Through the Looking Glass : A Comparison of Broadcast License Fees in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States

The decision of a domestic broadcaster to commission a program from a producer, and the license fee paid by the broadcaster to that producer, is the foundation of the independent television production system in Canada. Most public funding for Canadian programming follows on the basis of these transactions. Unfortunately, that public funding is oversubscribed, and the production industry is chronically underfunded. Some suggest that part of this problem is the size of the Canadian broadcast license fee. Based on anecdotal evidence, it is argued that Canadian license fees are low by international standards. The purpose of this study is to see if Canadian license fees for English independent television programs are indeed low based on selected international and historical comparisons. If they are, why?