Tag Archives: CRTC

CRTC Chairperson and CEO Ian Scott to give keynote at BANFF 2021

From a media release:

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is proud to announce that CRTC Chairperson and CEO Ian Scott, will speak on BANFF 2021’s opening day Monday, June 14, with a virtual keynote session as the Festival launches MARKETPLACE WEEK and a month of curated online programming.

Now in its 42nd year, BANFF is Canada’s international conference and marketplace where new business partnerships are forged and new TV, film and digital media projects are ignited.

“I am pleased to help kick off the world-renowned BANFF festival. In these unprecedented times, we’ve come to appreciate even more the importance of Canada’s high-quality broadcasting and production industries. While we must all adapt to significant changes, including proposed legislative changes that aim to make the broadcasting system more inclusive, this is nevertheless an exciting time for all those involved in the field. I’m certain the festival as a whole will reflect this enthusiasm and I look forward to contributing to this ongoing dialogue,” stated Ian Scott, the CRTC’s Chairperson and CEO.

With delegates from more than 50 countries, BANFF attracts the world’s top creators, producers, showrunners, talent, networks, studios, streamers, press and media companies. The 2021 edition of the Festival is poised to build on the success of last year’s virtual event, with a purpose-built online platform that will connect the global media industry to ignite new projects and support business development.

“Chairperson Scott’s keynote session at the Festival comes at a pivotal time of critical examination and foundational change for the Canadian and international media industry,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, Executive Director, Banff World Media Festival. “As the place for candid conversations that effect action and point the way forward, we are thrilled to host the head of the CRTC at BANFF 2021.”

In addition to its Festival programming and marketplace, BANFF continues to deliver important fellowships and initiatives including The BANFF Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media, supported by the Government of Canada which empowers Canadian women entrepreneurs to launch and grow their own sustainable businesses within the screen-based industries as well as the Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative, a program that jumpstarts and accelerates the careers of up to 100 Black, Indigenous and people of colour producers and creators.

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CRTC requires the production of Canadian original content

From a media release:

The CRTC responded today to the government’s Order-in-Council to reconsider its decisions regarding large television groups by imposing conditions of licence on them to ensure the continued support of the Canadian creative sector. The government asked the CRTC to re-examine original Canadian French-language programs, programs of national interest in the English-language market and short-form programming, including music. These changes were made to preserve the viability, stability and competitiveness of the creative sector and the Canadian television market.

For the French-language market, the CRTC now requires each group to make significant investments in the creation of French-language programs, representing 75% of its Canadian programming expenditures for original French-language programs starting in 2019-2020. The percentage in 2018-2019 will be 50%, which will enable the groups to adjust to the new requirements and ensure sufficient support for the production of original French-language content for the French-language market.

The CRTC is also increasing expenditure requirements for programs of national interest in the English-language market. The percentage will now be based on historical expenditures, to ensure sufficient investment in the production of these programs and financial contributions according to each group’s financial resources. Therefore, the requirements are increasing from 5% to 7.5% of previous years’ revenues for Bell, and from 5% to 8.5% for Corus, while requirements for Rogers remain at 5%. The CRTC believes this approach will ensure the Canadian production sector continues to play an essential role in the Canadian economy and offer high-quality content to viewers in Canada and abroad.

The CRTC determined that the groups in both language markets will be required to allocate an average of $5.5 million per year to support the production of musical programs (FACTOR and MUSICACTION). These expenditures will be imposed from 2019 to 2022, and will ensure regulatory uniformity among the groups. Continue reading.Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

New approaches are needed to maximize opportunities of the digital era, says CRTC

From a media release:

The CRTC today published a digital report on the future of programming in Canada. The report proposes to the government new tools and regulatory approaches to support the production and promotion of audio and video content made by and for Canadians.

The Internet plays a central role in the emerging digital media environment. Although traditional services will continue to evolve and play an important role, that role will become smaller in the coming years. Canadians will rely more and more on the Internet to discover and consume music, entertainment, news and other information.

New and innovative approaches are required to support content made by Canadians and ensure they can seize the many opportunities made possible by the digital era.

The CRTC proposes that any future policy approaches to content and its distribution should:

  • Focus on the production and promotion of high-quality content made by Canadians that is discoverable by audiences in Canada and abroad.
  • Recognize that there are social and cultural responsibilities associated with operating in Canada. All players benefitting from the Canadian broadcasting system should participate in an appropriate and equitable manner.
  • Be nimble, innovative and continuously capable of rapidly adapting to changes in technology and consumer demand.

