Cultural sector concerned about lack of news on Canada’s promised $600M

Hudson Williams, star of the TV series "Heated Rivalry," presents Prime Minister Mark Carney with a fleece from the show on the red carpet at the Prime Time screen and media industry conference gala in Ottawa on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

OTTAWA — Cultural sector groups say they’re starting to worry about the Liberal government’s silence on $600 million in promised funding.

In June, the federal government said it would tell the CRTC to change course on requiring big streamers like Netflix to contribute to Canadian content, and would instead provide funding directly.

But four months later, the government still isn’t saying when it will provide the new direction to the CRTC or disburse the $600 million.

This has left the sector without either payments from streamers or the promised government funding.

A group representing independent producers says funding that was supposed to provide the sector with a sense of certainty is now a source of uncertainty itself.

Canadian content contributions and rules for streamers became a flashpoint in the ongoing trade talks with the United States, and were among the reasons Canada ended the latest round of negotiations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press