This is a list of foreign television channels available in Canada. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) regulates which television channels are allowed to air in Canada. Although the vast majority of television channels available in Canada are Canadian-owned and operated, the CRTC allows certain foreign-owned channels to be broadcast in Canada.
In order for a non-Canadian station/channel to broadcast in Canada it must first be listed by the CRTC on the List of non-Canadian programming services authorized for distribution. Cable and satellite companies are only allowed to carry the foreign services that are contained in the list. Also, not every channel on the list is currently carried by broadcast distribution undertakings (BDUs), it is up to their discretion to decide what channels they are interested in offering to consumers.
On June 30, 2011, the CRTC introduced new policy whereby the 'lists of eligible satellite services' would be consolidated into one list to be known as the 'List of non-Canadian programming services authorized for distribution'.[1]
List of non-Canadian programming services authorized for distribution
Although the CRTC has combined all stations/channels together, the list below has been separated into sections to distinguish between the various types of services that are contained in the list. The sections are as follows: American over-the-air stations, American specialty channels & foreign specialty channels:
American free-to-air channels eligible for national distribution
Up to one channel from each network can be carried by a Class 1, 2, or 3 pay television provider that cannot receive an acceptable signal from that network. As well, the CRTC has authorized most subscription companies to carry a second American network feed from another time zone on a discretionary basis.
^WBTS-CD (then WBTS-LD) was authorized for distribution by the CRTC on December 20, 2016, and replaced WHDH as the NBC affiliate on January 1, 2017. The authorization later transferred to the former WYCN-LD, which transmits a full-power signal to the Boston area using a channel share with WGBX-TV.[2][3]
^WFTC swapped its primary affiliation with co-owned KMSP-TV in September 2002, becoming a UPN affiliate and later a MyNetworkTV owned-and-operated station; at some point thereafter, select TV providers in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario began carrying KMSP. In 2014, Fox began simulcasting the two stations' main channels over both stations. Throughout this time, the CRTC listing identifying WFTC as the Minneapolis Fox affiliate has remained unchanged.
^WHDH's NBC affiliation expired on January 1, 2017, but the station still remains authorized for distribution.
American Superstations eligible for national distribution
Note: All channels listed are authorized for distribution, with those in boldface type domestically available through cable, satellite, or IPTV services.[4] However, some may not be carried by a provider due to lack of a carriage contract, low overall viewer interest, programming or rights conflicts with a domestic network, or other technical concerns. Some channels below or not listed here may also distribute their services through IPTV means direct to the consumer without CRTC intervention, and/or have no geoblocking restrictions for Canadian viewers to access their network streams.
^Approval subject to the following conditions: cable or satellite providers who carry the channel, block out both the video and audio feeds and that the customer not be required to purchase this service in order to receive any other service