In its report, the CRTC sets out certain policy options that could help ensure a vibrant domestic market, including:

  • Replace prescriptive licensing with comprehensive and binding service agreements for all video and audio services offered in Canada and drawing revenue from Canadians.
  • A restructured funding strategy to ensure sustainable support for content production and promotion in the future, including the participation of television service providers, radio stations, and wireless and Internet service providers.
  • The development by government, in consultation with stakeholders, of national and cross-sectoral strategies.

Please see the backgrounder for further details.

Quote
“Canadians have access to a wide range of content on multiple online platforms, as well as through traditional radio and television services. While this evolution is a good thing, it has an impact on the traditional model that was designed to provide support for programming made by and for Canadians. At the government’s request, we have looked at how our stories can continue to be told and our broadcasting system can remain vibrant. Our digital-first report identifies possible options for a future where high-quality Canadian content continues to be produced, promoted and discovered.”

Ian Scott, Chairperson and CEO of the CRTC

Quick Facts

  • The government requested that the CRTC submit a report on future distribution models for Canadian programming, as well as whether they would ensure a vibrant domestic market for its continued creation, production and distribution.
  • The CRTC held two public consultation periods, conducted public opinion research and reached out to multiple stakeholders to ensure this report provides a fact-based picture of the present market and where it may be going.
  • This report offers important context and policy options to inform the government’s review of the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act.

Conclusions

Traditional television and radio services are mature sectors, and some segments are in decline—not necessarily a steep decline, but an evident one. The economics of financing production means that a declining traditional system may be unable to support the production of important programming and promote and make it discoverable by Canadians.

Fostering a spirit of innovation and helping to build a vibrant domestic market in the future—including the new industries and jobs that the Canadian economy will rely on—will require action and investment by governments and all other stakeholders.

A future legislative, policy and regulatory approach to content and its distribution should:

  • Focus on the production and promotion of reflective, informative and entertaining high-quality content by Canadians that is discoverable by Canadians and the rest of the world
  • Recognize that there are social and cultural responsibilities associated with operating in Canada and ensure that all players benefitting from Canada and Canadians participate in appropriate and equitable—though not necessarily identical—ways to benefit Canadians and Canada
  • Be nimble, innovative and continuously adaptable to change

Options

Replace prescriptive licensing with comprehensive and binding service agreements that incorporate all players

  • Future legislative approaches should clearly and explicitly make any video or audio services operating in Canada subject to the legislation and incorporate them into the system.
  • This approach recognizes that there are social and cultural responsibilities associated with operating in Canada.
  • Moreover, it would provide the ability to adapt to the marketplace through customization, incentives and other tools. It would also provide more levers and support for local news, French-language content, and other public interest priorities.
  • Such agreements should be subject to public scrutiny and set out specific binding commitments applicable to the service group.
  • Legislation adopting this approach should include the necessary and sufficient powers to transparently implement and ensure compliance with agreements and the binding commitments set out therein. These tools could include the ability to assess monetary penalties in instances of non-compliance.

Restructured funding strategy

  • The way Canadian-made content is funded is unsustainable because it relies on traditional supports that are in decline (i.e., contributions by cable and satellite companies for video; contributions by radio stations for audio).
  • A restructured funding strategy should include a broader number of participants, and be equitable and sustainable. It could integrate, or at a minimum align, the federal government’s existing contributions for audio and video content.
  • An integrated fund could also be supported through contributions by all broadcasting and broadband connectivity services (television service providers, radio stations, and wireless and Internet service providers), all of which benefit directly from the distribution of audio and video content.
  • Such a fund could support content production, promotion and distribution without diminishing support for broadband development in underserved areas. It would be a reallocation of existing contributions without new costs to consumers.
  • The restructured funding strategy would collect the same amount of monies over a broader range of services that better reflect today’s listening and viewing behaviours.
  • If such a fund is created, the manner in which funds are allocated should be the subject of future public discussion, but should include a minimum allocation of funding for:
    • Canadian audio content production and promotion;
    • French-language video and audio content; and
    • Content by and for Indigenous peoples and official-language minority communities.
  • This public discussion should also consider the possibility of funding the following, which are not currently supported or unlikely to be adequately funded in the future:
    • Content produced in-house by programming services or by affiliated producers;
    • Direct promotion of Canadian audio and video content;
    • Direct support of new and emerging artists and creatives; and
    • Audio and video content in languages other than French, English or Indigenous languages.

