As announced in Budget 2026, the Government of Canada is providing important measures to support the audio and audiovisual sectors, and to protect access to public service media, productions from official language minority communities, Indigenous content, accessible programming, and local news.
GATINEAU, QC, Nov. 8, 2026 /CNW/ — In an increasingly turbulent world, Canada is determining its future. The federal Budget 2026 aims to make Canadians masters of their own destiny. The Canadian audio and audiovisual sectors are a major source of economic activity and jobs as well as a cornerstone of our country’s cultural sovereignty.
Budget 2026 confirmed a $600 Million dollar investment in the audio and audiovisual sectors for this fiscal year. Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, announced the funding rollout of these significant funds that will provide stability and direct support to the sectors while longer-term policy, regulatory and market conditions evolve.
The Government will focus on stabilizing Canada’s audio, audiovisual and news sectors while keeping Canadian culture accessible and affordable. To ensure rapid and effective delivery, the funding will be delivered through the following six existing programs and institutions that have proven efficiency and have trusted industry funding tools:
Canada Media Fund,Indigenous Screen Office,Canada Music Fund,Northern Aboriginal Broadcasting,Canada History Fund, andTelefilm Canada.
This new direct funding allocation will support Canada’s creativity, arts and culture by ensuring that:
Canada’s audio and audiovisual sectors become more competitive and resilient;Canadians can continue to consume homegrown content on multiple platforms;A broad range of Canadian music is consumed in Canada and abroad;More Indigenous people work on audiovisual content production and lead such projects and, so that the overall representation of Indigenous peoples in audiovisual media is improved; andCanadians across the country can experience stories that bring Canada’s history to life.
The funding rollout details as well as its administration and implementation are listed in the attached backgrounder.
Partnering organizations and programs will provide more details on their specific funding components as soon as possible.
Quotes
“Strengthening our audio and audiovisual sectors is at the core of protecting Canada’s sovereignty, our culture and our languages. With this crucial support, we will provide direct funding and much-needed stability so that our country’s artists, storytellers, creative entrepreneurs and cultural organizations can continue creating Canadian content that reflects who we are and helps us remain masters of our destiny.”
–Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages
Quick Facts
In June, the government announced it would update the directions to the CRTC on regulating online streaming services, with a focus on affordability, and that it would invest $600 million to provide stability and support to Canada’s audio and audiovisual sectors.Canadian culture, including the music, audio and audiovisual sectors, are strategic assets and key economic drivers that directly contributed $69.1 billion to the GDP in 2025 and employed 687,824 people as of March 31, 2026.
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Budget 2026: Masters of our destiny – Backgrounder: Administration and implementation of $600 Million targeted support for Canada’s audio and audiovisual sectorsGovernment of Canada announces immediate support to strengthen Canadian culture and ensure Canadian content remains affordable
Associated Links
Budget 2026: Masters of our destiny Canada Media Fund Indigenous Screen Office program Canada Music Fund Northern Aboriginal Broadcasting Canada History Fund Telefilm Canada
Budget 2026: Masters of our destiny – Backgrounder: Administration and implementation of $600 Million targeted support for Canada’s audio and audiovisual sectors
Following the announcement of Budget 2026, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, today announced the funding rollout of the $600 Million investment that will provide stability and direct support to Canada’s audio and audiovisual sectors while longer-term policy, regulatory and market conditions evolve.
The Government will focus on stabilizing Canada’s audio, audiovisual and news sectors while keeping Canadian culture accessible and affordable. It will help sustain public-interest programming, local and community media, official language minority community production, the production and promotion of Canadian and Indigenous content, and the continued operation of services of exceptional importance.
This list provides details of the funding administration and implementation.
This list provides details of the funding administration and implementation.
