OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC proposed some new tools and regulatory approaches Thursday designed to support the production and promotion of Canadian audio and video content.
The report, Harnessing Change: The Future of Programming Distribution in Canada, is meant to aid the Feds’ pending overhaul of the Broadcasting and Telecom Acts by offering “important context and policy options”.
“This report does not set out specific timelines or predictions, nor does it attempt to prescribe policy”, reads the introduction. “Rather, it comes to conclusions on the types of change needed to the legislative and regulatory frameworks given the likely market trajectories, as well as considers possible approaches to ensure a vibrant domestic market. The important mandate of Canada’s public broadcaster, which is to be renewed as announced in the Creative Canada Policy Framework, is not addressed in this report.”
The CRTC proposed that any future policy approaches to content and its distribution should:
– Focus on the production and promotion of high-quality content made by Canadians that is discoverable by audiences in Canada and abroad.
– Recognize that there are social and cultural responsibilities associated with operating in Canada. All players benefitting from the Canadian broadcasting system should participate in an appropriate and equitable manner.
– Be nimble, innovative and continuously capable of rapidly adapting to changes in technology and consumer demand.
The CRTC also set out certain policy options that it said could help to ensure a vibrant domestic market, including:
– Replace prescriptive licensing with comprehensive and binding service agreements for all video and audio services offered in Canada and drawing revenue from Canadians.
– A restructured funding strategy to ensure sustainable support for content production and promotion in the future, including the participation of television service providers, radio stations, and wireless and Internet service providers.
– The development by government, in consultation with stakeholders, of national and cross-sectoral strategies.
“Canadians have access to a wide range of content on multiple online platforms, as well as through traditional radio and television services”, said CRTC chair and CEO Ian Scott, in a statement. “While this evolution is a good thing, it has an impact on the traditional model that was designed to provide support for programming made by and for Canadians. At the government’s request, we have looked at how our stories can continue to be told and our broadcasting system can remain vibrant. Our digital-first report identifies possible options for a future where high-quality Canadian content continues to be produced, promoted and discovered.”
More to come.
