The Canada Media Fund (CMF) is continuing to strive for expanded flexibility through its programs and envelopes and further collaboration between broadcasters, producers and distributors in 2025-26.

The changes are meant to continue the evolution of CMF’s funding model as well as respond to the industry, said CMF president and CEO Valerie Creighton (pictured) in the organization’s budget announcement for this fiscal.

The funder’s budget for this fiscal year, starting April 1, again saw a decrease, similar to last year, to $338 million from $357 million. The decrease was attributed to declines in contributions from broadcaster distribution undertakings (BDUs) and other key sources. Previously, the budget dropped from roughly $366 million to the $357 million from last year.

“Despite a lower budget, the CMF is implementing a number of significant initiatives that reflect Canada’s evolving screen industries,” said Creighton in a statement.

According to CMFs 2023-24 annual report, contributions from BDUs fell 7.3% in that fiscal year to $158.8 million from $171.3 million the previous fiscal. The funder also noted its year-over-year expenses increased 7% in 2023-24.

Among the changes Creighton highlighted are increasing support and flexibility for children and youth projects to address the pressures faced by producers in the genre, continuing investment in its Distributor Program, enhancing its interactive digital media programs and the previously announced shifting of the administration of the Indigenous Program to the Indigenous Screen Office.

The CMF will also be hosting two Zoom webcasts on May 6, one in each of Canada’s official languages, on the changes to its programs and guidelines.

A key change for this year is one to CMF’s Broadcaster Envelope in which broadcasters will no longer have to make up the larger share of the funding threshold, with the amount contributed by broadcasters and distributors to meet the threshold flexible depending on the specific needs of the project. CMF’s Broadcaster Envelope makes up the majority of the organization’s funding allocation with about $130 million contributed in the English-language market and more than $67 million in the French-language market.

Another key change is budget carve-outs for children and youth projects across CMF’s linear and interactive digital media (IDM) programs, including 40% of funding reserved for those projects in CMF’s Distributor Program. That program sees applicants able to unlock CMF funding without funding from a broadcaster. Additionally, children and youth projects will be subject to lower thresholds and extra evaluation grid points across the funder’s programs.

Non-Canadian broadcasters and streamers will also be able to account for up to 25% of CMF’s financial threshold for children and youth projects in production, as long as Canadian broadcasters and/or distributors make up the remaining 75%.

The maximum contribution for development-stage children and youth projects across CMF’s Broadcaster Envelope will also increase to the lesser of 75% of the project’s budget or $200,000, up from 50% or $200,000 previously.

Changes to IDM programs include a cap to applications per project and in the funding round, a low-budget track for the Innovation and Experimentation Program, a concrete audience engagement criteria for the Commercial Projects Program and a two-step evaluation process for the Prototyping Program.

The CMF is also introducing a regional funding cap where one region of Canada cannot receive more than 60% of total IDM program funding per year.

A detailed but non-exhaustive breakdown of the various changes to CMF programs and envelopes can be found here, including changes to evaluation grids and eligibility requirements.

Image courtesy of the Canada Media Fund