November 27, 2025
OTTAWA—The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)'s decision to defer consideration of CPAC's request for a subscriber rate increase risks jeopardizing the service. This comes at a time when democratic trust is eroding, and more and more Canadians are relying on CPAC for transparent, unfiltered access to parliamentary proceedings.
In July 2024, CPAC submitted an application for a three-cent increase to its per-subscriber fee. In its history CPAC has only received a one-cent increase on two occasions. Its current $0.13 rate has remained unchanged since 2018.
In its application, CPAC made clear that the existing wholesale rates would not be sufficient to sustain CPAC's core services despite careful use of resources and continual efforts to realize efficiencies and implement cost-saving measures. CPAC is at a critical juncture and urgently needs to rebuild its broadcast infrastructure in order to ensure it can continue to deliver its services to Canadians without interruption. CPAC's licence does not permit the sale of advertising; the wholesale rate is CPAC's only meaningful source of revenue.
On November 21st the CRTC announced that it is deferring the decision on CPAC's request for a subscriber rate increase. This postponement—without a specified timeline—has plunged the organization into a prolonged period of uncertainty about its future.
After years of operating at the same regulated rate and absorbing rising costs amid declining subscriber revenues, CPAC is now stretched to the breaking point,says Christa Dickenson, CEO of CPAC.This delay puts CPAC's future at risk and deepens the operational uncertainty facing our organization.
For more than 30 years, CPAC has brought Canadians comprehensive coverage of Parliament, in-depth reporting on key announcements and events, and a direct line to public policy debates. This is unfiltered, non-partisan access to the people, events, and political decisions that shape our democracy.
CPAC respects and recognizes the importance of the CRTC's ongoing work to modernize the Broadcasting Act and the complexity of decisions before the Commission but notes that this serious financial strain comes at a critical time for the organization. Within this context, CPAC is asking for a clear timeline on this deferral and will continue to advocate for solutions to ensure the organization has predictable and reliable funding.
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About CPAC:
CPAC is an independent, not-for-profit, commercial-free, bilingual media organization that connects Canadians to their democracy. On its broadcast television channel, website, and social media platforms, CPAC delivers the most comprehensive coverage of the people and events that shape Canadian public policy. Its core programming includes the complete televised proceedings of Canada's Parliament and in-depth coverage of key political events and public policy debates.
Unique to CPAC is its digital offering, which includes up to 14 simultaneous live streams and a video archive boasting over 75,000 hours of parliamentary and public affairs content.
Media contact
For media inquiries, please contact Fateema Sayani, CPAC Director of Development and Public Affairs, (613)712-7527 or fsayani@cpac.ca.
