Canadian Broadcast Standards Council
Conseil canadien des normes de la radiotélévision
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General Questions
Index
- What is the CBSC?
- To whom does the CBSC answer?
- What is the relationship between the CBSC and the CRTC?
- Who are the CBSC's members?
- Where does the CBSC get its funding?
- What is the CBSC Secretariat?
What is the CBSC?
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) is an independent, voluntary organization created and funded by Canada’s private broadcasters to administer the broadcasting standards established by its members. Although the CBSC is a non-governmental agency, it operates with the approval of the federal regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). Consequently, complaints made by members of the public to the CRTC will be referred to the CBSC for resolution when they concern CBSC members. The CRTC Public Notice laying out the details of those arrangements is available on this website. For further information about the CBSC-CRTC connection, see the FAQ What is the relationship between the CBSC and the CRTC?, as well as the web page explaining the special role played by the CBSC in Canada’s broadcasting system.
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To whom does the CBSC answer?
The CBSC is a self-regulatory body which operates at arm’s length from its member funders, Canada’s private broadcasters, as well as from the governmental agency responsible for broadcasting in Canada, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The CBSC nevertheless reports on its activities throughout the year to the general public, its members and the CRTC through its annual report, which is published on the CBSC website as soon as it is available (generally in December). For more information on the relationship between the CRTC and the CBSC, see the FAQ What is the relationship between the CBSC and the CRTC?. For more on the issue of the CBSC’s independence from its members, see the FAQs Who decides whether a broadcast has met the standards?
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What is the relationship between the CBSC and the CRTC?
While the CBSC is, on the one hand, a voluntary self-regulatory body created by its broadcaster members, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is, on the other hand, the governmental body mandated to oversee the entire broadcasting industry pursuant to the Broadcasting Act. Although it is not germane to the activities of the CBSC, the CRTC is also responsible for the oversight of the entire telecommunications industry pursuant to the Telecommunications Act. In its 1991 Public Notice, the CRTC declared its full support for the CBSC and announced that complaints it might receive concerning CBSC members and regarding issues covered by the industry codes administered by the CBSC would be referred by it to the CBSC for action. Complaints about broadcasters which are not members of the CBSC are dealt with by the CRTC. The CRTC also acts as an “appellate” body for anyone who is dissatisfied with a decision rendered by the CBSC and would like to have that decision reconsidered. For more information on appealing a CBSC decision, see the related FAQ Can I appeal a CBSC decision?
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Who are the CBSC’s members?
The CBSC’s membership rolls include nearly all of Canada’s private broadcasters, including radio and television stations, networks and specialty services. A complete list of CBSC members is available on this site.
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Where does the CBSC get its funding?
The CBSC funding is received from the membership fees charged to Canadian private radio and television stations. The CBSC is NOT a government agency and therefore does not receive any taxpayer money.
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What is the CBSC Secretariat?
The CBSC Secretariat administers the day-to-day operations of the Council. It is composed of the National Chair, the Executive Director and other administrative staff as required.
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