CSI Non‑Commercial Radio Royalty Tariff

Summary#

The Copyright Board published the CSI – Non-Commercial Radio Reproduction Tariff (2018). It sets how much non-commercial AM/FM radio stations must pay for making copies (including simulcasts) of musical works in CSI’s repertoire for the year 2018, and lays out payment, recordkeeping and audit rules.

What it does#

• Sets annual royalty rates based on a station’s gross operating costs:
  • 0.16% on the first $625,000;
  • 0.31% on the next $625,000;
  • 0.46% on the remainder.
• Limits the tariff to conventional, over-the-air non-commercial radio broadcasting and simulcasting. It does not cover most Internet transmissions (except simulcasts) or uses tied to a product, service or institution.
• Requires annual payment and reporting:
  • Royalties for a year are due on the 31st day of January of the following year.
  • Stations must provide a certified declaration of their gross operating costs with payment.
• Requires stations to keep logs and records and to provide them on request:
  • CSI can ask for CRTC logs covering up to 12 days once per year (stations must get 30 days’ notice and return the logs within 15 days after the period).
  • Stations paying under $2,000 annually only need to supply logs for four days.
  • Records related to logs must be kept for 6 months; financial records for six years.
• Allows CSI to audit records during the retention period; if an audit finds royalties understated by more than 10%, the station must pay the audit costs within 30 days.
• Interest applies to late payments at a rate of 1% above the Bank Rate (as published by the Bank of Canada). Interest is calculated daily and does not compound.
• Includes a transitional rule: amounts due under the tariff must be paid no later than September 29, 2025, and may be increased by a multiplying interest factor (the table shows 2018 has factor 1.1668).

Who's affected#

• Mainly non-commercial radio stations — AM and FM stations licensed as not-for-profit (including community and campus stations). The tariff excludes Canadian Broadcasting Corporation stations.
• Stations owned or operated on a not-for-profit basis, whether or not they have a formal CRTC licence, are included if they meet the definition in the tariff.
• The notice is from the Copyright Board and affects parties who deal with CSI for music reproduction royalties.

If any part of the scope is unclear for a particular station, the source text does not spell out every edge case.

Why it matters#

• Money: stations must budget for royalties calculated as small percentages of operating costs. The three-tier rate structure means larger stations pay more in absolute dollars.
• Administration: stations must keep and produce logs and financial records, meet reporting deadlines, and may face audits and possible audit cost liability.
• Timing and cost risk: missed or late payments incur interest; older unpaid amounts may be adjusted using the transitional interest factor.
• Practical effect: community and campus broadcasters should check whether they fall under this tariff, update bookkeeping and scheduling logs, and plan for any payments due by September 29, 2025 and future January payment deadlines.