Editing Canadian content

{{short description|Portion of Canadian contribution in broadcast work}}
{{Redirect|CanCon|other uses|Can-con (disambiguation){{!}}Can-con}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}}

'''Canadian content''' (abbreviated '''CanCon''', '''cancon''' or '''can-con'''; {{Langx|fr|contenu canadien}}) refers to the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] (CRTC) requirements, derived from the Broadcasting Act of Canada, that radio and television [[Broadcasting|broadcasters]] (including cable and satellite [[specialty channel]]s, and since the passing of the ''[[Online Streaming Act]]'', Internet-based video services) must produce and broadcast a certain [[percentage]] of content that was at least partly written, produced, presented, or otherwise contributed to by persons from Canada. CanCon also refers to that content itself, and, more generally, to cultural and creative content that is Canadian in nature.

Current Canadian content percentages are as follows: radio airplay is 35% (with partial exceptions for some specialty formats such as classical). Some stations are required to air a higher percentage based on their "promise of performance" information during their license submission. Broadcast television is 55% CanCon yearly or 50% daily (CBC has a 60% CanCon quota; some specialty or multicultural formats have lower percentages).

The loss of the protective Canadian content quota requirements is one of the concerns of those opposed to the [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]].<ref name="CanCon5Oct2012">{{Cite news |last=Tencer |first=Daniel |date=5 October 2012 |title=Trans-Pacific Partnership: Canadian Content Rules Under Pressure From U.S. Lobbyists |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/10/04/trans-pacific-partnership-cancon_n_1940312.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130701160921/http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/10/04/trans-pacific-partnership-cancon_n_1940312.html |archive-date=July 1, 2013 |access-date=2 September 2013 |work=The Huffington Post |location=Canada}}</ref> Canada entered into the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multilateral free trade agreement, in October 2012.<ref name="USTR" /><ref name="NZ" /><ref name="GC9oct2012">{{Cite press release |title=Canada Formally Joins Trans-Pacific Partnership |date=9 October 2012 |publisher=Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada |url=http://www.international.gc.ca/media_commerce/comm/news-communiques/2012/10/09a.aspx?view=d |access-date=2012-12-13 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910004835/http://www.international.gc.ca/media_commerce/comm/news-communiques/2012/10/09a.aspx?view=d |archive-date=September 10, 2013}}</ref>

==Origins==
In enforcing the '' [[Broadcasting Act (1991)|Broadcasting Act]]'', the CRTC is obligated to ensure that "each element of the Canadian broadcasting system shall contribute in an appropriate manner to the creation and presentation of Canadian programming", and that every broadcast undertaking "[makes] maximum use, and in no case less than predominant use, of Canadian creative and other resources in the creation and presentation of programming".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Broadcasting Policy for Canada |url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/B-9.01/page-2.html#h-4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121228202826/http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/B-9.01/page-2.html#h-4 |archive-date=December 28, 2012 |access-date=9 December 2012 |website=Broadcasting Act |publisher=Department of Justice Canada}}</ref>

==Radio==
===Music radio<span class="anchor" id="MAPL system"></span>===
{{redirect|MAPL|the MAPL planning language|Multi-Agent Planning Language}}
For music, the Canadian content requirements are referred to as the '''MAPL system''', referring to the ''music'', ''artist'', ''performance'' and ''lyrics''.

====Criteria====
To qualify as Canadian content a musical selection must generally fulfil at least two of the following conditions (one if recorded prior to January 1972):

*M (music) — the music is composed entirely by a Canadian
*A (artist) — the music is, or the lyrics are, performed principally by a Canadian
*P (performance) — the musical selection consists of a performance that is:
**Recorded wholly in Canada, or
**Performed wholly in Canada and broadcast live in Canada.
*L (lyrics) — the lyrics are written entirely by a Canadian<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 10, 2009 |title=The MAPL system – defining a Canadian song |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/INFO_SHT/R1.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220214343/http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/r1.htm |archive-date=December 20, 2013 |access-date=September 30, 2011 |publisher=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission}}</ref>
For the purposes of MAPL, a "Canadian" refers to a citizen, permanent resident, someone whose "ordinary place of residence" has been in Canada prior to their contribution to the musical selection, or someone who is a CRTC licensee.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 10, 2009 |title=The MAPL system uses music, artist, lyrics and performance to define Canadian songs |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/r1.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220214343/http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/r1.htm |archive-date=December 20, 2013 |access-date=2015-10-30 |publisher=CRTC}}</ref>

A musical selection may also qualify as Canadian content if it:

* Is an instrumental performance of a composition by a Canadian.
* Is a "performance of a musical composition that a Canadian has composed for instruments only."
* Was performed live or recorded after September 1, 1991, meets the criteria for either artist or performance, and a Canadian receives at least half of the credit for music and lyrics.
Some stations – especially those playing formats where there may be a limited number of Canadian recordings suitable for airplay, such as [[European classical music|classical]], [[jazz]] or [[oldies]], may be allowed by the CRTC to meet Canadian content targets as low as 20 per cent. Stations in [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]], [[Ontario]], are also permitted to meet lower Canadian content targets, due to Windsor's proximity to the [[Metro Detroit]] media market in the United States. [[Community radio#Canada|Community radio]] and [[Campus radio#Canada|campus-based community radio stations]] often choose to meet higher Canadian content levels than commercial broadcasters, because of their mandate to support independent and underground and provide content not readily available on commercial radio or the CBC; however, this is a voluntary commitment made by these stations rather than a core CRTC requirement, and CanCon requirements may be lower for campus and community stations as they often air large quantities of category 3 music.

On [[satellite radio]] services, Canadian content regulation is applied in aggregate over the whole subscription package. [[Sirius XM Canada]] produces channels focused on Canadian music, talk, and spoken word programming (such as [[Canada Talks]], [[The Verge (XM)|The Verge]], and [[Just for Laughs Radio]]), and carries the CBC's main national networks ([[CBC Radio One]] and [[Ici Radio-Canada Première]]). All of these channels are incorporated into the overall lineup of the [[Sirius XM Radio|U.S. Sirius XM Radio]] service. The CBC also produced channels carried on the service, such as [[CBC Radio 3]], but these channels were quietly dropped from Sirius XM in 2022 in favour of making them exclusive to the CBC's [[internet radio]] platform [[CBC Music]], which does not require any subscription.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Assaly |first=Richie |date=2022-10-25 |title='Final nail in the coffin': Why SiriusXM dropping CBC Radio 3 is 'potentially catastrophic' for Canadian artists |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2022/10/25/final-nail-in-the-coffin-why-siriusxm-dropping-cbc-radio-3-is-potentially-catastrophic-for-canadian-artists.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108124215/https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2022/10/25/final-nail-in-the-coffin-why-siriusxm-dropping-cbc-radio-3-is-potentially-catastrophic-for-canadian-artists.html |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |access-date=2022-12-26 |work=[[Toronto Star]] |language=en}}</ref>

