As the national voice of private broadcasters large and small across the country, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) welcomes the Government’s policy direction on the Online Streaming Act.
“We are pleased to see the Government taking steps to address the inequities created by the unfettered access foreign online giants have to the Canadian market,” says CAB President Kevin Desjardins. “It is long past time that these foreign players contribute their fair share to help support the Canadian media ecosystem.”
The CAB is encouraged that the policy direction to the CRTC reflects the need for equitable treatment for Canadian broadcasters as they compete directly with foreign platforms for audiences, subscribers, advertisers and program rights. Foreign online giants must share the regulatory burden and make direct contributions in keeping with the value they extract from their presence in the Canadian marketplace.
“A stable foundation of a sound industrial policy for broadcasting in Canada must be a priority to support the public policy goals of the Online Streaming Act,” says Desjardins. “To continue their contributions to the creation of Canadian content, especially essential news and information programming, Canadian broadcasters must be provided with an equitable framework.”
We appreciate the efforts undertaken by the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage, to propel this important work forward.
As we have seen the results of significant strains on the industry in recent years and even weeks, we look forward to the upcoming CRTC regulatory hearings, which will be critical in moving us toward long-awaited regulatory certainty and equitability.