Canada’s broadcasting policy is defined by the federal Broadcasting Act. It sets out a policy designed to be sensitive to the country’s diverse nature. In part, it says that the Canadian broadcasting system

…should, through its programming and employment opportunities, serve and reflect the circumstances and aspirations of Canadians – including equal rights, the linguistic duality and multicultural and multiracial nature of Canadian society, and the special place of aboriginal peoples within that society.

The policy section of the Broadcasting Act also outlines the mandate of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), as well as alternative broadcasting services, to reflect Canada’s cultural and racial diversity. It promotes:

• programming in both English and French (Section 3(m)(iv))
• programming that reflects the country’s multicultural and multiracial nature (Section 3(m)(viii))
• programming that reflects the aboriginal cultures of Canada (Section 3(o))

Established under the Broadcasting Act, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) develops and enforces broadcasting regulations and policies. One such policy is the Ethnic Broadcasting Policy, which aims to embrace and promote Canada’s many cultural and ethnic groups. It also aims to provide minority groups with equal access to all forms of broadcasting.

Should broadcasters fail to follow the guidelines of the Act, the CRTC may invoke a number of penalties — such as imposing fines, or limiting/denying a station's application for licence renewal.

The CRTC invites feedback from the public about broadcasters or programs that fail to adhere to the standards set out in the Broadcasting Act.

Full Text: Broadcasting Act