By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – An order in council published Monday will direct the CRTC to include modified shopping channels from the United States on a list of authorized foreign programming services available on Canadian television.
The order amends a three-year-old one that only directed the CRTC to list unmodified U.S. home shopping programming, which is specific to the U.S. market. The orders are part of an agreement between the countries under the new Canada United States and Mexica (CUSMA) free trade agreement, which replaced NAFTA under former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The order amends the direction to the CRTC “respecting the…
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CBC calls it “irresponsible” and “abuse of power”; CAB says it shows “tangible disregard for democracy”
Starting Tuesday, Meta has begun blocking Canadian news content on Facebook and Instagram for their users in Canada.
In an update Tuesday to its June announcement of its intention to end news availability on its platforms in Canada, in response to the passing of the Online News Act, Meta says these changes “will be implemented for all people accessing Facebook and Instagram in Canada over the course of the next few weeks.”
The changes mean news links…
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By Connie Thiessen
OTTAWA — Pascale St-Onge has been appointed the new Minister of Canadian Heritage as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an anticipated cabinet shuffle Wednesday morning.
The Member of Parliament for Brome-Missisquoi, St-Onge previously served as Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.
Her background includes serving as Secretary General and later President of the Fédération nationale des communications et de la culture, where she worked to develop public policy to address the challenges facing media, newspapers, and the cultural sector and programs to help adapt to shifts brought…
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By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA — In a rare display of non-partisanship support for government legislation, Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez – joined by his opposition counterparts Martin Champoux of the Bloc Québécois and Peter Julian of the New Democrats – announced at a Parliament Hill news conference on Wednesday that the federal government will suspend advertising on Facebook and Instagram in response to parent company Meta Platforms Inc.’s decision to end news availability on both platforms prior to bill C-18 taking effect.
Last week, Google followed suit and announced that it would…
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MONTREAL – The federal government, Cogeco and Quebecor announced Wednesday they are pulling all their advertising investments from Meta’s platforms after the social media company banned news linking in response to the passing of the Online News Act.
“Any move by Meta to circumvent Canadian law, block news for its users or discriminate against Canadian media content on its platforms, through its algorithms or otherwise, cannot be tolerated,” Quebecor said in a press release Wednesday morning.
“In view of Meta’s categorical refusal to enter into negotiations, Quebecor announces that, effective immediately and until further notice, it is withdrawing all advertising by…
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A Google source told Cartt the Heritage minister was unavailable to discuss the bill as it made its way to finish line
By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA — Google will remove links to Canadian news from its search, news and discover products in Canada, the company announced on Thursday, a week after Meta Platforms Inc. made a similar announcement about ending news availability on its Facebook and Instagram platforms for all Canadian users in response to their joint opposition to Bill C-18, the Online News Act, which became law also last Thursday.
“C-18 will also make it untenable for us to…
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By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA — As Bill C-18 received royal asset Thursday after a 56-22 Senate vote this afternoon, Meta – one of the two web giants directly affected by the Online News Act – said that its social-media platforms Facebook and Instagram would no longer provide news to its Canadian users.
“We have repeatedly shared that in order to comply with Bill C-18, passed today in Parliament, content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, will no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada,” said Meta in a statement.
“Earlier this month, we announced…
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Editor’s note: This post has been updated to specify which consultation received a comment deadline extension.
OTTAWA – The CRTC announced Friday it is granting, in part, a request by a group of 12 organizations to extend the deadline to submit comments to one of three consultations on the implementation of the Online Streaming Act.
The commission pushed back the deadline to comment on its consultation for a flexible approach to Canadian contributions from online programmers from June 27 to July 11, while replies have been adjusted from July 12 to July 26. The dozen groups, which includes…
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By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA – In proposed policy directions released Thursday to the CRTC on implementing bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, the federal government reaffirmed that there would be no regulation of social media content or its users.
The CRTC will be directed to exclude from regulation social media creators, including podcasters, as well the video games media form. Broadcasters that post on social media as well as other platforms, like TV and radio, however will not necessarily be exempt.
To promote a wide range of Canadian programming, the CRTC will also be directed to consider various means…
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By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that the move by Google and Meta to trial blocking news on their platforms in response the Online News Act is “not going to work.”
In a response to a question about Meta’s move last week to test block news on its Facebook and Instagram products, Trudeau said “these internet giants would rather cut-off Canadians’ access to local news than pay their fair share.” The Online News Act, Bill C-18, would require large technology platforms to compensate news publishers for linking to their work.
They are “resorting…
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