FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2025
NCRA/ANREC Statement on Federal Budget 2025: Building Canada Strong
The National Campus and Community Radio Association / Association nationale des radios étudiantes et communautaires (NCRA/ANREC) welcomes several of the commitments announced in the Government of Canada’s Budget 2025: Building Canada Strong, particularly those supporting journalism, emergency alerting, and youth employment. However, we remain concerned that there were no direct investments in community, campus, and Indigenous radio, which continues to be one of Canada’s most vital yet underfunded communication sectors.
Positive Developments
- Support for Journalism: The Budget includes $38.4 million over three years (starting in 2026–27) through Special Measures for Journalism under the Canada Periodical Fund, aimed to “help small and community news outlets continue producing quality Canadian editorial and journalistic content.” This funding provides operational support to small outlets (not community radio) but does not extend to the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI), which is set to expire in 2026.
- Emergency Alerting: The commitment of $55 million over four years and $13 million ongoing to the National Public Alerting System (NPAS) reinforces the essential role of broadcasters in delivering emergency communications to Canadians. Community stations, many of which are embedded in remote and underserved regions, continue to play a key role in local alerting and public safety.
- Public Advertising and Communications: The expansion of the Central Advertising Fund (CAF) by $345 million over five years recognizes the need for “accessible, effective communication with all Canadians.” The NCRA/ANREC views this as a significant opportunity to improve access for community-based broadcasters to federal advertising, ensuring more equitable distribution across media types and informing citizens whose only local access to news and information is through community radio.
- Cultural and Music Sector: Renewed support for the Canada Arts Presentation Fund, Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage, and a three-year extension of the Canada Music Fund is vital as these programs sustain the creative and performance ecosystem that community radio helps amplify.
- Youth Employment: The Government has opened applications for Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ), part of a broader investment creating 175,000 youth placements across the Canada Summer Jobs, Student Work Placement Program, and Youth Climate Corps streams. This will provide continued opportunities for young people to gain media, production, and digital experience within our sector.
Areas of Concern
Despite these positive steps, Budget 2025 does not provide direct funding or targeted support for community, campus, and Indigenous radio stations. Our sector continues to face financial strain, particularly in light of rising operating costs, declining local advertising revenues, and the absence of stable federal core funding. This can be achieved through the Community Radio Initiative (mycri.ca)
Budget 2025 introduces significant reductions to temporary and international student admissions, cutting study permits from approximately 305,900 to 155,000 annually by 2026. The government cited the “unprecedented rate of growth” in temporary residents as a strain on housing, healthcare, and education systems. This will have a direct impact on campus-based broadcasters, as many rely on international students as volunteers, staff, and contributors.
Community broadcasters remain key players in local journalism, emergency alerting, cultural promotion, and youth training—yet continue to operate with limited resources. Without structural investment, many stations risk being unable to sustain the vital services they provide to Canadians daily.
“We welcome the government’s continued recognition of journalism, cultural investment, and youth employment in this year’s budget. However, not-for-profit radio must be part of the national conversation about sustaining local media. Our stations connect Canadians in ways no other medium can — and without direct, stable support, we risk losing an essential voice in Canada’s democratic and cultural landscape.” -Barry Rooke (NCRA/ANREC Executive Director)
The NCRA/ANREC will continue to work with partners and federal departments to ensure that community media are recognized and resourced as an essential part of Canada’s democratic and cultural infrastructure.
For more information, please contact:
Barry Rooke, CAE
Executive Director
National Campus and Community Radio Association / Association nationale des radios étudiantes et communautaires
barry@ncra.ca | 
www.ncra.ca
