The CRTC has delayed imposing new spending rules on American programs. The TV watchdog delayed at least for a year a decision on whether to impose a ‘1:1’ spending requirement on Canadian and foreign programming to curb purchases of U.S. network shows and encourage Cancon expenditures.

The CRTC said it cannot apply the brakes on U.S. expenditures now as CTVglobemedia and Canwest Global have multi-year supply deals with the major U.S. studios that have already set out what programming they will acquire, and at what price.

The delay on new spending rules came as the CRTC said it will renew for one year the licences for CTV, Global, Sun TV and the Citytv stations. The regulator also offered a two-year renewal for TVA Group in Quebec, a six-year licence renewal for the OMNI stations, and a seven-year licence renewal for the RNC Media and Télé Inter-Rives TV stations, also in Quebec. CBC’s various radio, TV and specialty licences were renewed for one year.

CTVgm, Canwest, Rogers Media and Quebecor Media will reapply for longer licence renewals for their struggling conventional stations in 2010 when, the CRTC is betting, the effects of the recession and industry consolidation will be clearer. The CRTC promised separate hearings in fall 2009 to secure ‘a systemic and structural solution’ to the challenges facing conventional TV.