Cultural groups still waiting on government funding after Liberals scrap streamer tax

It’s been nearly two months since Ottawa promised “immediate” relief to cultural organizations after pausing funding requirements for U.S. streaming companies — but no money has left the government’s coffers. Multiple broadcasting and production groups confirmed to The Wire Report they have yet to receive funding through the government’s $600 million announcement made in June, despite Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs, Que.) framing the rollout as a time-sensitive injection designed to provide short-term relief for the industry. “We haven’t received the funding, nor information on timing,” said Maxime Rule, a spokesperson for the Canada Media Fund, in a statement. “I would refer you to the Department and Minister Miller's office for further details.” Earlier this year, Miller said funding organizations couldn’t afford to wait for court rulings on the legality of forcing U.S. streamers to fund Canadian content initiatives. The announcement was part of the government’s broader pivot on streaming policy, as it asked the CRTC to review a decision upping streamer contribution requirements to 15 per cent of all Canadian revenues, a decision that was expected to bring approximately $2 billion into the Canadian media ecosystem each year. More recently, as first reported by The Wire Report, a government court filing confirmed the Liberals are planning to “eliminate” all financial obligations for streamers and “provide government funding to replace those contributions,” likely rooted in the government’s $600 million investment, which will be renewed on an annual basis. “We made that decision two months ago with a focus on affordability,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney (Nepean, Ont.) during a press conference on July 29. “We took the judgement there’s a better way to do it.” Cultural groups have said the policy change has only intensified the urgency of getting money out the door. “The stations we work with need support badly, which is why we’re trying to do everything we can,” said Alex Freedman, executive director of the Community Radio Fund of Canada, in an interview. “Anything that brings the funding in faster is a good thing for us.” Various stakeholders reported hearing different timelines from the government with regards to when they can expect to receive funding, ranging from the “next several weeks” to “the end of the fiscal year.” One source told The Wire Report that the decision is currently before the Treasury Board, which is waiting on Canadian Heritage to conduct “a preliminary inquiry to ensure recipients are ready and to verify what they’re going to do with the funding.” A spokesperson for Miller’s office would not disclose specifics on the funding rollout, but provided a statement saying “additional details on these investments will be announced after consultation with the sector.” “We have nothing further to share at this time,” read the statement. On June 3, Miller told reporters the funding was designed to address “the immediate urgency of the industry that is suffering.” “The reality is we're impatient to make sure that the sector stays vital and stays supported. And that's why we're making that investment of $600 million into the industry that, again, needs it, and can't wait for the litigation to be solved before people and jobs get lost.” The Liberal government’s handling of the file has drawn criticism from, among others, NDP MP Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, Alta.). In an interview, McPherson, her party’s heritage critic, said she couldn’t understand replacing contributions from massive streaming companies with public funding. “That’s taxpayer dollars,” she said. “Multibuillion-dollar companies aren’t going to pay that fair share, but you and I are with $600 million, which nobody has any details on.” “It’s hardly going to fill the gap.” Meanwhile, Stacey Tenenbaum, co-president of the Quebec English-Language Production Council, said she “welcomed” the emergency funding from the government, but is “eager” to see how it will be allocated. “We are concerned that a more reliable and permanent source of funding continues to elude us,” said Tenenbaum in a statement. “This is not a question of affordability, but of national survival.” With files from Maria Collins dlegree@thewirereport.ca

Cultural groups still waiting on government funding after Liberals scrap streamer tax

Regulatory |
By Davis Legree
|July 31, 2026

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Cultural groups still waiting on government funding after Liberals scrap streamer tax

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