The consultation will focus on helping ensure that Canadians throughout the country receive alerts that are accessible and reflective of the linguistic profile of Canada.

Improve the resiliency of Canada’s telecommunications networks

In 2025-26, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, in collaboration with the CRTC, will continue to explore potential approaches to promote and help improve the resiliency of Canada’s telecommunications networks. This includes the CRTC’s work to develop a framework to help improve the reliability and resiliency of telecommunications networks and services. In 2025-26, the CRTC will implement the first stage of this plan and issue its decision on service outage notification and reporting requirements. The CRTC will also hold public consultations on other consumer protections, including notifying and compensating Canadians, how to make networks more resilient, accessing emergency services during an outage, and the impact of outages on accessibility services.

Results we plan to achieve

  • A safe communications system
  • Better access to emergency services and public alerts
  • More resilient telecommunications networks
Proceedings related to the regulation of the communications system are efficient and fair

The CRTC is an independent quasi-judicial tribunal that regulates the Canadian communications sector in the public interest. It holds public consultations on telecommunications and broadcasting matters and makes decisions based on the public record. To build public records that bring a diversity of perspectives, the CRTC aims for its consultations to be inclusive so that everyone can participate.

In 2025-26, the CRTC will develop new and improved ways to engage with people to help ensure broad and inclusive participation in its consultations.

Enable timelier and more transparent and efficient decision-making

In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to address the historical inventory of Part 1 applications, post new ones as they are received, and inform Broadband Fund applicants of the status of their application once a decision has been made.

Support the participation of public interest groups in CRTC proceedings

In 2025-26, the CRTC will launch a public consultation to gather views on how it can create a simple and more effective way to fund the participation of individuals and groups that represent the public interest in its proceedings, and as a result, better reflect the diverse perspectives of Canadians.

Establish trusting, collaborative relationships with Indigenous peoples

In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to enhance engagement with Indigenous peoples and communities through its Indigenous Relations Team (IRT). The IRT will work to simplify and remove barriers to CRTC proceedings and help further advance reconciliation. The CRTC will continue to look into best practices for engaging with Indigenous peoples and for collaborating on the development of broadcasting and telecommunications policies affecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

Strengthen consultation and engagement practices in proceedings related to official language minority communities (OLMCs) and official languages

In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to take measures to help enhance the vitality of OLMCs, as well as support and assist their development. The CRTC will create a dedicated team to support engagement with OLMC groups and ensure that they are consulted in matters that may affect them.

Results we plan to achieve

  • A tribunal that is efficient, timely and transparent
  • An organization that better engages with Canadians, and domestic and international partners

Key risks

The broadcasting and telecommunications environments are undergoing immense change. The CRTC has been given a new and significantly expanded mandate and is being called on to rework its rules and regulations and to create new ones within a short period of time. This requires significant consultation to obtain a broad range of views and build a robust public record to make decisions, while also moving quickly to provide certainty to everyone who is affected by those decisions.

Planned resources to achieve results

Table 5: Planned resources to achieve results for Regulate and Supervise the Communications System

Table 5 provides a summary of the planned spending and full-time equivalents required to achieve results.

Resource Planned
Spending $87,695,431
Full-time equivalents 529

Complete financial and human resources information for the CRTC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Related government priorities

Gender-based analysis plus

In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue its efforts to improve its understanding of the needs of all Canadians. This includes by continuing to improve its data collection to better monitor its work and the impact of its policies on various communities, including equity-deserving communities, and making more of this data publicly available.

The CRTC will further develop the relationships it has established, such as through the IRT and the OLMC Discussion Group, to continue to help ensure its policies reflect and address the needs of diverse communities across Canada.

The CRTC will also increase the amount of information available in American Sign Language (ASL) and la Langue des signes québecoise (LSQ) to facilitate greater participation and help ensure its consultations and decisions are accessible to more Canadians.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

More information on the CRTC’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Program inventory

“Regulate and Supervise the Communications System” is supported by the following programs:

  • Support for Canadian content creation
  • Connection to the communications system
  • Protection within the communications system

Additional information related to the program inventory for Regulate and Supervise the Communications System is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.

Internal services

In this section

Description

Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:

  • management and oversight services
  • communications services
  • legal services
  • human resources management services
  • financial management services
  • information management services
  • information technology services
  • real property management services
  • materiel management services
  • acquisition management services

Plans to achieve results

This section presents details on how the department plans to achieve results and meet targets for internal services.

Values and ethics

In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to implement the recommendations of the Deputy Ministers’ Task Team on Values and Ethics Report to the Clerk of the Privy Council by reviewing its values and ethics framework. This includes a review of its onboarding program, the CRTC Code of Conduct, as well as employee learning and development.

