OTTAWA — CBC/Radio-Canada is taking legal action to contest a ruling that requires it to disclose subscriber numbers for its Gem streaming service. A spokesperson for the public broadcaster confirmed that it will present its case in Federal Court. This move follows an order from the information commissioner mandating CBC to release the number of paid subscribers to Gem.

The request for this information originated from Matt Malone, an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa. He submitted an access-to-information request seeking the subscriber data. CBC initially declined to provide the information, citing exemptions related to programming activities and concerns that disclosure could negatively impact its competitive position.

Malone subsequently appealed to the federal information commissioner, who sided with him. In July, the commissioner ruled that CBC must disclose the subscriber numbers.

The Gem streaming service, which offers both paid and free content, was launched by CBC in 2018. The outcome of this court case could have implications for transparency and competition in the streaming industry.