Not everyone sees the new Cancon rules as a win. Five takeaways from CRTC’s decision

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This article was published 20/11/2025 (267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An overhaul by the federal regulator of how Canadian content is defined has been met with mixed reaction from some of the country’s biggest film and TV players this week.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued its long-awaited expansion of the range of creative roles that qualify a film or TV show as Canadian, setting new rules for foreign streaming companies that operate in the country.

However, not everyone sees the changes as a win.

MORE ROLES, MORE POINTS — AND MORE WORRIES FROM DIRECTORS

Cancon rules will still rely on a points system, where productions earn certification based on how many key creative roles are filled by Canadians. But the new definition broadens the list of qualifying positions to include showrunners, visual effects leads and heads of costume design — on top of traditional roles like directors and screenwriters.

The expanded system will lead to more opportunities for Canadian creatives as productions look to score points, says media expert Gregory Taylor.

“Positions like showrunner and storyboard directors for animation, these are things that were not part of the rules before, but are definitely part of modern filmmaking and television,” says Taylor, a professor of communications, media and film at the University of Calgary.

However, some worry the wider net may come at a cost. The Director’s Guild of Canada argues the new definition diminishes the position of directors and screenwriters in the creative chain of command, making it easier for productions to get away without having Canadians at the helm.

“Key creatives such as writer or director, who are really at the origin of the creation of a film or TV work, might now be excluded. We find this to be a risk to the whole framework,” says Sam Bischoff, the Guild’s director of policy.

The new framework requires both a Canadian director and screenwriter for productions with 20 to 50 per cent Canadian copyright ownership. But for productions with a majority Canadian copyright, that bar drops — only one of those roles needs to be Canadian.

“That’s definitely a concern for us. Writers and directors are the custodians of the creative vision of a film, of a scripted series, of a long-form documentary. They drive the narrative.”

BONUS POINT FOR CANADIAN STORIES — AS LONG AS THEY DON’T CROSS THE BORDER

The new definition grants one bonus point to projects that have identifiable Canadian characters and settings, or stories based on Canadian books.

To be awarded this point, a work must be set in Canada, and all lead characters must identify as Canadian or Indigenous. Some argue that the rules restrict Canadian stories to an overly rigid definition.

Advocacy organization OpenMedia says the criteria are so narrow that some authentically Canadian stories won’t qualify.

“What could be more Canadian than a story about having family in Canada and (their relatives) outside of Canada?” says Matt Hatfield, OpenMedia’s executive director.

Hatfield says the qualifiers around obtaining this point mean stories featuring characters who decide to move back to their country of origin, or who take a trip outside of Canada, won’t qualify.

“If this is what the CRTC thinks Canadian cultural stories are, it’s actually kind of offensive.”

In response, the CRTC notes it held a three-week public hearing on the definition of Cancon earlier this year, during which it heard from many parties that wanted to recognize and reward efforts to promote Canadian storytelling elements in programs while preserving the artistic freedom of creators.

CRTC spokesperson Leigh Cameron said the regulator chose to award a bonus point to productions that include “markers of Canadian identity,” rather than building those requirements into the main points system and “unfairly penalizing” creators whose stories aren’t set in identifiably Canadian places or feature explicitly Canadian characters.

The regulator says there is no obligation for producers to apply for bonus points.

NO LOVE FOR SHOWRUNNERS

During its three-week hearing, the CRTC considered making it mandatory for showrunners to be Canadian. Ultimately, it decided not to — something the Writers Guild of Canada objects to.

“When the WGC presented at the CRTC’s public hearings earlier this year, we emphasized the showrunner is essential to maintaining Canadian creative control,” said WGC President Bruce Smith in a statement.

But some argue that making Canadian showrunners mandatory can hamper homegrown productions. In an interview with The Canadian Press earlier this year, Jennifer Kawaja, executive producer of Netflix’s Canadian thriller series “Wayward,” said she was against the idea because Canada has a limited pool of showrunners.

“I’m a bit of a staunch nationalist when it comes to promoting Canadian stories by Canadians, but I also think that to build world-class shows we have to have some choice,” she said.

“Wayward” saw its Canadian creator Mae Martin enlist American Ryan Scott as co-showrunner to help steer the large-scale production. It has become one of Netflix’s most-streamed TV series this fall.

AMID THE PANS, SOME OVATIONS

CRTC’s expanded definition of Cancon has its supporters, too.

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) and the Screen Composers Guild of Canada praised the regulator for keeping the definition of “Canadian composer” narrow, rejecting a broader approach that could have rewarded foreign music owned or licensed by Canadians.

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) praised new rules requiring foreign streamers to work with Canadian companies, assign key creative roles to Canadians and keep those roles human, not AI.

But the actors’ union cautioned that it’s still unclear whether Canadian lead performers will get the weight they deserve or if streamers and broadcasters could “bend the rules” without giving Canadians real creative leadership.

Eleanor Noble, ACTRA’s national president, said the framework’s success hinges on creating tangible opportunities for Canadian actors. She noted that the CRTC’s forthcoming decision on spending requirements for Canadian programming will be critical.

“The next ruling on spending obligations will show whether this framework creates genuine opportunities for Canadian performers,” said Noble.

“These definitions need teeth, or billionaire-owned streamers and broadcasters could keep blurring the lines.”

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

CRTC’s move comes as some streaming platforms challenge an earlier order forcing them to contribute five per cent of their Canadian revenues to producing homegrown content. Unlike Canadian broadcasters, streamers still face no requirement to carry Canadian programming.

But if that changes, they will have to increase their output of programs that qualify as Canadian.

Apple, Amazon and Spotify are fighting the contribution order in court, and the Motion Picture Association-Canada is contesting a clause requiring them to contribute to local news.

The regulator says the updated Cancon definition reflects how productions are made today, and better supports local stories and creators.

It arrives amid rising U.S. protectionism, with President Donald Trump imposing tariffs on Canada and threatening a 100-per-cent duty on films made outside the U.S.

“Without adequate (Cancon) requirements, it will be more challenging for our country, our creators, our storytellers to continue to be able to create and tell these stories at a crucial time,” says Bischoff.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 20, 2025.