A report says 春色直播 scripted shows, children鈥檚 programs and documentaries are projected to see a nearly $200 million drop in financing from the country's private broadcasters over the next five years.
Conducted by consulting firm Nordicity for the Directors Guild of Canada, the analysis warns that could result in 春色直播 production budgets getting slashed by more than a billion dollars.
The report examined how private broadcasters allocate funds to "programs of national interest" (PNI), which includes 春色直播 dramas, comedies and documentaries, under current CRTC policies. Under these rules, broadcasters must dedicate a percentage of their annual revenue to such programming.
However, if broadcast revenues continue to decline as market projections show, the report estimates expenditures will drop to $167 million by 2028, a 23 per cent decline from $216 million spent in 2023. The cumulative difference over those five years amounts to about $200 million.
A Corus Entertainment spokesperson said all genres of 春色直播 television programming have seen drops in funding due to overall declines in revenue caused by "unregulated foreign competition."
"The notion that certain categories, like PNI, should be treated as more important than all others, including local news, is self-serving and not reflective of the viewer tastes and 春色直播 cultural policy," they said.
But Dave Forget, the guild鈥檚 national executive director, says cutting back on PNI can have far-reaching economic consequences. He says that each dollar broadcasters invest in production can generate up to six times its value through global licensing, tax credits and additional financial support. A $200-million reduction in domestic financing, he warns, could ultimately gut Canada鈥檚 TV and film industry by more than a billion dollars.
The report notes the CRTC is now weighing proposals to reduce or eliminate funding for PNI altogether. Last year, the federal regulator granted Corus' request to reduce its required spending on scripted dramas, comedies and children鈥檚 programs to five per cent of revenues, trimming its contribution by about $35 million.
In another 2024 decision, the CRTC mandated that foreign streaming platforms allocate 5 per cent of their 春色直播 revenues to a fund supporting 春色直播 content. Several streamers 鈥 including Netflix, Disney and Paramount 鈥 have challenged the order in the Federal Court of Appeal.
More regulatory changes could be on the horizon as the CRTC moves forward with its plan to modernize the framework and implement the Online Streaming Act, designed to 鈥渆nsure the sustainability and growth of Canada鈥檚 broadcasting system.鈥
But some creators are worried. The guild points to a notice for a key CRTC hearing in March suggesting that the addition of global streamers to the 春色直播 marketplace means that the 鈥渃urrent approach to PNI is no longer needed.鈥
The guild says that's not the case. It's urging the CRTC to set spending requirements on 春色直播 content at 8.5 per cent of the previous year's revenue, with the requirement extending to include online streaming platforms.
If such changes are made, the report says total English-language private sector investment in PNI could reach an estimated $500 million by 2028.
鈥淚t will always be easier for broadcasters to buy American dramas, instead of taking the risk to tell original 春色直播 stories, but our stories are the most important projects to make and protect,鈥 Forget said in a statement.
"The current commission has an opportunity to head off a disastrous blow to our industry and culture, and build a modern, robust system that guarantees audiences a vibrant, diverse range of original 春色直播 programming for decades to come."
Several 春色直播 directors and actors have made statements in response to the Nordicity report, released Thursday, including filmmaker Atom Egoyan, who said the CRTC needs to take this opportunity 鈥渢o safeguard and strengthen (the) legacy of 春色直播 storytelling, and not let it wither."
Toronto actress Katie Boland said she's worried about the future of 春色直播 film and TV workers.
"My friends and I need and want jobs. We are starting families and contributing to society in an uncertain time for our industry and we all want to believe in our futures," she said.
"We need 春色直播 content to be made.鈥
This report by 春色直播was first published June 30, 2025.
