Canada broadcasters track BPR updates, emergency alerting, ATSC 3.0
Kirk Nesbitt of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) provided an annual technical coordinating committee update at CCBE 2025, detailing recent regulatory changes and ongoing consultations in Canada. Discussion included updates to broadcasting procedures (BPR10, BPR2, BPR3), emergency alerting guidelines, and the potential adoption of ATSC 3.0 in North America. Nesbitt also highlighted initiatives for improving metadata in car dashboards and the impact of these changes on Canadian broadcasters.
Key Takeaways
- ISED has not yet issued a final decision on the transmitter site compliance and access-control review launched in October 2023.
- BPR2 now covers hybrid AM HD Radio, while the draft does not include all-digital AM despite U.S. adoption.
- BPR10 is being updated to fold the 600 MHz repack requirements into a new DTV procedure after BPR1 was rescinded.
- Bell’s program transmission services may end March 1, 2026, which could affect leased lines, STL links and remote audio feeds.
- The CAB says the latest common look and feel guideline requires bilingual alerts to carry the full message in both English and French.
Why It Matters
The immediate impact is operational: Canadian broadcasters are facing several overlapping rule and infrastructure changes, from BPR2 and BPR10 revisions to Bell’s possible March 1, 2026 service cutoff. The broader competitive issue is that metadata, in-car display quality and ATSC 3.0 are becoming part of the same distribution conversation, especially as NAB, Radio DNS, Sirius XM’s 360L and Tesla’s radio omissions reshape expectations in the dashboard. The next signal to watch is ISED’s final BPR2/BPR10 releases, plus whether the CRTC consultation changes bilingual and indigenous-language alerting requirements.
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