Diversity and inclusion

The CRTC continues to support the Clerk’s Forward Direction on the Call to Action through commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion in the performance agreements of all its executives. In 2025-26, the CRTC will build on its progress made in 2024-25 and continue to implement measures to help ensure progress toward employment equity representation targets, training on harassment and violence prevention, accessibility, reconciliation, values and ethics, and sponsorship of under-represented groups by senior managers.

Accessibility

The CRTC will build on the substantial progress made in its 2023-2025 Accessibility Plan to further help ensure its consultations and decisions are accessible to more Canadians and reflect the diverse views within the Canadian cultural landscape. Internally, the CRTC will continue to adapt its workplace to better support all employees by establishing clearer guidelines to enhance the visibility, clarity and ease of its accommodations process. It will actively promote learning and awareness opportunities to strengthen its inclusive culture and help create a barrier-free environment.

Wellness

In 2025-26, the CRTC will continue to provide robust support to employees through its mental health program and activities. It will also create a Wellness and Inclusion Ombuds to help ensure employees have access to a safe space to identify, manage and resolve workplace issues.

Information management and technology services

The CRTC will continue to refine internal business processes, leverage data analytics and explore the use of automation and artificial intelligence to support business efficiency. These improvements aim to keep the CRTC modern, agile and accessible.

Occupational Health and Safety

In 2024-25, the CRTC completed a new Workplace Harassment and Violence Risk Assessment in collaboration with the Occupational Health and Safety Policy Committee. The assessment confirmed that the CRTC remains at “low risk” overall for harassment and violence. It also informed the three-year review of the CRTC Policy on Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention. Following the completion of that review in 2025-26, the CRTC will use its training curriculum, and reporting and onboarding program, to help ensure a safe and respectful work environment. 

Planned resources to achieve results

Table 6: Planned resources to achieve results for internal services this year

Table 6 provides a summary of the planned spending and full-time equivalents required to achieve results.

Resource Planned
Spending $25,837,125
Full-time equivalents 188

Complete financial and human resources information for the CRTC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planning for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

Government of Canada departments are to meet a target of awarding at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year. This commitment is to be fully implemented by the end of 2024-25.

The CRTC met the 5% target in 2023-24 and plans to continue to meet this target through 2025-26. It is committed to supporting the participation of Indigenous businesses to compete for contract awards, as well as subcontracting arising from a contract. The CRTC will continue to verify Supply Arrangements and Standing Offers to acquire goods or services from Indigenous businesses to maintain the ongoing 5% target.

Table 7: Percentage of contracts planned and awarded to Indigenous businesses

Table 7 presents the current, actual results with forecasted and planned results for the total percentage of contracts the department awarded to Indigenous businesses.

5% Reporting Field 2023-24 Actual Result 2024-25 Forecasted Result 2025-26 Planned Result
Total percentage of contracts with Indigenous businesses 5.9% 5% 5%

Planned spending and human resources

This section provides an overview of the CRTC’s planned spending and human resources for the next three fiscal years and compares planned spending for 2025-26 with actual spending from previous years.

In this section

Spending

This section presents an overview of the department's planned expenditures from 2022-23 to 2027-28.

Budgetary performance summary

Table 8: Three-year spending summary for core responsibility and internal services (dollars)

Table 8 presents how much money the CRTC spent over the past three years to carry out its core responsibility and for internal services. Amounts for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on spending to date.

Core responsibility and internal services 2022 – 2023 actual expenditures 2023 – 2024 actual expenditures 2024 – 2025 forecast spending
Regulate and Supervise the Communication System 58,713,881 69,349,918 81,629,253
Subtotal 58,713,881 69,349,918 81,629,253
Internal services 18,348,248 23,231,620 25,708,561
Total 77,062,129 92,581,538 107,337,814
Revenues netted against spending 62,036,560 72,675,390 85,943,764
Net spending 15,025,569 19,906,148 21,394,050
Analysis of the past three years of spending

For fiscal years 2022-23 to 2023-24, spending represents the actual expenditures as reported in the Public Accounts of Canada.

The increase in actual spending from 2022-23 to 2023-24 was mainly due to the ratification of several government-wide collective agreements (including retroactive payments), which caused salaries and related costs to rise.

Forecast spending for fiscal year 2024-25 is expected to increase compared to previous years due to the increase in regulatory work to support significant amendments to the Broadcasting Act, and to advance complex telecommunications matters.

More financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase. 

