Broadcasters or publishers as registered third party advertisers
Broadcasters or publishers who wish to conduct third party advertising must register as a third party advertiser and follow the requirements of the Municipal Elections Act. For more information on how to register, please visit our Third Party Advertising page.
Broadcasters and publishers must follow new requirements when running a candidate or third party advertisement, including:
Mandatory information
Mandatory information must be provided to the broadcaster or publisher in writing before the advertisement appears.
For a candidate advertisement:
- Name of the candidate
- Name, business address and telephone number of the individual who deals with the broadcaster or publisher under the direction of the candidate
For a third party advertisement:
- Name of the registered third party advertiser
- Municipality where the third party advertiser is registered
- Name, business address and telephone number of the individual who deals with the broadcaster or publisher under the direction of the registered third party advertiser
Maintaining records
The broadcaster or publisher of a candidate or third party advertisement must maintain records for 4 years after the date the advertisement appears. The public must be permitted to inspect the records during normal business hours.
These records must contain:
- Mandatory information described above
- A copy of the advertisement or the means of reproducing it for inspection
- A statement of the amount charged for the advertisement
Ongoing obligations
Broadcasters and publishers should also be mindful of their ongoing obligations relating to contributions under the Municipal Elections Act. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has also posted information about political advertising.
