OTTAWA – The federal government today launched a consultation on the modernization of the Copyright Act, specifically addressing developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT).
The consultation, launched by Innovation, Science and Industry and Canadian Heritage, touches on topics including text and data mining, authorship and ownership of works created by AI, and infringement and liability regarding AI, according to a press release.
Canadians are invited to read the full consultation paper, published by the government today, and to submit comments on it by September 17, 2021.
This consultation builds on reports from the 2019…
Continue Reading
TORONTO — Following its annual members’ meeting, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) today announced the appointment of Jason Badal, Sanae Takahashi and Chantale Coulombe to its board of directors.
Badal is currently director of the multinational merchants segment at Shopify and prior to that was head of business affairs and development at Rogers Media (before it was called Rogers Sports and Media) and Sportsnet. Before that, he was director of business and legal affairs at Score Media, before it was acquired by Rogers Media.
Now retired, Takahashi is an experienced strategic planner and marketing professional with 20 years of executive experience…
Continue Reading
YELLOWKNIFE — The Canadian government announced Tuesday more than $1.9 million in funding is being provided over two years to three Indigenous organizations in the Northwest Territories to support the production and broadcasting of culturally relevant radio and television programming in the North.
Under the Northern Aboriginal Broadcasting component of the Ministry of Canadian Heritage’s Indigenous Languages and Cultures Program, the funding is being directed to the Inuvialuit Communications Society, Native Communications Society of the N.W.T. and Norman Wells Land Corporation.
The Inuvialuit Communications Society (ICS) is receiving $380,820 to support its 2021-2023 broadcast production season, while the Native Communications…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The federal government today released what it is calling the “guiding principles” to pave the way for “international consensus among countries, the private sector and civil society organizations” when it comes to diversity of online content.
“Exposure to diverse content can contribute to a healthier public discourse and greater social inclusion, while also countering disinformation and increasing people’s ability to participate in democratic processes,” reads the press release from the office of Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage and which quotes his counterparts from France, Germany, and Finland, as well as Jason Kee of Google Canada and Tessa…
Continue Reading
Bill passes second reading as Senate rises for the summer
By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – The path to adoption of the legislation to modernize the Broadcasting Act is very narrow, featuring roadblocks and tight turns, but the Minister of Canadian Heritage, according to the Globe and Mail still seems to be confident it will pass, despite the fact the Senate’s Transportation and Communications Committee has no meetings scheduled.
“We would appeal to senators to work diligently. This is a very important piece of legislation,” Mr. Guilbeault told the newspaper. “The more time passes, the more we’re delaying the entry into force…
Continue Reading
By Greg O’Brien
OTTAWA – Since Google has no current plans to work with Canadian broadcasters and pay them for the local news linked through the tech giant, Google’s recent news announcement shows the need for comprehensive legislative reform, says the Canadian Association of Broadcasters.
Last week, Google announced new agreements with a number of print publishers which will see the dominant search and digital advertising company pay publishers (an undisclosed amount) for its news in Google News Showcase and launch programs to train 5,000 journalists.
A Google Canada spokesperson told Cartt.ca in an email the company has no plans right…
Continue Reading
By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – Debate on second reading of Bill C-10 in the Senate has been deferred to the next meeting of the Senate, (Tuesday, the last day the Senate meets before it breaks for summer) and then it will be sent to the red chamber’s Standing Committee on Transportations and Communications for review and clause by clause consideration (Ed note: This sounds familiar).
No meetings have been scheduled for the committee but Julie Miville-Dechênes, deputy chair of that committee during debate in the Senate on Monday, suggested the committee could meet in the summer to examine the bill, which…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA and MONTREAL — Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault today announced continued support for the arts and culture industries, with the announcement of a $300-million recovery fund for arts, culture, heritage and sport sectors and a $200-million reopening fund, with funding to be distributed over the next two years.
Only a portion of that money will go toward supporting movie and TV productions and independent broadcasters.
In a press release, Telefilm Canada said it “enthusiastically welcomes” today’s announcement from Canadian Heritage, saying Telefilm will administer $25 million over two years to support exhibitors across the country to recover…
Continue Reading
By Greg O’Brien
CHATHAM, Ont. – Back in 2017, the official reason former Ontario CRTC commissioner Raj Shoan was finally removed from his position is because he met privately and “inappropriately” with a person who had applied for a radio station licence prior to the decision on a licence being officially announced.
Readers of Cartt.ca back then will remember the whole story was longer and much more complicated than that (and we’re not going to rehash it here), but today, independent ISP TekSavvy said it has filed additional evidence with the federal government showing CRTC chair Ian Scott met inappropriately with…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Bill C-10, the legislation to modernize the Broadcasting Act, passed the first reading in the Senate on Tuesday, June 22nd.
Then the debate on second reading started on Wednesday afternoon. Senate administration added a new motion that very same morning.
The Bill was introduced by Senator Dennis Dawson, seemingly on behalf of the Government as he read a speech supporting the Bill and answering questions from other Senators, some of them strongly opposing the Bill. “We were not expecting to get to second reading as of today and now that we are sitting next week, I hope we can…
Continue Reading