====History====
Following an extensive public hearing process organized by the CRTC, the MAPL system, created by [[Stan Klees]] (co-creator of the [[Juno Award]]), was adopted in 1971 to define and identify Canadian content in pieces of music for the purposes of increasing exposure of Canadian music on Canadian radio through content regulations governing a percentage (25%) of airplay to be devoted to Canadian music. The percentage was increased to 30% in the 1980s, and to 35% effective January 3, 1999. However, most new commercial radio stations licensed since 1999 have been licensed at 40%.<ref name="billboard">{{Cite magazine |last=LeBlanc |first=Larry |date=3 April 2004 |title=Radio Plays Favorites |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FhAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA70 |access-date=20 June 2017 |magazine=Billboard |page=70 |volume=116 |issue=14}}</ref>

Before the MAPL system was established in 1971, [[Music of Canada|Canadian music]] was regarded with indifference by Canadian radio, and during the 1960s, Canadian radio was dominated by [[British Invasion|British]] or American acts. This was a major hurdle for Canadian musicians, since they could not gain attention in their home country without having a hit single in the United States or Europe first.<ref name="newmood">{{Cite news |last=Rayner |first=Ben |date=April 19, 2019 |title=CanCon music survivors from Streetheart to Maestro Fresh Wes savouring the new mood in Canada |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2019/04/19/cancon-music-survivors-from-streetheart-to-maestro-fresh-wes-savouring-the-new-mood-in-canada.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419162040/https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2019/04/19/cancon-music-survivors-from-streetheart-to-maestro-fresh-wes-savouring-the-new-mood-in-canada.html |archive-date=April 19, 2019 |work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref> Even after MAPL was implemented in the early 1970s, some radio stations were criticized for [[ghettoization|ghettoizing]] their Canadian content to dedicated program blocks, in off-peak listening hours such as early mornings or after midnight, during which the music played would be almost entirely Canadian — thus having the effect of significantly reducing how many Canadian songs would actually have to be played during peak listening times.<ref name="baskerville">{{Cite book |last=Baskerville |first=David |url=https://archive.org/details/musicbusinesshan0008bask |title=Music Business Handbook and Career Guide |date=2006 |publisher=Sherwood Publishing Partners, Sage Publications |isbn=1412904382 |edition=8th |page=[https://archive.org/details/musicbusinesshan0008bask/page/529 529] |lccn=2005003608 |url-access=registration}}</ref> These program blocks became mockingly known as "beaver hours,"<ref name=baskerville/> featuring Canadian songs selected from the "beaver bin."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) |title=ARCHIVED - Transcript - Hull, QC - 2001/04/24 |url=https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/transcripts/2001/tb0424.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208021733/https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/transcripts/2001/tb0424.htm |archive-date=February 8, 2022 |access-date=8 February 2022 |website=crtc.gc.ca}}</ref> This practice is now reduced by CRTC regulations stipulating that CanCon percentages must be met between 6&nbsp;a.m. and 6&nbsp;p.m., rather than allowing a station to save all their Canadian content for off-peak hours.

Artists who were active in the early CanCon era in the 1970s and 1980s have noted that their music was often dismissed by Canadian audiences as inferior product, propped up by quotas rather than quality, if they were unable to replicate their Canadian success internationally.<ref name=newmood/> Yet, at the same time, artists who did break through internationally also ran the risk of becoming dismissed by Canadian audiences as no longer truly Canadian.<ref name=newmood/>

By the 1980s, there were a range CanCon requirements depending on the radio band (AM or FM) and music programming format.<ref name="Sholin">{{Cite magazine |last=Sholin |first=Dave |date=8 March 1985 |editor-last=Sholin |editor-first=Dave |title=Canadian Content—Check or Challenge |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Gavin-Report/80/85/Gavin-1985-03-08.pdf |access-date=15 January 2024 |magazine=[[Gavin Report]] |pages=13–14, 42 |issue=1547}}</ref>  [[AM radio]] required 30% of the music broadcast in a day be Canadian, and that these selections be "reasonably distributed throughout the [6:00 am to midnight] broadcast day".<ref name="Sholin" />  Five percent of all records had to be two-count Canadian.<ref name="Sholin" />  [[FM radio]] had different requirements; the CRTC's Peter G. Fleming explained in 1985 that "perceiving AM as low brow and FM as high brow [the CRTC] wanted to ensure the status quo".<ref name="Sholin" />  Hit music was limited on FM radio by restricting a single song to 3 plays per day and a playlist to only 50% top-40 hits.<ref name="Sholin" />  FM stations had to commit to play a certain format and each of these FM formats had a different CanCon quotas (e.g. The "Pop And Rock Softer" stations required 10% for [[easy listening]] and 20% for [[adult contemporary]], [[album-oriented rock]] stations were also at 20% and country at 30%).<ref name="Sholin" />

The 1991 half credit for music and lyrics provision was added after Canadian [[Bryan Adams]]' album ''[[Waking Up the Neighbours]]'' did not qualify as Canadian as Adams co-wrote both the music and the lyrics with South African producer [[Robert John "Mutt" Lange]], and he did not primarily record the album in Canada, and therefore only fulfilled one of the criteria fully. It was noted that if Adams had written all the lyrics, and Lange all the music (or vice versa), the collaboration would have counted as Canadian content. As a result, under CRTC regulations of the time, none of the album's songs were considered Canadian content.<ref name="Canadian Content">{{Cite web |title=Ruling the Airwaves: The CRTC and Canadian Content |url=http://archives.cbc.ca/economy_business/the_media/topics/1150-6306/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521104955/http://archives.cbc.ca/economy_business/the_media/topics/1150-6306/ |archive-date=May 21, 2011 |access-date=2008-06-24 |website=CBC News}}</ref><ref name="Bryan Adams biography2">{{Cite web |title=Bryan Adams biography |url=http://pabsttheater.org/bryanadams |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716111958/http://pabsttheater.org/bryanadams |archive-date=2012-07-16 |access-date=2008-06-24 |publisher=pabsttheater.org}}</ref> 

In December 2022, the CRTC announced a proposal to update the MAPL system to account for changes in the music industry and reduce regulatory burden. The proposal would remove the "performance" condition entirely, and only require lyrics and music to be principally (at least 50%) written or composed by a Canadian to qualify as Canadian content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) |date=2022-12-07 |title=Revised Commercial Radio Policy |url=https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2022/2022-332.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221221005707/https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2022/2022-332.htm |archive-date=December 21, 2022 |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=crtc.gc.ca}}</ref>

===Talk radio and American syndicated programming===
Unlike music radio, the rules on talk radio are more ambiguous. The vast majority of Canadian commercial English-language talk radio stations operate with local talk for most of the daylight hours, with the exception of two nationally syndicated Canadian talk show hosts: news/talk personality [[Charles Adler (broadcaster)|Charles Adler]] and sports talk host [[Bob McCown]]. The lone restriction is that the station must have a working studio within the region it broadcasts, which prohibits the use of entirely satellite-operated stations (which are commonplace in the United States).

