Remember the Online Streaming Act? It was a controversial new tax imposed by the CRTC on foreign streaming services as a means to help fund Canadian Content. It's been around since 2023 but most Canuck broadcasters haven't seen a dime from it, including CPAC, which just cut staff and shows due to losses.

Many are blaming the CRTC Chair, but Vicky Eatrides insists they're working on it - but overhauling the Canadian broadcasting system is taking longer than they hoped. 

"Eatrides said the work involves “literally completely overhauling decades-old regulatory frameworks … frameworks that have been in place forever.”

“There are a lot of separate issues and tricky issues,” she said, citing as one example the fact that the CRTC must account for English and French markets that are very different.

Adding to the pressure - the U.S. hates this rule and is using it as an argument against Canada in those seemingly endless Free Trade arguments. 

And so, for now, at least, the Online Streaming Act is stuck buffering, with no immediate end in sight. 

CRTC chair defends Online Streaming Act work after critics say regulator too slow