Table 9: Planned three-year spending on core responsibility and internal services (dollars)

Table 9 presents how much money the CRTC plans to spend over the next three years to carry out its core responsibility and for internal services.

Core responsibility and internal services 2025-26 Planned Spending 2026-27 Planned Spending 2027-28 Planned Spending
Regulate and Supervise the Communications System 87,695,431 82,342,541 81,811,115
Subtotal 87,695,431 82,342,541 81,811,115
Internal services 25,837,125 25,152,740 25,046,882
Total 113,532,556 107,495,281 106,857,997
Revenues netted against spending 91,666,302 90,998,239 90,361,989
Net spending 21,866,254 16,497,042 16,496,008
Analysis of the next three years of spending

Planned spending for fiscal years 2025-26 to 2027-28 corresponds to the Main Estimates.  Supplementary funding for items such as legislative amendments, salary adjustments for ratified collective agreements and carry-forward adjustments are currently unknown and, therefore, not reflected.

Planned spending for fiscal year 2025-26 is expected to increase due to more regulatory work to support significant amendments to the Broadcasting Act. Temporary funding was approved in 2024-25 for additional resources to accelerate the implementation of the modernized Broadcasting Act.

The decrease in planned spending in 2026-27 follows the sunset of those temporary funds.

More detailed financial information on planned spending is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.

Table 10: Budgetary gross and net planned spending summary (dollars)

Table 10 reconciles gross planned spending with net spending for 2025-26.

Core responsibility and Internal services 2025-26 Gross planned spending (dollars) 2025-26 Planned revenues netted against spending (dollars) 2025-26 Planned net spending (authorities used)
Regulate and Supervise the Communications System 87,695,431 70,170,392 17,525,039
Subtotal 87,695,431 70,170,392 17,525,039
Internal services 25,837,125 21,495,910 4,341,215
Total 113,532,556 91,666,302 21,866,254
Analysis of budgetary gross and net planned spending summary

The CRTC collects fees in line with fees regulations to finance its regulatory work in broadcasting and telecommunications. These regulations are:

Information on the alignment of the CRTC’s spending with Government of Canada’s spending and activities is available on GC InfoBase.

Funding

This section provides an overview of the department's voted and statutory funding for its core responsibility and for internal services. For further information on funding authorities, consult the Government of Canada budgets and expenditures.

Graph 1: Approved funding (statutory and voted) over a six-year period

Graph 1 summarizes the department's approved voted and statutory funding from 2022-23 to 2027-28.

See below
Long description
Fiscal year 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2027-28
Statutory 8,290,627 9,911,805 10,901,785 11,909,759 11,418,994 11,408,216
Voted and Vote-netted revenues 68,771,502 82,669,733 96,436,030 101,622,797 96,076,287 95,449,781
Total 77,062,129 92,581,538 107,337,815 113,532,556 107,495,281 106,857,997

Analysis of statutory and voted funding over a six-year period

The CRTC is mainly funded through fees that are collected to cover the cost of its regulatory work. The increase in funding from 2022-23 to 2023-24 was mainly due to increased vote-netted revenues related to the ratification of several government-wide collective agreements (including retroactive payments), which caused salaries and related costs to rise.

The coming into force of the modernized Broadcasting Act in April 2023 resulted in an increase in regulatory work, which required an increase in vote-netted revenues in 2024-25 and a temporary increase in voted funding in 2025-26 to accelerate the implementation of the new legislation. 

Funding for fiscal years 2025-26 to 2027-28 corresponds to the Main Estimates. Supplementary funding for items such as legislative amendments, salary adjustments for ratified collective agreements and carry-forward adjustments are currently unknown and, therefore, not reflected.

For further information on the CRTC’s departmental appropriations, consult the 2025-26 Main Estimates.

Future-oriented condensed statement of operations

The future-oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of the CRTC’s operations for 2024-25 to 2025-26.

Table 11: Future-oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ended March 31, 2026 (dollars)

Table 11 summarizes the expenses and revenues which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers for 2024-25 to 2025-26. The forecast and planned amounts in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The forecast and planned amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.

Financial information 2024 – 25 Forecast results 2025 – 26 Planned results Difference (Planned results minus forecasted)
Total expenses 115,590,316 124,034,007 8,443,691
Total revenues 85,943,764 91,666,302 5,722,538
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers 29,646,552 32,367,705 2,721,153
Analysis of forecasted and planned results

The difference in expenses of approximately $8.4 million (7.3%) in 2025-26, as compared to 2024-25, is mainly due to the CRTC’s increased workload related to implementing significant amendments to the Broadcasting Act and the ratification of government-wide collective agreements.

