MPs ask CRTC to impose French-language content quotas on English-language radio stations

The House official languages committee wants English-speaking Canadians to be exposed to more French-language music. Earlier this week, the committee published its report on French-language music quotas in the radio industry, which included a recommendation for Canada’s telecommunications regulator to impose French content requirements on English-language stations. “The Committee is of the view that the Government of Canada can take action to promote French-language vocal music and help protect our cultural sovereignty,” read the report. MPs did not recommend a specific quota for French-language content, but witnesses who appeared before the committee during its monthslong study endorsed a requirement of five per cent. “The more I share my work, the better I see that anglophones are curious about French, and I see their openness to the francophonie in general,” said Alexis Normand, a francophone artist based in Western Canada. “The French immersion schools here are overflowing with students. Their parents want more music in French.” Meanwhile, Jean-François Leclerc, vice-president of the Quebec-based media company Leclerc Communication Inc., questioned why Canada would consider imposing Indigenous music quotas without requiring broadcasters to promote French-language songs. “Why have we never thought about a 5 per cent quota for English-speaking stations in the rest of Canada?” asked Leclerc during the study. “I understand that there’s a historical and cultural context, but why don’t we hear French music elsewhere?” The CRTC declined to comment on the idea, as Mirabella Salem, a spokesperson for the regulator, said "matters related to audio policy, including issues such as quotas, are currently before the Commission" in a statement. Committee wants feds to advertise more on TV, radio The committee’s other recommendations included a push for more private and public advertising spending to be directed toward traditional broadcasters. In particular, MPs called on the federal government to allocate at least half of all advertising expenditures toward traditional media, and earmark a “fair share” for commercial and community radio stations. “The Government of Canada has changed its advertising purchasing habits. Its decision to favour foreign digital platforms has resulted in a loss of revenue for traditional media,” read the report. “Purchasing advertising is a simple and effective way not only to inform the public, but also to provide financial support to traditional media.” In recent years, the federal government spent approximately $76 million on advertising, though less than $2 million was dedicated to radio. The committee also recommended that Ottawa amend the Income Tax Act to eliminate a tax credit available for companies that purchase ad space on digital platforms and create a new credit for advertisers that choose to market on local media. Neither Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali (Brampton—Chinguacousy Park, Ont.), the government’s pointperson for advertising, or Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne (Saint-Maurice—Champlain, Que.), who is responsible for the Income Tax Act, immediately responded to a request for comment. The report also featured recommendations to maintain the CRTC’s 65 per cent French-language vocal music quota on francophone stations, develop a policy that better supports emerging artists, and hold a national summit on the subject to “promote the sharing of best practices and to update their strategies to take into account the current realities of the sector.” Bloc attack Liberal streaming decision in supplementary report While the report was limited to addressing specific issues in the French-language radio space, the Bloc Québécois attached a supplementary opinion calling on the Liberals to restore various digital policy measures recently abandoned by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s (Nepean, Ont.) government. “The underlying issue with radio in Quebec… a problem with foreign digital platforms,” Bloc MP Mario Beaulieu (La Pointe-de-l'Île, Que.) told the House of Commons in French on Monday. “They are benefitting from this Québécois and Canadian market, raking in millions in profits.” Beaulieu asked the government to bring back the three per cent digital services tax on large U.S. tech companies, which was rescinded last year, and suggested the CRTC should maintain its recent decision requiring streaming companies to contribute 15 per cent of Canadian revenues to funding domestic news and entertainment media. Earlier this month, the Liberals ordered the commission to review its decision and promised new policy directives that would focus on affordability for Canadians. “We want the CRTC to uphold this decision, and the billions they take in can help francophone music producers and other players,” said Beaulieu. The committee requested a government response to its report, though it’s unlikely one will be provided before Parliament breaks for the summer later this week. dlegree@thewirereport.ca

MPs ask CRTC to impose French-language content quotas on English-language radio stations

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By Davis Legree
|June 17, 2026

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MPs ask CRTC to impose French-language content quotas on English-language radio stations

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