Budget 2026 could open the door to new federal tax breaks for newsrooms owned by some of Canada’s biggest telecom companies, including Rogers, Bell and Quebecor.
The federal government wants to expand the Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit to private TV and radio newsrooms, allowing eligible broadcasters to claim a portion of their newsroom payroll costs.
University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist says the move is part of a bigger change in Ottawa’s approach to funding Canadian news and entertainment. Instead of forcing large internet companies to pay more, the government is increasingly turning to taxpayer dollars.
Under the proposal, qualifying private broadcasters would be eligible for a 35% tax credit on up to $85,000 in annual labour costs per employee. The enhanced rate would remain in place until the end of 2028.
The government estimates the journalism tax credit measures will cost $501 million over five years, followed by $85 million annually.
While Rogers, Bell and Quebecor are not specifically named as recipients, their news operations could benefit if they meet the eligibility requirements.
Geist points out that the Canadian Association of Broadcasters had pushed for the change ahead of the budget. The association’s president previously estimated the expanded credit could be worth roughly $100 million annually to its members, particularly Bell, Rogers, Corus and Quebecor.
“The journalism tax credit now extends to Bell, Rogers, Corus and Quebecor: $501M over five years, $85M a year permanently. Nearly every major news organization now depends on federal support. Companies reliant on government are less likely to criticize it,” said Geist on X.
The proposal follows an earlier push to expand the journalism tax credit, which Heritage Minister Marc Miller had already signalled was coming.
But the journalism credit is only one part of Ottawa’s latest spending plans.
Budget 2026 also includes $600 million for Canada’s television, film and other audiovisual sectors. That money was first announced in June when the government replaced proposed streaming fees with public funding.
Ottawa had originally planned to require streaming platforms to contribute more toward Canadian programming. Those fees were later dropped, with the government signalling in September that they would not be returning.
The budget also proposes $300 million over two years for CBC/Radio-Canada and $134 million over four years for the Local Journalism Initiative, followed by $41 million annually.
Combined, Geist estimates the various measures represent roughly $1.5 billion in new or renewed government support for Canadian news and cultural programming.
“Budget 2026 confirms that the strategy has been largely abandoned, replaced by taxpayers footing the bill with roughly $1.5 billion in new or renewed support for culture and news in this budget alone,” Geist writes.
His criticism is that Ottawa has moved away from its earlier strategy of making large technology companies help fund Canadian journalism and entertainment through the Online News Act and Online Streaming Act.
The federal government argues the spending will help protect Canadian journalism, support local news and keep Canadian programming accessible.
For Rogers, Bell and Quebecor, the expanded tax credit could provide additional financial support for their broadcasting operations. However, the companies have not been confirmed as recipients, and any benefits would depend on the final eligibility rules.
The proposals are among several telecom and technology measures included in Canada’s 2026 federal budget.
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