Canadians recently surveyed about their attitudes toward the Canadian media production industry and the Online Streaming Act strongly want their on-screen culture and stories protected, according to a new study conducted by Pollara and commissioned by the Canadian Media Producers Association.
Eighty-seven per cent of Canadians support the Online Streaming Act and the same percentage agree that recent threats from the U.S. make it more important than ever to defend Canadian culture, according to a national online survey of 1,500 Canadian adults, conducted between Sept. 19-25.
As part of ongoing trade talks, U.S. President Donald Trump has said he wants Canada to repeal the Online Streaming Act. According to the Pollara survey, 78 per cent of Canadians feel Canadian culture should be “off the table” as a possible concession in trade negotiations.
The study also found 88 per cent of survey respondents believe Canadians should support Canadian TV and film producers the same way people are “buying Canadian” at the grocery store. In addition, 85 per cent feel the Government of Canada should support Canadian culture and creative industries financially, according to the survey.
Furthermore, 87 per cent of Canadians agree Canadian content and stories should be owned and controlled by Canadian companies instead of American companies, and 88 per cent say the Canadian TV and film industry should focus on creating more Canadian content for domestic and international audiences, the study says.
“In the face of continued attacks on Canada’s cultural sovereignty, these findings confirm that Canadians strongly support home-grown media production and want to see our national identity and culture defended on screen,” Reynolds Mastin, CMPA’s president and CEO, said in a press release. “Thanks to the Online Streaming Act, Canada’s domestic media industry is poised to thrive, with millions invested in Canadian stories, tens of thousands of jobs created for Canadians, and lasting support for true cultural sovereignty.”
Screenshot of the front cover of the Pollara study commissioned by the CMPA
