Community television in Canada is a form of media that carries programming of local community interest produced by a cable television company and by independent community groups and distributed by a local cable company. A community channel is a form of community television, much like public-access television cable TV in the United States and other forms of citizen-produced content. The provision of a community channel is required by CRTC regulations governing the licensing of cable companies. Cable companies are required to allocate a small percentage of cable subscription revenues for the provision of a community channel. As of 2009, this amounted to over $116 million annually in Canada. The community channel is viewed as a public trust that the cable companies manage on behalf of the Canadian public. In 2016, the CRTC enacted rules allowing television providers in metropolitan markets (population of 1 million or higher) to allocate the required investment to the local news departments of a co-owned terrestrial television station instead, in lieu of operating a community channel. In the wake of the changes, Rogers Cable and Shaw Cable began to wind down their community channels in larger regions to take advantage of this policy. Community television services remain mandatory among television providers in smaller markets (or if not co-owned by a local owner of broadcast stations). History In Canada, citizen media has roots going back to 1922 when filmmaker Robert Flaherty brought in an Inuit hunter to participate in Nanook of the North. In the 1960s this film was cited as an inspiration by a group of filmmakers associated with the National Film Board of Canada, whose Challenge for Change project was part of Canada's War on Poverty. In 1967 Challenge for Change contributed to a prototype studio where people were free to help shape community media. More public access experiments followed. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission required cable companies to provide public access on July 16, 1971. In 1997, the CRTC deregulated community television in Canada, causing a protracted period of political tension between cable companies and community groups. After complaints to the CRTC from the Canadian public, a policy review process was initiated, culminating in CRTC Decision 2002-61, a reinvigoration of the participatory elements of the community channel. Under 2002-61, community channels can be run by independent community groups, and up to one-half of the channel must be made available for independent community producers.