This week in Canadian media history: The Broadcasting Act is passed
As part of the new Broadcasting Act, the CRTC replaced the Board of Broadcast Governors as the overseeing agency.
By Aeman Ansari, Reporter
The Broadcasting Act was passed on Feb. 7, 1968, to “safeguard, enrich and strengthen the nation of Canada from sea to sea.” It established what was then called the Canadian Radio-Television Commission as the agency overseeing the Canadian broadcasting system, replacing the Board of Broadcast Governors. Since renamed the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the CRTC was given the authority and responsibility to ensure that Canada retained control and ownership over the broadcasting system, and that all programs contained substantial Canadian content. While the CRTC was given the right to cancel or suspend licences of commercial radio and TV stations, it could not shut down the CBC. The act became law on April 1, 1968.
With research from Election Broadcasting in Canada by Frederick J. Fletcher