Syndicated programming from the United States invariably airs after 7:00&nbsp;pm local time in virtually all markets, and usually features non-political programs such as ''[[The Jim Rome Show]]'' and ''[[Coast to Coast AM]]''. More political American shows, although the now defunct [[CFBN (AM)|CFBN]] aired [[Dennis Miller]] and the ''[[Glenn Beck Program]]'' on tape delay in the evenings for a few months, from April through November 2007, when CFBN stopped broadcasting over the air, and ''[[The Phil Hendrie Show]]'' aired for many years on [[CKTB]], even during the period when it focused on political content. Miller also aired on [[CHAM (radio station)|CHAM]] for two years from 2008 to 2010. No rule prevents American political talk shows from being aired on Canadian radio stations; such programs are simply not carried because their focus on American politics limits their relevance to Canadian radio audiences, especially given the high rights fees top American hosts such as [[Rush Limbaugh]] charge their affiliates.

As in the United States in the 1980s, the trend for [[AM radio|AM]] stations in Canada in the 1990s was to apply for an [[FM radio|FM]] broadcasting license or move away from music in favour of [[talk radio]] formats. (Since the late 2000s, AM radio in North America has been declining as stations have shut down and moved to FM.)  The total amount of Canadian-produced content declined as broadcasters could license syndicated radio programs produced in the U.S., while the Cancon regulations were conceived to apply to music only, and not to spoken-word programming. This became particularly controversial in 1998 when stations in [[Toronto]] and [[Montreal]] started airing ''[[The Howard Stern Show]]'' from New York City during prime daytime hours. Stern was forced off the air not because of Canadian content, but because the [[Canadian Broadcast Standards Council]] reprimanded the stations broadcasting Stern numerous times for Stern's comments, which prompted the two stations to drop him in short order. Stern would later move exclusively to satellite radio.

American shows that combine talk and music, such as [[Blair Garner]], [[Elvis Duran]], [[Delilah Rene|Delilah]] and [[John Tesh]], usually have special playlists for airing in Canada to assist in meeting Canadian content requirements. Because of the different requirements, American syndicated [[oldies]] programs are widely popular in Canada, such as ''[[Classic Countdown|American Gold]]'', [[Wolfman Jack]], and ''[[M. G. Kelly]]'s American Hit List''. These shows usually do not substitute Canadian songs, due in part to a fairly large library of Canadian musicians already in rotation in the format (such as [[The Guess Who]], [[Gordon Lightfoot]], [[Paul Anka]], [[Terry Jacks]] or [[R. Dean Taylor]]). In other formats, an American syndicated program sometimes is supplemented with an all-Canadian program; for instance, [[CKMX]] will broadcast ''[[Country Countdown USA]]'' and ''America's [[Grand Ole Opry]] Weekend'' along with the Canadian syndicated programs ''Canadian Country Spotlight'' and Hugh McLennan's ''Spirit of the West'', the last of which is also carried by several U.S. stations. American syndicated series are usually played in "off peak" and weekend hours.

A notable exception to the majority-Canadian spoken word programming came in 2012 when [[Astral Media]] introduced [[CKSL]] and [[CHAM (radio station)|CHAM]], two stations in southern Ontario, as full-time affiliates of [[24/7 Comedy Radio]], a service of the U.S.-based [[Cumulus Media Networks]]. CHAM meets its studio requirement by maintaining a locally based interstitial host.

==Film and television==

{{See also|Television in Canada|Cinema of Canada}}

To an even greater extent than on radio, Canadian television programming has been a perennially difficult proposition for the broadcast industry, particularly dramatic programming in prime-time. It is much more economical for Canadian stations to buy the Canadian rights to an American prime-time series than to finance a new homemade production. Perhaps more importantly, given the reach of the major U.S. broadcast networks in Canada, it is virtually impossible to delay or modify a U.S. program's broadcast schedule, as regularly occurs in other foreign markets, to weed out failures or to otherwise accommodate homegrown programming.

In English Canada, presently only the public network, [[CBC Television]], devotes the vast majority of its prime time schedule to Canadian content, having dropped U.S. network series in the mid-1990s. The [[Television in Quebec|French-language industry]], centered in [[Quebec]], similarly places a larger emphasis on original productions, as they have historically been more profitable than [[Dubbing|dubs]] of imported English-language programming, and to prioritize the province's insular "star system" of local talent.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bailey |first=Patricia |date=2003-07-06 |title=Why Canuck TV sucks - and Quebec shows thrive |url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/31354149.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302213536/https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/31354149.html |archive-date=March 2, 2020 |access-date=2017-09-28 |work=[[Winnipeg Free Press]]}}</ref><ref name="torstar-starsystem">{{Cite news |last=Woods |first=Allan |date=May 21, 2016 |title=Quebec's insular star system may be too much of a good thing |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/05/21/quebecs-insular-star-system-may-be-too-much-of-a-good-thing.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160522140032/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/05/21/quebecs-insular-star-system-may-be-too-much-of-a-good-thing.html |archive-date=May 22, 2016 |access-date=1 June 2016 |work=[[Toronto Star]] |location=[[Montreal]]}}</ref> The English commercial networks ([[CTV Television Network|CTV]], [[Global Television Network|Global]] and [[Citytv]]), conversely, rely on news and information programs for the bulk of their Canadian content while running mostly American network series, but do still commission some domestic productions for prime time broadcasts.

Some have suggested that Canadian content minimums be enacted for movie theatres, in order to improve the visibility and commercial viability of [[Cinema of Canada|Canadian film]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=<!--staff byline--> |date=September 7, 2006 |title=Filmmaker, politician propose Cancon quota for movies |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/filmmaker-politician-propose-cancon-quota-for-movies-1.617007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228093658/http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tiff/story/2006/09/07/tiff-cdn-quota.html |archive-date=February 28, 2009 |access-date=February 21, 2009 |url-status=live|work=CBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Winton |first=Ezra |date=April 3, 2006 |title=Canadian Dis-Content |url=http://www.dominionpaper.ca/business/2006/04/03/canadian_d.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928033915/http://www.dominionpaper.ca/business/2006/04/03/canadian_d.html |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |access-date=October 2, 2011 |publisher=The Dominion}}</ref> although none have ever been put in place. Most [[film festival]]s in Canada devote at least a portion of their schedules to Canadian films, although this is by choice rather than government regulation; a few film festivals are devoted exclusively to Canadian films, although most screen a mix of Canadian and international films. However, as movie-based premium television services such as [[Crave (TV network)|Crave]], [[Super Channel (Canadian TV channel)|Super Channel]], [[Hollywood Suite]] and [[Super Écran]] operate on television and thus must follow Canadian content regulations, they do acquire and program Canadian films; this often still represents a Canadian film's best opportunity to attract an audience beyond the film festival circuit.

