TORONTO — FRIENDS (previously known as the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting) today announced the launch of a new campaign to support Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act.
To help mobilize Canadians to support the bill, which aims to make streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon contribute to the creation of Canadian content, Friends’ “No More Free Rides” campaign encourages Canadians to write their Member of Parliament to express their support for C-11.
FRIENDS is also petitioning to appear in front of MPs at the Heritage Committee, a FRIENDS email says.
As Cartt.ca reported last week, the Heritage Committee…
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OTTAWA – News is important.
This was a sentiment everyone on the panel discussing compensation for news media at the International Institute of Communications Canada’s annual conference yesterday was able to get on board with – but it was also essentially the only thing everyone agreed on as they discussed the government’s recently introduced Bill C-18, known as the Online News Act.
The panel, moderated by Christopher Dornan (above, left), a retired professor at Carleton University, was composed of four people each representing different interests, which made for a lively debate.
Kevin Chan (second from left), the global director of Facebook’s…
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OTTAWA – Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez says he has heard the criticisms of the CRTC, but he still believes the time has come to modernize it, and in doing so, entrust it with regulating online platforms through bills C-11 (the Online Streaming Act) and C-18 (the Online News Act).
“Some argue that the CRTC is not responsive to consumers and creators, that it lacks the expertise and resources to deal with the new legislation,” Rodriguez said during the final keynote speech at the International Institute of Communications Canada’s annual conference yesterday.
Rodriguez acknowledged that essentially, some say…
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By Ken Kelley
OTTAWA – Less than a week after the House of Commons voted to send Bill C-11 to Canada’s Heritage Committee, a panel gathered at the International Institute of Communications Canada’s 2022 conference weighed the details and realities of the act.
Bill C-11, also known as the Online Streaming Act, was first introduced in February 2022. Its goals include clarifying the scope of the Broadcasting Act, which dates back to 1991, and determining how the latter should apply equitably to online streaming services.
Today’s panel comes on the heels of a Globe & Mail-Nanos Research poll, which shows…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – In a keynote speech at the International Institute of Communications’ annual conference in Ottawa on May 16, Pierre-Karl Péladeau, CEO of Québecor, in his usual frank manner urged Parliament to pass Bill C-11 and Bill C-18. As well, he wants to see more competition in wireless. (Péladeau gave his speech in a combination of English and French.)
Wireless
“Our legislative and regulatory system has to ensure a healthy competition in the market, to benefit consumers but also to ensure the perennity of the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications systems,” he said.
Péladeau mentioned the Competition Bureau indicated…
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By Howard Law
HERITAGE MINISTER PABLO RODRIGUEZ has promised a CRTC policy directive to implement Bill C-11’s broad mandate to sweep foreign streaming platforms into our national program to create, fund and promote Canadian content.
C-11 has now passed second reading in the House of Commons and is on its way to the Heritage Committee for amendments and further debate. It’s time for the minister to table a draft directive.
What should be in it?
The minister has said he’s receptive to strengthening the definition of Canadian content, currently codified by the CRTC, the Canada Media Fund, and the Heritage tax credit…
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And send it to the Heritage Committee
By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – After tabling Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, on Feb. 2, the House debated it on four occasions and the Conservatives, the official opposition, have been able to stall the legislation, forcing the government, with the assent of the NDP, to use a procedure setting a time limit on the debate to ensure passage of the second stage of the bill.
The motion was adopted today, opposed by the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois (who support the bill) and it is expected the vote on second reading will be…
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By Monica Auer
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is asking Canadians to trust the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to implement new legislation about electronic communications.
The CRTC is now responsible for implementing Canada’s Broadcasting and Telecommunications Acts, Canada’s ‘Anti-Spam’ law as well as parts of the Canada Elections Act and the 2019 Accessible Canada Act: the government is proposing through Bills C-11 and C-18 to give the Commission more powers over Canadian and foreign Internet broadcasters as well as Canada’s news media, along with new authority to levy administrative monetary penalties for non-compliance with the CRTC’s requirements.
In February the government assured…
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MONTREAL — Bell Let’s Talk today announced $500,000 in new grants from the Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund to support six organizations working to improve access to mental health care for Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) communities in Canada.
This is in addition to $600,000 in grants disbursed earlier this year to six other organizations focused on increasing access to mental health services for members of BIPOC communities.
Since its launch in 2020, the Bell Let’s Talk Diversity Fund has provided $3.35 million in grants to 28 organizations, including inaugural donations to Black Youth Helpline and the National Association…
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TORONTO — To celebrate Asian Heritage Month, SiriusXM Canada announced today it is featuring special programming, new stations, podcast episodes and exclusive commentary spotlighting the Asian Canadian and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) culture, traditions and history during the month of May.
Throughout AAPI and Asian Heritage Month, SiriusXM will spotlight Asian music and comedy artists on K-Pop Radio (channel 104, May 18-24), Steve Aoki’s Remix Radio (ch. 104, May 25-31), Raw Dog Comedy (ch. 99, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET), Comedy Central Radio (ch. 95, 5 p.m. ET throughout week of May…
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