List of organizations and funding mechanisms that will distribute the funding support
Recipient
Funding allocation description
Funded
amount
Canada Media Fund Corporation
Certified Independent Production Funds, the Broadcasting Accessibility Fund, the Independent Local News Fund and Commercial Radio News Fund, the Community Radio Fund, the Broadcasting Participation Fund and Public Service Media
Canada Media Fund Corporation:
This funding will help sustain Canadian content creation and mitigate the impact of declining private-sector contributions from cable and satellite companies, as well as expected contributions from international streaming platforms. The Canada Media Fund Corporation will rapidly deploy the new funding through enhancements to existing programs and the introduction of new initiatives that will support the entire value chain of the industry: from training, to creation, to production, to promotion, to sector and business development. Priority areas will also include francophone programming, children and youth content, interactive digital media (IDM), distribution and export initiatives. As an independent not-for-profit, the Canada Media Fund Corporation will allocate these funds through its programs based on industry needs.
Various independents funds:
Delivered by the Department of Canadian Heritage, this funding will include:
Certified Independent Production Funds such as the Black Screen Office, Canadian Independent Screen Fund, Broadcasting Accessibility Fund, Bell Fund, Independent Production Fund, TELUS Fund, Quebecor Fund, Shaw Rocket Fund, Vox Fund and M.É.D.I.A Fund. These will support diverse, accessible and inclusive content and official languages minorities communities;
The Independent Local News Fund and Commercial Radio News Fund will sustain independent local television and commercial radio news, through the Canadian Association of Broadcasters; the Community Radio Fund will strengthen community radio through operational support and sector development;
Together, these investments will extend supported activities beyond content production to address priorities across the broader broadcasting ecosystem, including diversity and accessibility, local news, community radio and public participation in the broadcasting system; The Public Service Media component will be used to deliver additional support to Services of Exceptional Importance, such as the Canadian Public Affairs Channel, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and TV5 Québec Canada. Funding will ensure the continued operation of these services through support for technology modernization, infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, programming, production, discoverability, accessibility and preservation. This funding would serve as a bridge toward the implementation of a Services of Exceptional Importance Fund.
Certified Independent Production Funds: $44M
Independent Local News Fund: $80M
Commercial Radio News Fund: $11.5M
Community Radio Fund: $7.5M
Services of exceptional importance: $42.1M
$213.4 million
$185.1 million
Indigenous Screen Office
The Indigenous Screen Office will support the Indigenous audiovisual sector and for the production, promotion and discoverability of Indigenous audiovisual content in Canada and abroad. The funding will help grow Indigenous content creation, support the development of this sector and increase international collaborations between Indigenous creators from Canada and abroad. The Indigenous Screen Office corporation, as an Indigenous-led and independent third party, will allocate funding through its programs based on industry needs.
$51 million
Canada Music Fund
Canadian Heritage’s Canada Music Fund will provide support for the production and promotion of Canadian and Indigenous music. This funding will be further distributed by the Canada Music Fund’s two current initial recipients, the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR) and Fondation Musicaction (Musicaction) and three new initial recipients: the Canadian Starmaker Fund, Fonds RadioStar, and the Indigenous Music Office (IMO).
FACTOR: $31.5M
Musicaction: $21.0M
Canadian Starmaker Fund: $5.7M
Fonds RadioStar : $3.8M
IMO : $5.0M
$67 million
Northern Aboriginal Broadcasting
Canadian Heritage will fund culturally relevant Indigenous radio and television content through its Northern Aboriginal Broadcasting program. The funding will benefit Indigenous broadcasters to continue preserving, promoting and revitalizing Indigenous languages and provide platforms for Indigenous audiences to discuss issues important to their communities.
$10 million
Canada History Fund
Through the Canada History Fund, Canadian Heritage will provide funding to support audiovisual programming and related costs.
Up to $5 million
Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada will allocate its funding to support the sustainability and growth of the audiovisual industry, as well as the competitiveness and international reach of Canadian and Indigenous feature films, with an audience-driven approach. As a Crown corporation, Telefilm Canada will receive funding through parliamentary appropriations.
$68.5 million
Total targeted support to Canada’s audio and audiovisual sectors in 2026-2027
$600 million
Note: In June, the government announced it would update the directions to the CRTC on regulating online streaming services, with a focus on affordability.
SOURCE Canadian Heritage
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