===Regulations===

The CRTC presently requires that at least 55% of all programming aired annually by broadcast television stations, and at least 50% of programming aired daily from 6:00&nbsp;pm to midnight, must be Canadian content.<ref name="amendment">{{Cite web |date=May 3, 2011 |title=Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2011-288 |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-288.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221183814/http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-288.htm |archive-date=December 21, 2013 |access-date=2015-10-30 |publisher=Crtc.gc.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 11, 1999 |title=ARCHIVED - Public Notice CRTC 1999-97 |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/1999/PB99-97.HTM |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100405050433/http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/1999/pb99-97.htm |archive-date=April 5, 2010 |access-date=2015-10-30 |publisher=Crtc.gc.ca}}</ref> In May 2011, the annual CanCon requirement for private television broadcasters was lowered from 60% to 55% yearly. The CBC remains subject to the 60% quota.<ref name="amendment" /> 

As part of its current "group-based" approach to the licensing of broadcast and [[discretionary service|discretionary specialty channel]]s owned by the largest private broadcasting groups (such as [[Bell Media]], [[Corus Entertainment|Corus]], and [[Rogers Media|Rogers]]), the CRTC requires that at least 30% of a group's revenue (which is aggregated across all of a group's television services, based on their individual revenue and historical expenditure mandates) must be spent on Canadian programming expenditures (CPEs). CPEs can be reallocated between a group's individual services, and up to 25% of CPEs for local stations can be allocated from a discretionary service.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2017-05-15 |title=Renewal of licences for the television services of large English-language ownership groups – Introductory decision |url=https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2017/2017-148.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002191523/https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2017/2017-148.htm |archive-date=October 2, 2019 |access-date=2019-10-02 |publisher=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2010-03-22 |title=A group-based approach to the licensing of private television services |url=https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/2010-167.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191124103007/https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/2010-167.htm |archive-date=November 24, 2019 |access-date=2019-10-02 |publisher=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission}}</ref> All services must also invest 5% of their revenue towards the production of "programs of national interest" (PNI), which include comedy, drama, long-form documentaries, children's programming, and qualifying awards presentations honouring Canadian creative talent. In 2017, the CRTC instituted a further requirement that 75% of the PNI expenditure must fund productions by independent companies. The CRTC also added credits on CPE for the involvement of producers from [[Indigenous peoples in Canada|Indigenous]] (50%) and [[Languages of Canada#Official language minority communities|official language minority communities]] (25%; French outside of Quebec, and English within Quebec).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Jackson |first=Emily |date=2018-08-30 |title=CRTC demands Bell, Corus spend more money on Canadian content after feds intervene |url=https://business.financialpost.com/telecom/media/crtc-demands-bell-corus-spend-more-money-on-canadian-content-after-feds-intervene |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002191522/https://business.financialpost.com/telecom/media/crtc-demands-bell-corus-spend-more-money-on-canadian-content-after-feds-intervene |archive-date=October 2, 2019 |access-date=2019-10-02 |work=[[Financial Post]] |language=en-CA}}</ref>

Historically, much of these requirements have been fulfilled by lower-cost non-scripted programming, including networked [[talk show]]s and [[Entertainment journalism|entertainment news]] programs, local newscasts and public affairs programming, and reruns of Canadian-produced library programs. Further complicating matters for Canadian content is the existence of [[simultaneous substitution]], a regulation that allows over-the-air broadcasters to require the substitution of feeds from American broadcast channels on local multichannel television providers if they are airing the same programming in simulcast, thus protecting their exclusive rights to earn revenue off such programming whenever it is broadcast in Canada. Therefore, Canadian networks have made significant effort to import popular American series to take advantage of the rule, which in turn crowds out Canadian programming to less-desirable time slots.

Over the years the CRTC has tried a number of strategies intended to increase the success of Canadian programming, including expenditure requirements and time credits for productions with specific requirements. In 1999, the CRTC mandated that stations owned by the largest private groups air at least eight hours of Canadian "priority programming" per-week between the hours of 7 and 11 &nbsp;p.m.; priority programming included scripted programs, documentaries, entertainment news, and variety programs. This was replaced in 2010 with the current licensing framework, which places a larger focus on overall investments into Canadian content and the similar concept of "programs of national interest", as opposed to scheduling and quantity.<ref name=":1" />

=== Criteria ===
What is considered Canadian content is determined by either the CRTC, or the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office (CAVCO) for film and television productions that are seeking its [[tax credit]]. The CRTC's requirements for a television program to be considered Canadian content include that:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) |date=2006-01-23 |title=Canadian Program Certification Guide |url=https://crtc.gc.ca/canrec/eng/guide1.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824063724/https://crtc.gc.ca/canrec/eng/guide1.htm |archive-date=August 24, 2022 |access-date=2022-08-24 |website=crtc.gc.ca}}</ref>

* The producer of the program must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and hold "full responsibility" in overseeing development, creative and financial control. The producer must also receive a remuneration that exceeds the aggregated remuneration of all foreign producer-related positions.
* The production must employ a minimum number of Canadian citizens or permanent residents in key creative positions, as determined by a points system. 
** The director or screenwriter for live-action productions, or the scriptwriter or storyboard supervisor for animated productions, and at least one of the two highest-paid lead performers, must be Canadian.
** For animated works, the [[key animation]] must be performed in Canada.
** Non-Canadians may not be credited as a producer, co-producer, line producer, or production manager
* At least 75% of all costs incurred for production services, as well as 75% of all costs incurred in post-production, must be for services provided in Canada.
* The program must fall within a CRTC-defined program category.

