Sen. Cardozo releases study on sustainability of news media

Progressive Senate Group member Andrew Cardozo has released a report on making news media sustainable, which includes a series of recommendations to improve the financial position of Canadian news organizations. The study, issued on Apr. 29, calls for public funding for media to be made through an arm’s-length agency; the promotion of charitable groups to support media; and asks governments to direct half their advertising to Canadian outlets. During the last election, the Conservative Party campaigned on doing away with federal subsidies to news groups. Cardozo said he was sympathetic to the idea, but believes the practice should continue. “I kind of agree with their principle that the state shouldn’t be funding the media, so I agree with that part of it, but the reality is if these various programs didn’t exist, a lot of media would cease to exist or would be seriously harmed,” the Ontario senator told The Wire Report. Cardozo, a former CRTC commissioner, first called for the study last year. The final report was co-written by Howard Law of MediaPolicy.ca and author of Canada vs. California, a look at the genesis of the Online Streaming Act. The senator said the demand for an arm’s-length agency to administer federal funds would help limit the possibility of government inference or the appearance of government interference. “In my view, there isn’t evidence that the government has picked winners and losers in terms of who gets funding to date,” he stated. “But the appearance of that is problematic too. That’s why I suggest having an arm’s-length body is the way to go.” The senator, who has been in the Upper Chamber since 2022, uses the example of the Canada Media Fund (CMF) as an illustration of how an arm’s-length agency could work. The CMF has a budget of $359 million which it distributes to television and film producers to make content. Currently, the Canadian Journalism Collective distributes moneys raised from Alphabet Inc. under the Online Streaming Act. The Wire Report’s parent company, Hill Times Publishing, received $188,218.56 last year. Cardozo feels the amount from the Google parent is a drop in the bucket and could be discontinued at any point, which is one of the reasons his report calls for charities to underwrite media companies. “It doesn’t mean funding the big operations like The Star or the Globe or CTV,” he argues. “But there are a number of online news organizations which are relatively lean and do some very good work which can be funded.” The study also recommends that national and provincial governments should allocate 50 per cent of their ad buys to Canadian media. Ontario has already pledged 25 per cent of its advertising budget to in-country outlets and a legislative committee in Manitoba is calling for similar measures in that province. “I’m not calling for the government to spend more money, not to increase government expenditure, just to reallocate that expenditure from American media organizations to Canadian media organizations,” he explains. A little more than a year ago, Cardozo issued a report calling on CBC/Radio-Canada to be declared an essential service. He vows to continue to study Canadian media and release surveys on how the situation may be improved. He is hopeful the government will take his and Law’s recommendations seriously. He has held discussions with the Department of Canadian Heritage and met with Heritage Minister Marc Miller’s (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, Que.) chief of staff. The senator reports great interest in his study, which he said is vital for the body politic. “I really feel that Canadian media, whether traditional or online media, are in a state of crisis and that that means it creates a crisis for our democracy,” he warns. An increased fiscal health for the media could put Cardozo’s own institution under greater scrutiny. “I don’t think the Senate and what we do gets enough media coverage,” he opines. “There are some things that are great that get no coverage and there are some things that we don’t do that should get media coverage.” He salutes the government for extending the journalism labour tax credit to broadcasters. The move was revealed earlier this week in the government’s economic update. “Anything that can help broadcast and print is a good idea,” he offers. ppark@thewirereport.ca

Sen. Cardozo releases study on sustainability of news media

Regulatory |
By Paul Park
|April 30, 2026

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Sen. Cardozo releases study on sustainability of news media

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