CRTC to impose described video, audio requirements on streamers

The CRTC will implement new described video and described audio requirements on online streaming platforms and on-demand services. In a decision released on Wednesday, Dec. 17, the commission announced that the services will have to provide described video on all new scripted pre-recorded original programming. They will also be required to provide described video on new third-party programs, and on partially-scripted live events of national interest. Audio description will be required on all original productions of news and information programs. The orders will come into effect on Dec. 17, 2027. As part of its plan to modernize the Broadcasting Act through the Online Streaming Act, the commission launched a public consultation in 2024 to “identify, remove, and prevent barriers,” and ensure programs are accessible to people living with disabilities. Described video provides narration of important visual details and context in a program, including on-screen text, scene change, and actions. Audio description is a voice-over describing key elements during information programs, such as live news, and includes descriptions of on-screen text and graphics. Both help blind and visually impaired users access necessary information and context to understand the programs they are consuming. The new rules will apply to all new original programs that are created or commissioned by an online streamer or on-demand service after Dec. 17, 2027. It will also apply to new programs created by a third party and made available on an online streaming platform or on-demand service. The CRTC will be less strict when it comes to legacy programs, which are older programs made before the Dec. 17, 2027 deadline. Those will not have to be described, “given the volume of programs and the potential strain on described video resources,” the decision states. However, the regulator noted that it will “encourage” streamers and on-demand services to describe legacy programs “where possible” and will “expect” the amount of described legacy programs to grow each year. Community programming broadcast by streamers is also exempt from the described video requirements due to financial constraints. In an email statement to The Wire Report, a spokesperson for BCE Inc.’s Bell Media said the company “supports the CRTC’s goal of improving accessibility for Canadians who are blind or partially sighted.” They also said it already provides video description on its main long-form content and is committed to meeting accessibility requirements. “Our priority is to work collaboratively with the CRTC and our partners to implement these changes in a way that ensures quality and inclusivity for all viewers,” the statement said. In an email statement to The Wire Report, a spokesperson from the Disability Screen Office (DSO) called the new policy an “important and welcome step.” The DSO is an organization focused on developing opportunities for disabled creatives and advocating for a more accessible Canadian screen industry. The statement said that in a survey of disabled creatives conducted by the DSO, it heard repeatedly that “while programming may be described on broadcast, it is often not available on on-demand platforms like CBC Gem or Crave.” “Greater consistency across platforms matters for disabled audiences, and this decision helps move the system in that direction,” the spokesperson said. However, the DSO raised concerns about funding availability, given the expenses associated with implementing described video. “The DSO will continue working with industry partners to ensure there are adequate resources to support high-quality described video,” the statement said. The CRTC’s decision further states that online streaming and on-demand services must offer a search feature for described programs, which the DSO also said it is glad to see. But it criticized the commission for not adopting its recommendation to establish a formal working group, leaving the responsibility to consult blind and partially-sighted individuals up to the different streamers. “This approach risks placing additional burdens on blind and partially sighted community members, who may be asked to repeatedly engage in separate consultations in order to ensure consistent quality of service,” the spokesperson said. Comments on the proposed orders are due Feb. 3, 2026. The CRTC noted that if there are no comments, the orders will be finalized and imposed as proposed. news@thewirereport.ca

CRTC to impose described video, audio requirements on streamers

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By Wire Report Staff
|December 17, 2025

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CRTC to impose described video, audio requirements on streamers

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