===Examples===

Early Canadian programming was often produced merely to fill content requirements, and featured exceedingly low budgets, rushed production schedules, poor writing and little in the way of production values, and as a result did not attract much of an audience. One Canadian series, ''[[The Trouble with Tracy]]'', is sometimes claimed as one of the worst television shows ever produced.<ref name="CCF">{{Cite web |last=Wedge |first=Pip |date=July 2002 |title=The Trouble With Tracy |url=http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/networks/CTV_Television_Program_Details/TheTroubleWithTracy.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030528224221/http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/networks/CTV_Television_Program_Details/TheTroubleWithTracy.html |archive-date=May 28, 2003 |access-date=July 8, 2007 |publisher=Canadian Communications Foundation |df=mdy-all}}</ref> However, even given these limitations, some productions managed to rise above the mediocre – both ''[[Second City Television|SCTV]]'' (originally on [[Global Television Network|Global]]) and ''[[Smith & Smith]]'' ([[CHCH-TV|CHCH]]) grew from local low-budget productions with a limited audience to large production companies with a North American audience. ''SCTV'' notably lampooned the Cancon rules, as well a request by the CBC for a filler segment featuring distinctively Canadian content, by developing the characters of [[Bob and Doug McKenzie]]—a caricature of stereotypical Canadians played by cast members [[Rick Moranis]] and [[Dave Thomas (actor)|Dave Thomas]], and their recurring sketch "The Great White North". Bob and Doug would become the program's most popular characters, and spawned spin-offs such as comedy albums, commercials, the feature film ''[[Strange Brew]]'', and the animated series ''[[Bob & Doug (TV series)|Bob & Doug]]''.<ref name="AskMenSCTV">{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Ryan |title=Top 10 SCTV Skits: Great White North: Beer Nog |url=http://ca.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment_300/308c_top_10_list.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928223334/http://ca.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment_300/308c_top_10_list.html |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |access-date=September 30, 2011 |website=Askmen Canada}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Durkee |first=Cutler |title=With Beer, Back Bacon and Banter, SCTV's Bob & Doug Mine Comedy Gold in the 'great White North' |url=https://people.com/archive/with-beer-back-bacon-and-banter-sctvs-bob-doug-mine-comedy-gold-in-the-great-white-north-vol-17-no-4/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002191648/https://people.com/archive/with-beer-back-bacon-and-banter-sctvs-bob-doug-mine-comedy-gold-in-the-great-white-north-vol-17-no-4/ |archive-date=October 2, 2019 |access-date=2019-10-02 |magazine=People |language=en |volume=17 |issue=4}}</ref>

In the 1980s and early 1990s, distinctly Canadian drama series such as CBC's ''[[Street Legal (Canadian TV series)|Street Legal]]'' or [[CTV Television Network|CTV]]'s ''[[E.N.G.]]'' consistently drew hundreds of thousands of viewers each week. In the latter part of the 1990s and the early 2000s, [[Global Television Network|Global]]'s ''[[Traders (TV series)|Traders]]'' and the CBC dramas ''[[Da Vinci's Inquest]]'' and ''[[Republic of Doyle]]'' completed long runs, buoyed by critical approval if not overwhelming viewer success (though they have since became mainstays of both Canadian and American syndication). As for CTV, after short-lived runs of planned "flagship" drama series such as ''[[The City (1999 TV series)|The City]]'', ''[[The Associates (Canadian TV series)|The Associates]]'' and ''[[The Eleventh Hour (Canadian TV series)|The Eleventh Hour]]'', the network later found ratings success with series such as ''[[Corner Gas]]'' (a sitcom set at an eponymous [[Filling station|gas station]] in rural [[Saskatchewan]], filmed in the town of [[Rouleau, Saskatchewan|Rouleau]]), ''[[Flashpoint (TV series)|Flashpoint]]'', and ''[[Motive (TV series)|Motive]]''. The CBC [[dramedy]] ''[[This Is Wonderland]]'' was a moderate success with a loyal fan base, but was nonetheless cancelled in 2006 after three seasons. [[Specialty channel]]s also naturally produce Canadian content, some of which, most notably [[Showcase (Canadian TV channel)|Showcase]]'s [[mockumentary]] series ''[[Trailer Park Boys]]'',  have been able to generate a strong mass appeal.

To complement their airings of American or British versions, Canadian networks have also produced local versions of unscripted [[television format]]s, including [[reality television]] series such as ''[[The Amazing Race Canada]]'', ''[[Canadian Idol]]'', ''[[MasterChef Canada]]'', and ''[[The Traitors Canada]]'' (CTV), ''[[The Great Canadian Baking Show]]'' (CBC), ''[[Big Brother Canada]]'' (Global), ''[[The Bachelor Canada]]'' and ''[[Canada's Got Talent]]'' (Citytv), and ''[[Canada's Drag Race]]'' ([[Crave (streaming service)|Crave]]).

Canadian networks have sometimes fulfilled Cancon requirements by commissioning series filmed in Canada, but intended to be sold to broadcasters in larger foreign markets such as the United States and United Kingdom, such as CTV's ''[[Saving Hope]]'', ''[[Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye]]'', [[Mysterious Ways (TV series)|''Mysterious Ways'']], and''[[Twice in a Lifetime (TV series)|Twice in a Lifetime]]'', and Global's ''[[Wild Card (TV series)|Wild Card]]'' and ''[[Rookie Blue]].'' International co-productions such as ''[[Orphan Black]]'' ([[Space (Canadian TV channel)|Space]] and [[BBC America]]), ''[[Copper (TV series)|Copper]]'' (Showcase and BBC America), ''[[Killjoys (TV series)|Killjoys]]'' (Space and [[Syfy]]), ''[[The Tudors]]'' (CBC, [[Showtime (TV channel)|Showtime]], [[BBC]] and [[Virgin Media One|TV3]]), and the early seasons of the current incarnation of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' (which was partially funded by the CBC) are also common.

A few Canadian drama series, including ''[[Due South]]'', ''[[The Listener (TV series)|The Listener]]'', ''Motive'', ''[[Flashpoint (TV series)|Flashpoint]]'', and ''Saving Hope'', have also been picked up by American networks and aired in prime time, although the majority of Canadian TV series which have aired in the United States have done so either in syndication, on cable channels, or on minor networks such as [[The CW]] and [[Ion Television]]. ''SCTV'' aired in a late night slot on [[NBC]] in the early 1980s. CBS aired ''[[Crimetime After Primetime]]'', a late-night block of crime dramas in the late 1980s and early 1990s which included a number of Canadian series, including ''[[Night Heat]]'', ''[[Hot Shots (Canadian TV series)|Hot Shots]]'', ''[[Adderly]]'', ''[[Forever Knight]]'' and ''[[Diamonds (Canadian TV series)|Diamonds]]'', and later aired ''[[The Kids in the Hall (TV series)|The Kids in the Hall]]'' in a late-night slot as well. ''[[The Red Green Show]]'' was also a success, being imported into the United States via [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] member stations. That show's cast often did [[pledge drive]] specials and received strong viewer support on PBS stations in the northern part of the United States, such as [[Iowa]], [[Minnesota]], [[Wisconsin]], [[Michigan]], [[New Hampshire]] and New York.

