Toronto and Ottawa – November 11, 2026 – Two national public interest organizations have asked the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to change its new policy for public-interest participation in Canadian telecommunications and broadcasting. In May 2025 the CRTC invited comments on how it can better support public participation in its consultations; it announced its new approach in August 2026.
Under the CRTC’s new approach individual consumer groups’ expenses will not be reimbursed if they exceed $75,000, a low figure if the groups need evidence about Canadians’ positions: a month before capping consumer groups’ costs the CRTC paid more than $249,000 for one public-opinion survey. The CRTC may reimburse a consumer group’s research or legal expenditures if these exceed $75,000, though only if the comment period in a consultation lasts 3 or more months: in that case, a consumer group must submit its planned approach – setting out the specialized expertise and evidence it needs – to telecommunications companies and the CRTC. The companies may then comment on this plan, and the CRTC will decide whether to restrict the group’s costs by limiting either its work, the evidence it obtains or both.
On 5 November 2026, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the Forum for Research and Policy in Communications (FRPC) asked the CRTC to rethink its new policy because, among other things, the policy does not explain how its new process serves the public interest. “The CRTC said its new policy ensures predictability,” said Tahira Dawood, PIAC’s Acting General Counsel, “but requiring pre-approval of consumer groups’ work will give telecom companies an early look at our arguments and evidence. Instead of supporting fair and effective participation on behalf of the public, the CRTC is raising new barriers.”
FRPC’s Executive Director, Monica Auer, agreed and noted that CRTC proceedings with the greatest potential to affect most Canadians are usually the most complicated. “The CRTC’s decision has just made it harder for consumer-interest groups to advocate for the public interest,” said Auer. “How is the CRTC supporting participation in the public interest by restricting it?”
For the full Part 1 Application, see here: PIAC-FRPC review and vary application
Contact:
Tahira Dawood, tdawood@piac.ca
Acting General Counsel,
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
Monica Auer, execdir@frpc.net
Executive Director
Forum for Research and Policy in Communications (FRPC)
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