GATINEAU — The Government of Canada announced today it is seeking input from the public and other stakeholders on the best approach to ensuring fair revenue sharing between digital platforms and Canadian news media.
Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault also released a discussion paper today that highlights perspectives raised in the government’s initial engagement on the issue.
Earlier this year, the Department of Canadian Heritage sent out a questionnaire to a number of publishers, broadcasters, platforms, academics, unions, journalist associations and organizations, asking for feedback on two proposed approaches to how the revenues of digital platforms could be shared…
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GATINEAU, QC – The federal government launched a public consultation today into its proposed approach for addressing harmful content online, which includes a last resort mechanism that would allow for court orders to be used to require telecommunication service providers to block repeatedly offending sites.
The consultation is part of the government’s commitment “to taking concrete action to combat serious forms of harmful online content, specifically hate speech, terrorist content, content that incites violence, child sexual exploitation content and the non-consensual distribution of intimate images,” according to a government press release.
The public is being asked to consider and comment on a…
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GATINEAU — Canada’s minister of Canadian Heritage, Steven Guilbeault, and France’s minister of culture, Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, signed a new film and television co-production agreement during a videoconference today.
Canada and France are frequent co-production partners, having co-produced almost 100 projects between 2015 and 2020.
The new agreement replaces the two co-production agreements currently in force, which were signed in 1983, covering cinematographic works and television works, respectively. Today’s agreement covers all audiovisual works, whether they are intended for distribution in cinemas, on television or through on-demand media platforms, says a Canadian Heritage press release.
“To be recognized as a co-production under this…
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NEW YORK — Canadian kids entertainment company WildBrain announced today former DreamWorks and Disney executive Tim Erickson (above) has been appointed executive vice-president of brand for Peanuts Worldwide, which is majority owned by WildBrain.
“Working together with the family of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, WildBrain’s content and management teams and brand co-owners Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), Erickson will be responsible for sustaining a strategy true to the great heritage of the Peanuts brand — opening new licensing, partnership and retail opportunities, supporting brand marketing, and leveraging new content launches — all to expand the global presence of the Peanuts brand…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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