The CBC sitcom ''[[Schitt's Creek]]'' was co-produced with U.S. cable network [[Pop (American TV channel)|Pop]] as its first original scripted series, but its later addition to the streaming service [[Netflix]] helped to bolster wider public awareness and critical acclaim of the series in the United States and worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adalian |first=Josef |date=2020-04-07 |title=The Unlikely Rise of Schitt's Creek |url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/04/schitts-creek-netflix-pop-success-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101001539/https://www.vulture.com/2020/04/schitts-creek-netflix-pop-success-story.html |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |access-date=2020-10-27 |website=Vulture |language=en-us}}</ref> This culminated at the [[72nd Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 2020 following its final season, where ''Schitt's Creek'' became the first series to sweep all seven major awards in their respective genre in the same year, and [[Dan Levy (Canadian actor)|Dan Levy]] became the first to win awards for acting, directing, producing, and writing in the same year.<ref name="WaPoLive">{{Cite news |last1=Yahr |first1=Emily |last2=Butler |first2=Bethonie |last3=Rao |first3=Sonia |last4=Andrews-Dyer |first4=Helena |title=Emmys 2020 live updates: 'Schitt's Creek' sweeps all 7 comedy categories; Regina King and Mark Ruffalo win limited series acting awards |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/09/20/emmys-live-updates/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118213801/https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/09/20/emmys-live-updates/ |archive-date=January 18, 2021 |access-date=September 21, 2020 |newspaper=Washington Post |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Desta |first=Yohana |title=Emmys 2020: Schitt's Creek Makes Emmy History With Complete Sweep |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/09/emmys-2020-schitts-creek-history |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118044918/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/09/emmys-2020-schitts-creek-history |archive-date=January 18, 2021 |access-date=September 21, 2020 |magazine=Vanity Fair}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Feinberg |first=Scott |date=September 20, 2020 |title=Emmys: 'Schitt's Creek' Sets Record for Most Wins in a Single Season for a Comedy |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/emmys-schitts-creek-sets-record-for-most-wins-in-a-single-season-for-a-comedy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428062552/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/emmys-schitts-creek-sets-record-for-most-wins-in-a-single-season-for-a-comedy |archive-date=April 28, 2021 |access-date=September 20, 2020 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>

Canadian commercial television networks schedule a large percentage of their Canadian productions to air in the summer season; although traditionally a season of low viewership, this practice has actually been beneficial for Canadian television productions, influenced by widespread viewer preference for new programming over off-season repeats, as well as an increased chance of gaining a lucrative sale to one of the big four American networks—a revenue stream which is generally unavailable during the fall and winter television seasons.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Kate |date=June 8, 2011 |title=For Canadian TV, summer is the new growing season |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/television/for-canadian-tv-summer-is-the-new-growing-season/article2050548/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821013834/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/television/for-canadian-tv-summer-is-the-new-growing-season/article2050548/ |archive-date=August 21, 2011 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]]}}</ref>

The [[impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television in the United States]] provided a major exception, with NBC importing the CTV medical drama ''[[Transplant (TV series)|Transplant]]'' (which premiered at midseason in Canada) for its fall primetime lineup, filling the timeslot normally filled by its own medical drama ''[[New Amsterdam (2018 TV series)|New Amsterdam]]'' (whose premiere was deferred to 2021).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Petski |first=Denise |date=2020-05-14 |title=NBC Expands Medical Drama Series Lineup With Canada's 'Transplant' |url=https://deadline.com/2020/05/nbc-expands-medical-drama-series-lineup-acquires-canadas-transplant-1202934780/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521103343/https://deadline.com/2020/05/nbc-expands-medical-drama-series-lineup-acquires-canadas-transplant-1202934780/ |archive-date=May 21, 2020 |access-date=2020-05-15 |website=Deadline Hollywood |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Porter |first=Rick |date=May 14, 2020 |title=NBC Snags Canadian Drama 'Transplant' to Shore Up Schedule |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nbc-snags-canadian-drama-transplant-shore-up-schedule-1294612 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521114020/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nbc-snags-canadian-drama-transplant-shore-up-schedule-1294612 |archive-date=May 21, 2020 |access-date=2020-05-15 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=2020-08-12 |title=NBC Sets September Debut For Canadian Medical Drama 'Transplant' As Pandemic Impacts Fall Schedule Plans |url=https://deadline.com/2020/08/transplant-nbc-sets-premiere-date-canadian-medical-drama-covid-pandemic-impact-fall-schedule-plans-1203011550/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823042057/https://deadline.com/2020/08/transplant-nbc-sets-premiere-date-canadian-medical-drama-covid-pandemic-impact-fall-schedule-plans-1203011550/ |archive-date=August 23, 2020 |access-date=2020-08-12 |website=Deadline |language=en}}</ref> NBC subsequently picked up another Canadian medical drama from Global, ''[[Nurses (Canadian TV series)|Nurses]]'',<ref name="TVLine">{{Cite web |last=Roots |first=Kimberly |date=November 10, 2020 |title=NBC Acquires Canadian Medical Drama Nurses, From Saving Hope and Rookie Blue EPs — Find Out When It'll Premiere |url=https://tvline.com/2020/11/10/nurses-american-premiere-date-nbc-canadian-medical-drama/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219174121/https://tvline.com/2020/11/10/nurses-american-premiere-date-nbc-canadian-medical-drama/ |archive-date=December 19, 2020 |access-date=December 12, 2020 |website=[[TVLine]]}}</ref> and ordered the second season of ''Transplant'' for a mid-season premiere in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Rick |date=December 11, 2020 |title='Transplant' Renewed for Second Season at NBC |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/transplant-renewed-for-second-season-at-nbc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126040353/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/transplant-renewed-for-second-season-at-nbc |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |access-date=February 7, 2022 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=2022-01-31 |title=NBC Slots 'Transplant' & 'Weakest Link' On Sundays Post-Olympics |url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/transplant-weakest-link-sunday-schedule-premiere-date-nbc-1234923354/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209163940/https://deadline.com/2022/01/transplant-weakest-link-sunday-schedule-premiere-date-nbc-1234923354/ |archive-date=February 9, 2022 |access-date=2022-02-07 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> The third season would also be picked up by NBC, with its U.S. premiere held back to fall due to the [[2023 Hollywood labor disputes|WGA and SAG–AFTRA strikes]].<ref name="NBC Fall premiere date">{{Cite web |last=White |first=Peter |date=July 19, 2023 |title=''Magnum P.I'' Moves To Fall On NBC; Network Stays In Scripted As ''Quantum Leap'' & New Dramas ''Found'' & ''The Irrational'' Make Up Revised Schedule |url=https://deadline.com/2023/08/nbc-fall-schedule-magnum-pi-quantum-leap-found-the-irrational-1235441741/ |access-date=August 28, 2023 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Petski |first=Denise |date=August 28, 2023 |title=''Transplant'' Gets New Season 3 Premiere Date At NBC |url=https://deadline.com/2023/08/transplant-season-3-new-premiere-date-nbc-1235529646/ |access-date=August 28, 2023 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>

