OTTAWA and TORONTO – Industry stakeholders encouraged the CRTC not to take its eye off the ball when it comes to the potential negative impact that over-the-top (OTT) services may have on the Canadian broadcast industry.
Responding to Wednesday’s report from the Commission that found its OTT fact-finding exercise inconclusive, the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) said that it is “pleased” the CRTC has recognized the potential negative impact that OTT services could have, and reiterated that reducing broadcasters’ current Canadian programming obligations is not the solution.
“We have always said the best way for broadcasters to compete effectively is to focus on supporting and promoting high-quality Canadian programming”, said CMPA president and CEO Norm Bolen, in a statement. “(Wednesday’s) report shows the CRTC is taking the OTT issue seriously.”
Independent Internet service provider Teksavvy Solutions expressed support for the Commission’s decision not to impose new regulations, which it said could lead to “unintended consequences” such as blunting innovation, hampering Canadian media companies’ ability to compete globally, and restricting access to the Internet.
“The CRTC report is good news for consumers”, said Teksavvy CEO Marc Gaudrault, in a statement. “By not rushing to regulate new media, the CRTC is embracing diversity and innovation, which will provide those of us committed to promoting competition in the marketplace a platform on which to compete".
The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), on the other hand, said that is was disappointed with the CRTC’s decision not to implement any new regulations, expressing concern that Canadian broadcasters and BDUs “will demand deregulation in a rush to the bottom in order to duplicate their unregulated counterparts, like Netflix and iTunes”.
“Not so long ago Netflix recorded their one millionth subscriber,” said Stephen Waddell, ACTRA’s national executive director, in a statement. “It’s not hard to see why Canadian broadcasters would try to duplicate that success. However, we can’t let Canadian broadcasters shirk their responsibilities to Canadian programming in order to pad their bottom line. The CRTC needs to make sure that all broadcasters contribute their fair share, regardless of the delivery platform.”
