Group Licensing: Broadcasters shoot back at producers, and at each other, over Cancon spend

By Perry Hoffman

OTTAWA - Let’s not get lost in the weeds, Canadian broadcasters have told the CRTC.With respect to calls for more specific Canadian content spending requirements suggested by some parties to the group-based licence renewals of the private broadcasters, broad and flexible rules will do a much better job than micro-managing the broadcasters’ Cancon spending obligations – and any requirements to spend additional money on Canadian content should be rejected, say those broadcasters.CTVglobemedia, Rogers Media, Shaw Media and Corus Entertainment argue that many, particularly those from the creative sector, are trying to re-write the rules by requiring specific spending obligations on...