Revenues are projected to rise by $5.7 million in 2025-26, mainly due to the enactment of the Cost Recovery (Online News Act) Regulations on April 1, 2025, increases in regulatory work to support significant amendments to the Broadcasting Act and the ratification of collective agreements.

A more detailed Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and associated Notes for 2025-26, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations with the requested authorities, is available on the CRTC’s website.

Human resources

This section presents an overview of the department’s actual and planned human resources from 2022-23 to 2027-28.

Table 12: Actual human resources for core responsibility and internal services

Table 12 shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents, for the CRTC’s core responsibility and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date. 

Table 12: Actual human resources for core responsibility and internal services
Core responsibility and internal services 2022 – 23 Actual full-time equivalents 2023 – 24 Actual full-time equivalents 2024 – 25 Forecasted full-time equivalents
Regulate and Supervise the Communications System 389 444 493
Subtotal 389 444 493
Internal services 142 170 203
Total 531 614 696
Analysis of human resources over the last three years

The increases in actual full-time equivalents from 2022-23 to 2024-25 is attributable to staffing required to prepare for and implement the modernized Broadcasting Act and the Online News Act, and to advance complex telecommunications matters.

Table 13: Human resources planning summary for core responsibility and internal services

Table 13 shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents, for each of the CRTC’s core responsibility and for its internal services planned for the next three years.

Core responsibility and internal services 2025 – 26 Planned full-time equivalents 2026 – 27 Planned full-time equivalents 2027 – 28 Planned full-time equivalents
Regulate and Supervise the CommunicationS System 529 505 505
Subtotal 529 505 505
Internal services 188 182 182
Total 717 687 687
Analysis of human resources for the next three years

The planned temporary increase in full-time equivalents in 2025-26 is attributable to staffing required to accelerate the implementation of the modernized Broadcasting Act.

Corporate information

Departmental profile

Appropriate minister: The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, P.C., M.P.

Institutional head: Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer

Ministerial portfolio: Canadian Heritage portfolio

Enabling instruments:

Year of incorporation / commencement: 1968

Departmental contact information

Mailing address

Les Terrasses de la Chaudière
Central Building
1 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Quebec J8X 4B1

or

Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0N2

Telephone:

In Canada:
Toll-free: 1-877-249-CRTC (2782)
Toll-free TTY line: 1-877-909-CRTC (2782)

Outside Canada:
819‑997‑0313

TTY: 819‑994‑0423

Fax: 819‑994‑0218

Website: https://www.crtc.gc.ca

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information table is available on the CRTC’s website:

Information on the CRTC’s departmental sustainable development strategy can be found on the CRTC’s website.

Federal tax expenditures

The CRTC’s Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures.

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures.

This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.

Definitions

appropriation (crédit)
Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)
Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, departments or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.
core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)
An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.
Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)
A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3-year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.
departmental result (résultat ministériel)
A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.
departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)
A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.
departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)
A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.
Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.
full‑time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)
A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. For a particular position, the full-time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.
gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])

Is an analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs, and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

Using GBA Plus involves taking a gender- and diversity-sensitive approach to our work. Considering all intersecting identity factors as part of GBA Plus, not only sex and gender, is a Government of Canada commitment.

government priorities (priorités gouvernementales)
For the purpose of the 2025-26 Departmental Plan, government priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the most recent Speech from the Throne.
horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
An initiative where two or more federal departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
Indigenous business (entreprise autochtones)
For the purpose of the Directive on the Management of Procurement Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses and the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses, a department that meets the definition and requirements as defined by the Indigenous Business Directory.
non‑budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)
Non-budgetary authorities that comprise assets and liabilities transactions for loans, investments and advances, or specified purpose accounts, that have been established under specific statutes or under non-statutory authorities in the Estimates and elsewhere. Non-budgetary transactions are those expenditures and receipts related to the government's financial claims on, and obligations to, outside parties. These consist of transactions in loans, investments and advances; in cash and accounts receivable; in public money received or collected for specified purposes; and in all other assets and liabilities. Other assets and liabilities, not specifically defined in G to P authority codes are to be recorded to an R authority code, which is the residual authority code for all other assets and liabilities.
performance (rendement)
What a department did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the department intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.
performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)
A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of a department, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.
plan (plan)
The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how a department intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.
planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

program (programme)
Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
program inventory (répertoire des programmes)
Identifies all the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.
result (résultat)
A consequence attributed, in part, to a department, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single department, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the department’s influence.
statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)
Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.
target (cible)
A measurable performance or success level that a department, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.
voted expenditures (dépenses votées)
Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an appropriation act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.
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