==== Children's programming ====
Canadian studios have had a significant presence in the [[Children's television series|children's television]] market, the domestic studio [[Nelvana]] has had interests in both children's television and publishing, and was acquired by Canadian broadcaster [[Corus Entertainment]] in 2000.<ref name="gandm-nelvanabuy">{{Cite news |last=Damsell |first=Keith |date=2000-09-18 |title=Corus to buy Nelvana for $540-million |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/corus-to-buy-nelvana-for-540-million/article1190841/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312134444/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/corus-to-buy-nelvana-for-540-million/article1190841/ |archive-date=March 12, 2016 |access-date=March 12, 2016 |work=The Globe and Mail}}</ref> In the 1990s, Nelvana made several major deals for educational programming with U.S. broadcasters such as [[CBS]] and [[PBS Kids]] (taking advantage of [[E/I|new U.S. mandates]] for educational programming), with many of them being adaptations of children's books.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Collins |first=Geneva |date=August 16, 1999 |title=Public TV again turns to Canada for kidvid |url=http://www.current.org/ch/ch915c.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060301170408/http://www.current.org/ch/ch915c.html |archive-date=March 1, 2006 |access-date=June 23, 2006 |website=[[Current.org]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Virginia |date=September 1, 1998 |title=The CBS Kidshow |url=http://www.kidscreen.com/articles/magazine/19980901/22601.html |access-date=November 21, 2010 |website=KidScreen}}</ref>

The Montreal-based studio [[Cinar|CINAR]] was well known for producing and distributing animated series with tie-ins for the educational market, such as ''[[Arthur (TV series)|Arthur]]—''which was distributed on U.S. [[public television]] by Boston's PBS station [[WGBH-TV|WGBH]]. The company collapsed in 2001 following an [[CINAR scandal|accounting scandal]], and had also faced allegations that it paid American writers to [[Ghostwriter|write for its shows under the names of Canadian citizens]], while continuing to accept Canadian federal tax credits.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 15, 2004 |title=Cinar co-founder Micheline Charest dies |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/cinar-co-founder-micheline-charest-dies-1.492549 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117015711/https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/cinar-co-founder-micheline-charest-dies-1.492549 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |access-date=2021-05-19 |work=CBC News}}</ref> The company was later purchased in 2004 by former Nelvana executives, and renamed Cookie Jar Group. The company was in turn acquired by Halifax-based [[WildBrain|DHX Media]] (now WildBrain) in 2012,<ref name="variety-rename">{{Cite news |last=Kelly |first=Brendan |date=March 28, 2004 |title=CINAR turns into Cookie Jar |url=https://variety.com/2004/scene/markets-festivals/cinar-turns-into-cookie-jar-1117902396/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314152642/http://variety.com/2004/scene/markets-festivals/cinar-turns-into-cookie-jar-1117902396/ |archive-date=March 14, 2017 |access-date=March 14, 2017 |work=Variety}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Sylvain, Matthew |date=October 23, 2012 |title=DHX purchase of Cookie Jar completed |url=https://kidscreen.com/2012/10/23/dhx-purchase-of-cookie-jar-completed/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713115052/http://kidscreen.com/2012/10/23/dhx-purchase-of-cookie-jar-completed/ |archive-date=July 13, 2017 |access-date=December 26, 2012 |work=KidScreen}}</ref> which made it the largest independent owner of children's television content in the world.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wong |first=Jessica |date=2017-05-11 |title=When it comes to kids' TV, Canada is king |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/kids-tv-canadian-1.4108354 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511100309/http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/kids-tv-canadian-1.4108354 |archive-date=May 11, 2017 |access-date=2021-05-19 |work=CBC News}}</ref><ref name="kidscreen-cjg">{{Cite news |last=Sylvain |first=Matthew |date=October 23, 2012 |title=DHX purchase of Cookie Jar completed |url=http://kidscreen.com/2012/10/23/dhx-purchase-of-cookie-jar-completed/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713115052/http://kidscreen.com/2012/10/23/dhx-purchase-of-cookie-jar-completed/ |archive-date=July 13, 2017 |access-date=December 29, 2012 |work=KidScreen}}</ref><ref name=":2" />

==Trans-Pacific Partnership==
There is concern about the Trans-Pacific Partnership Intellectual Property Provisions<ref name="CanCon5Oct2012" /> of the [[Trans-Pacific Partnership|TPP]] in terms of CanCon.<ref name="USTR">{{Cite web |title=U.S. Trade Representative Kirk Welcomes Canada as a New Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiating Partner |url=http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2012/june/ustr-kirk-welcomes-canada-as-new-tpp-partner |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910181407/http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2012/june/ustr-kirk-welcomes-canada-as-new-tpp-partner |archive-date=September 10, 2013 |access-date=2015-10-30 |publisher=Ustr.gov |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In October 2012, Canada formally became a TPP negotiating participant.<ref name="NZ">{{Cite web |date=10 October 2012 |title=Canada: Old friends, new opportunities |url=http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/2-Trade-Relationships-and-Agreements/Trans-Pacific/1-TPP-Talk/0-TPP-talk-10a-Oct-2012.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130816191839/http://mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/2-Trade-Relationships-and-Agreements/Trans-Pacific/1-TPP-Talk/0-TPP-talk-10a-Oct-2012.php |archive-date=August 16, 2013 |access-date=2012-12-12 |website=TPP Talk |publisher=New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade}}</ref><ref name="GC9oct2012" /> In order to enter into the TPP agreement, Canada had to accept the terms agreed upon by the nine original signatory countries: [[Brunei]], [[Chile]], [[New Zealand]], [[Singapore]], [[Australia]], [[Malaysia]], [[Peru]], [[United States]], and [[Vietnam]]. According to MP [[Don Davies]], Canada had no veto power over these terms and accepted the "existing unbracketed text, sight unseen and without input."<ref name="GCHansard19nov2012">{{Cite web |last=Davies |first=Don |date=19 November 2012 |title=41st Parliament, 1st Session |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=5842035 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220114650/http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=5842035 |archive-date=February 20, 2014 |access-date=September 4, 2013 |series=Government of Canada |publisher=Hansard |location=Ottawa, Ontario, Canada}}</ref>

