Policy IssueThe recent "Broadcast Regulatory Policy on the Distribution of Category C Canadian National Specialized News Services" marks a new regulatory approach to the distribution of competitive news and sports programming in ​Canada. This policy is a response to Canadians' concerns about consumer choice due to program bundling and the inability to select news and sports programs on a stand-alone basis (CRTC, 2013c; CRTC, 2014). Building on the Commission's public notice on the "Regulatory framework for broadcast distribution companies and discretionary programming services", the new regulation demonstrates an effort to reduce national regulations on news and sports programs and to encourage greater competition in the market Canadian cable TV (Armstrong, 2010; CRTC, 2008; CRTC, 2013c). BackgroundThe Commission stated in the "Review of the Regulatory Framework for Broadcasting Services in Canada" that competition policies and packaging of broadcast distribution companies (BDU) would be reviewed in 2010-2013 (Dunbar & Leblanc, 2007). The CRTC (2008) distributed a public notice declaring its future intention to leave package decisions to be negotiated between broadcasting service providers and programmers. During this period, most stakeholders agreed that packaging restrictions should be reconsidered in future policy frameworks. This delay in regulatory action was, in part, due to the need to “mirror” analog and digital packaging services and therefore policy changes would not occur until the majority of the market had reached digital saturation in the sector radio and television. This was expected to occur in the early 2010s. The CRTC (2013b, 2013c) revisited the mandatory standards for mandatory cable and satellite distribution under section 9(1)(h) of the Broadcasting Act . CRTC Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2013-732. Retrieved from http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2013/2013-372.htm Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. (2013c). Distribution of Category C Canadian national news specialty services. Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2013-734. Retrieved from http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2013/2013-734.htm Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. (2014). Let's Talk TV: A Report on Comments Received During Phase I. Retrieved from http://www.crtc.gc.ca/broadcast /eng/hearings/2013/2013-563oc2.htmRennie, S. (2013, August 8) . CRTC vows to review news channel rules after rejecting Sun News Network's bid for basic cable slot. Financial mail. Retrieved from www.financialpost.com