TORONTO – While many in the traditional media industry would like to see the regulations applied to conventional electronic media extended to new media companies, Rogers Communications’ CEO Nadir Mohamed said Wednesday that he doesn’t think that’s the way to go.
With customers increasingly wanting connected experiences, to take their devices and content with them wherever they go and consume content whenever they like, continuing along with policy that was written prior to the massive growth of the Internet and all it enables is the wrong way to go, the CEO told reporters.
He referenced the recent work of Canadian media companies who have come together to urge the CRTC to look at the impact of new media in Canada (as in how Netflix has 800,000 Canadian subscribers but no Cancon requirements) but said Rogers is not looking to have existing regulations slapped onto new media.
“It is a different and new world,” Mohamed said. “What we should do smartly is try to figure out what makes sense and what are the things we don’t need, because frankly, I think less regulation generally is better because then the market can dictate how the world unfolds.”
“I don’t think the answer is to take everything we have on conventional media and apply it to new media.
“It’s new media. We should have new thought and new thought leadership,” he added.
When asked if he favoured deregulation of the conventional media sector in general, he replied: “I think the smart thing to do is actually look at ‘how do we let the market dictate and how do we make sure at the same time some of the priorities of the government has and Canadians have are protected.’
“That’s the balance we need to strike.”
– Greg O’Brien
