Basically, RSS-210 certified transmitters are not supposed to be used for broadcasting in Canada. But the term 'broadcasting' is ill-defined. Theoretically, it's supposed to be a radio transmission that is intended to be listened to by the general public. But there's a problem with that - even if I intended a transmission only for myself, you can't stop radio waves. They can be listened to by anyone with a device capable of receiving and decoding them.
To add to the confusion, broadcasting to bounded areas where the general public may congregate, such as malls or parks, is not considered broadcasting.
So what exactly is broadcasting? I've pondered and sweated over this. It's an important question here in Canada, as there are no AM BETS-1 certified transmitters.
I believe that I've come up with an answer that satisfies the intent of the rules. My thoughts are that ISED and the CRTC do not want users to create broadcast stations using the RSS-210 rules, that compete with licensed broadcasters. I believe that makes sense, as an RSS-210 AM station can get range of over a mile, much more than a BETS-1 FM one.
So what exactly does that mean? I believe it means you don't compete for any sort of revenue from other licensed stations. Which basically means no advertising or sponsorship. It's a self-funded endeavor. And that's OK, at least by me.
Other than that, my revised interpretation is that you can sound like a radio station, get listeners, etc. Just don't try to take dollars away from existing stations.
If Canadian users follow that simple guideline, I believe it's OK to use such RSS-210 devices as the Procaster AM as tiny radio stations.
Sounds like a good interpretation to me. Reasonable in all respects.