National strategies
To better address future opportunities and risks facing the content production, promotion and distribution industries in Canada, the government could consider developing, in consultation with stakeholders, national and cross-sectoral strategies intended to:

  • Enable the export of Canadian French and English-language audio and video content, along the lines of the recently announced Department of Canadian Heritage export development strategy.
  • Place Canadians at the forefront of new technological developments, such as in artificial intelligence, search, algorithms, digital advertising and the use of blockchain technologies, through the development and funding of academic or research programs and investment in these new technologies.
  • Develop inclusive leadership in key creative positions that is gender-balanced and represent Canada’s multicultural nature in both the French and English-language markets.
  • Develop improved data collection programs for audio and video content that use new technologies to better manage and monitor exploitation and monetization of content rights.

Short to medium term steps
The CRTC could consider a number of interim measures to address some of the issues identified in the report:

  • Re-examine the regulatory approach to radio so that it contributes to the promotion and presentation of Canadian artists and music in the digital environment.
  • Examine ways to support television news production through increased access to subscription revenue.
  • Re-examine the existing regulatory approach to online television service providers.
  • Consider the introduction of group-based approachesto the licensing of radio stations and television service providers.
  • Consider new approaches and technologies to identify and track content to provide improved data analytics.
  • Update definitions of Canadian Program Expendituresin light of the digital environment.

Additional activities could be undertaken in collaboration with other organizations, but may also entail legislative changes:

  • Examine how best to remove barriers to funding online-only or online-first video content production and promotion.
  • Examine the current definitions of audio and video Canadian content and the certification process with a view to updating them to reflect the new realities of digital production and ensuring that they provide the best combination of supports and incentives for the future environment.

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Link: Heritage ministry to review Canada’s Broadcasting Act

From Vito Pilieci of the Ottawa Citizen:

Link: Heritage ministry to review Canada’s Broadcasting Act
The Canadian heritage minister said the federal government is still considering how to best deal with international streaming services, like Netflix, as part of a broader overhaul of Canada’s Broadcasting Act.

Speaking at the Prime Time in Ottawa Conference held at the Westin Hotel in downtown Ottawa on Thursday, Mélanie Joly said there has been a lot of confusion about the government’s stance pertaining to online streaming services such as Netflix. Continue reading.

 

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Minister Joly Announces New Appointment to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

From a media release:

Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced the appointment of Monique Lafontaine to the position of Commissioner for Ontario of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

A Toronto-based lawyer, Ms. Lafontaine brings over 17 years’ experience in entertainment and communications law. Her areas of specialization include television, radio, new media regulation, program licencing and affiliation agreements, stakeholder relations, and anti-spam and privacy legislation. Ms. Lafontaine holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Administration from the University of Ottawa and a Master of Laws from York University, and was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1994. She is fluently bilingual. She has been appointed for a five-year term effective January 2, 2018.

This appointment is the result of the Government of Canada’s open, transparent and merit-based selection process.

The CRTC is an administrative tribunal that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in the public interest. It is dedicated to ensuring that Canadians—as citizens, creators and consumers—have access to a world-class communication system that promotes innovation and enriches their lives.

Quotes

“The communications industry is constantly evolving. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission plays a fundamental role at a time when Canadians, more than ever, need access to diverse and appealing creative content across a variety of platforms. Ms. Lafontaine’s experience and extensive knowledge will be valuable assets in her new position as CRTC Commissioner for Ontario.”

—The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage

Quick Facts

The CRTC’s senior roles are Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson of Broadcasting and Vice-Chairperson of Telecommunications. There can be up to 13 full-time commissioners. These positions are appointed by the Governor in Council.

In 2016, the Government of Canada adopted a new approach to Governor in Council appointments. This approach respects gender parity and is supported by an open, transparent and merit-based selection process: one that will result in the recommendation of exceptionally competent candidates who truly reflect Canada’sdiversity.

This new approach requires a selection process for the majority of full- and part-time positions.

All appointment opportunities for the 18 organizations in the Canadian Heritage Portfolio are posted as they become available on the Governor in Council Appointments website. Interested parties can apply online.

 

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