While Tuesday’s federal budget included a significant investment in new spending for film, television and the CBC, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) says it’s disappointed its key recommendations weren’t included.
Budget 2025 includes $127.5M for the Canada Media Fund (CMF), $150M for Telefilm Canada, and $26.1M for the National Film Board (NFB), over three years. It also makes good on a Liberal election promise with a $150 million funding increase for CBC/Radio-Canada.
The budget additionally refocuses the Canada Periodical Fund to incentivize the creation of original Canadian editorial content only, no longer funding paid subscriptions and single-copy sales, with a goal to prioritize production of quality Canadian editorial and journalistic content, regardless of platform.
CAB President Kevin Desjardins said they had hoped for more supports to prop up Canada’s broadcast sector – namely, the expansion of the Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit and a commitment to increase federal advertising on Canadian broadcast media. As of the latest data published in April, just 36% of the $76.38 million dollar federal media spend was going to traditional media (50% TV, 12% radio) vs. 64% digital.
“These proposals reflect the urgent need for fair and sustainable policy tools to support local media and journalism,” said Desjardins. “The budget does include significant new funding for CBC/Radio-Canada and continued support for the Canada Periodical Fund. However, bolstering the public broadcaster and print journalism alone will not save local news, preserve Canadian content, or sustain the broadcast industry as a whole. Private broadcasters remain the backbone of local news delivery in communities across Canada, and without targeted support, many are at risk of disappearing.”
Screen investment to allow Cancon to compete globally: CMF
The CMF said in a statement that the new investment in screen-based storytellers will enable Canadian content to compete globally, while positioning culture “as a strategic trade asset that opens new markets, drives innovation, and strengthens Canada’s brand internationally.”
“Funding arts and culture is a nation-building project. Investing in the cultural industries shapes who we are as a country and our place on the world stage, while also boosting economic growth, creating jobs across the country, and bringing us together as Canadians,” said President & CEO Valerie Creighton. “In times of uncertainty and division, our stories are where we find connection and empathy. They are the lifeblood of any nation-building effort. Without our stories, the promise of both economic and social returns for Canadians cannot be fulfilled. You can’t have one without the other.”
The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), which represents more than 600 independent media production companies across Canada, said the federal commitment will help unlock more domestic and foreign investment.
“Today’s budget is a win for Canadian media producers, for Canada’s cultural sovereignty and for all Canadians,” said CMPA President & CEO Reynolds Mastin. “Against a backdrop of unprecedented trade uncertainty, the investments announced in the federal budget will bring much-needed stability for the Canadian media production sector.”
The CMPA also welcomed the federal government’s investment in CBC, the largest commissioner of independently produced Canadian content.
“With today’s budget and the CBC’s prioritization of children’s content in its recent strategic plan, Canadian parents can rest assured that their kids will be able to see themselves reflected in Canadian stories on screens of all sizes for years to come,” said Mastin.
