Radio-Canada removes regional shows from Ohdio after two years, but keeps Montreal content longer

Radio-Canada has been removing regional radio episodes older than two years from its Ohdio streaming platform since June, while preserving Montreal's regional content — a two-tier system that reveals cost-cutting logic the broadcaster has declined to confirm.

An internal note dated June 9 states the removals aim "to limit the rights to be paid on certain content and takes into account the weak consumption of these recordings." The measure took effect immediately and removals update daily.

Regional stations affected include Gatineau, Rimouski, Sherbrooke, Rouyn-Noranda, and Quebec City. No morning or drive-time shows from those stations older than two years are available on Ohdio; regional news bulletins do not go back beyond 2022. Montreal is the exception. Patrick Masbourian's morning show catchup is available back to 2019, Pénélope McQuade's back to 2020, and Le 15-18 (no longer on air) back to 2016.

When asked about the cost-reduction objective, Radio-Canada's media relations office declined multiple times to confirm it. Instead, the broadcaster said content availability "is determined based on its relevance over time" and that the removals respect "collective agreements and the rights of rights holders." The office added that archived content is conserved on Radio-Canada's own archiving platform, though that requires paid access.

The Ohdio platform launched in 2019. La Presse Canadienne obtained and verified the internal note and confirmed the actual content availability on the platform.