Prime Time 2011: With rise of Netflix, Canadian distributors demand Regulatory flexibility

By Perry Hoffman

OTTAWA - Broadcast distribution undertakings (BDUs) say they need greater regulatory flexibility to offer on-demand services to compete with over the top service such as Netflix, particularly if they continue to take eyeballs away from conventional distributors. This was the one primary messages to come out of a session on over the top (OTT) services at the Canadian Media Production Association’s annual Prime Time event in Ottawa last week. David Purdy, vice-president of video product management at Rogers Cable, insisted that OTT services will have an impact on the Canadian broadcasting system and as a result, it’s only fair that...