ARTISTS AND PRODUCTION groups argue that any national digital economy strategy has to take into account the impact that TV and film production has on the Canadian economy.
The Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) notes in its comments to Industry Canada in its digital economy consultation that a policy framework that is “better aligned” to address the challenges of the digital age “would help position independent producers to more fully contribute to Canada’s growth and prosperity and to our digital content advantage.” It adds that a key policy plank must be “the development of a critical mass of innovative Canadian content for both traditional media and new platforms.”
A joint submission from ACRTA and AFM Canada says that cultural industries are a major driver of the Canadian economy, contributing more than $85 billion or 7.4% of Canada’s real GDP. They also say it’s critical that there is a “healthy supply” of Canadian digital content, which is pivotal to educating the workforce, sharing information, creative expression, and strengthening our cultural identity.
“These ends alone would justify making content the centrepiece of Canada’s national digital strategy,” they say.
A key tenet of the producers and actors associations is that communications companies remain in the hands of Canadians. And it should come as no surprise that this is direct opposition to the view of many communications companies, particularly the smaller operators and new entrant wireless companies.