In September 2012, the [[International Intellectual Property Alliance]], a U.S. private sector coalition representing over 3,200 U.S. producers and distributors of copyright protected materials,<ref name="IIPA">{{Cite web |last=IIPA |title=About IIPA |url=http://www.iipa.com/aboutiipa.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110122414/http://www.iipa.com/aboutiipa.html |archive-date=January 10, 2016 |access-date=2 September 2012 |publisher=International Intellectual Property Alliance}}</ref> sent a submission to the [[U.S. Trade Representative]]'s office requesting that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement<ref name="IIPACanada4sep2012">{{Cite web |date=4 September 2012 |title=IIPA Request to Appear and Testimony on-Canada |url=http://www.iipa.com/pdf/2012_Sep04_IIPA_Request_to_Appear_and_Testimony_on_Canada_TPP.PDF |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030151850/http://www.iipa.com/pdf/2012_Sep04_IIPA_Request_to_Appear_and_Testimony_on_Canada_TPP.PDF |archive-date=October 30, 2012 |access-date=2 September 2013 |publisher=International Intellectual Property Alliance}}</ref> "be comprehensive in scope, strictly avoiding any sectoral carveouts that preclude the application of free trade disciplines. We note that several market access barriers [in] Canada involve, for example, content quota requirements for television, radio, cable television, [[direct-to-home]] broadcast services, specialty television, and [[satellite radio]] services."<ref name="IIPACanada4sep2012" />

After the replacement of the TPP with the [[Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership]] in 2018, it was reported that Canada had secured an exemption from a clause in the agreement that prohibits discriminatory rules on foreign audio-video services in order to ask services to financially support the creation of Canadian content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Emily |date=2018-03-08 |title=CPTPP side deals leave door open for Canada to regulate Netflix, experts say {{!}} Financial Post |url=https://business.financialpost.com/telecom/media/cptpp-side-deals-leave-door-open-for-canada-to-regulate-netflix-experts-say |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724095406/https://business.financialpost.com/telecom/media/cptpp-side-deals-leave-door-open-for-canada-to-regulate-netflix-experts-say |archive-date=July 24, 2019 |access-date=2019-07-24 |website=[[Financial Post]] |language=en-CA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Geist |first=Michael |date=2018-10-01 |title=Canadian Content Could Thrive in a New Trade Agreement |url=https://www.cigionline.org/articles/canadian-content-could-thrive-new-trade-agreement |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724095404/https://www.cigionline.org/articles/canadian-content-could-thrive-new-trade-agreement |archive-date=July 24, 2019 |access-date=2019-07-24 |website=[[Centre for International Governance Innovation]] |language=en}}</ref>

==Theatre==
In 1971, a group of Canadian [[playwrights]] issued the [[Gaspé Manifesto]] as a call for at least one-half of the programming at publicly subsidized theatres to be Canadian content.  The numerical goal was not achieved, but the following years saw an increase in Canadian content stage productions.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Edwardson |first=Ryan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fH7X0oMVsZ0C&q=gaspe&pg=PT286 |title=Canadian Content: Culture and the Quest for Nationhood |publisher=[[University of Toronto Press]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-1442692428}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ladouceur |first=Louise |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=13fiviyveFsC&dq=%22Gaspe+Manifesto%22&pg=PA1980 |title=Dramatic Licence: Translating Theatre from One Official Language to the Other in Canada |publisher=University of Alberta |year=2012 |isbn=978-0888647061}}</ref>

== Reception ==
University of Ottawa professor [[Michael Geist]] has criticized the current requirements for film and television production to qualify as Canadian content as being outdated, citing that its requirements being largely dependent on Canadian involvement in specific roles (such as the producer, lead actors, directors, screenwriters, and composers) has led to situations where productions filmed in Canada, using Canadian personnel and talent, or adapted from works by Canadians (such as ''[[The Handmaid's Tale (TV series)|The Handmaid's Tale]]'') may not necessarily qualify as "Canadian content"—instead being a "foreign location and service production" (FLSP) that uses Canadian resources. Geist noted in some cases that these productions were "frequently indistinguishable" from certified Canadian content, such as ''[[All or Nothing (sports docuseries)|All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs]] (''which was filmed by Canadian crews, narrated by Canadian actor [[Will Arnett]], and followed a Canadian sports franchise), and films such as ''[[The Decline (film)|The Decline]]'' and ''[[Turning Red]]'' (which both include a number of Canadian actors, personnel in prominent roles, and are set in Canadian locations). He also pointed out that ''Gotta Love Trump''—a Canadian-produced documentary on U.S. president [[Donald Trump]]—was able to receive the CAVCO certification despite only featuring one Canadian citizen as an interview subject.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Geist |first=Michael |date=2022-03-16 |title=Bill C-11's Foundational Faults, Part Five: How is "Gotta Love Trump" Cancon But Amazon's Toronto Maple Leafs Series Isn't? |url=https://www.michaelgeist.ca/2022/03/bill-c-11s-foundational-faults-part-five-how-is-gotta-love-trump-cancon-but-amazons-toronto-maple-leafs-series-isnt/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320173044/https://www.michaelgeist.ca/2022/03/bill-c-11s-foundational-faults-part-five-how-is-gotta-love-trump-cancon-but-amazons-toronto-maple-leafs-series-isnt/ |archive-date=March 20, 2022 |access-date=2022-03-30 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Vlessing |first=Etan |date=2016-09-13 |title=Why Hollywood Loves Canada: 4 Cities Offering Big Filming Incentives |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/why-hollywood-loves-canada-4-926350/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331171421/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/why-hollywood-loves-canada-4-926350/ |archive-date=March 31, 2022 |access-date=2022-03-30 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kwong |first=Evelyn |date=2022-03-14 |title=In 'Turning Red' I finally saw myself reflected in a main character |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/opinion/2022/03/14/in-turning-red-i-finally-saw-myself-reflected-in-a-main-character.html |access-date=2022-03-30 |work=The Toronto Star |department=Opinion |language=en-CA}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Music|Canada}}
*[[Canadian cultural protectionism]]
*[[Music of Canada]]
*[[Online Streaming Act]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last=Armstrong |first=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v8uRPaM_VoAC&q=Canadian%20Media&pg=PP1 |title=Broadcasting Policy in Canada |publisher=University of Toronto Press |year=2010 |isbn=9781442640962}}

==External links==
*[http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/INFO_SHT/R1.htm MAPL system] ([[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission|CRTC]])
*[http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1734898783 CBC Archives] [[Sam Sniderman]] ([[Sam the record man]]) talks about his support for CANCON in 1971

[[Category:1971 in Canada]]
[[Category:Canadian identity]]
[[Category:Canadian music history]]
[[Category:Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]]
[[Category:Cinema of Canada]]
[[Category:Cultural policy]]
[[Category:Radio in Canada]]
[[Category:Television in Canada]]
[[Category:Protectionism]]