Big streamers argue at CRTC hearing they shouldn't have Canadian content obligations (www.cbc.ca)

submitted 3 days ago by HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works to c/canada@lemmy.ca

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A group representing major foreign streaming companies told a hearing held by Canada's broadcasting regulator on Friday that those companies shouldn't be expected to fulfil the same responsibilities as traditional broadcasters when it comes to Canadian content.

The Motion Picture Association-Canada, which represents large streamers like Netflix, Paramount, Disney and Amazon, said the regulator should be flexible in modernizing its definition of Canadian content.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is holding a two-week public hearing on a new definition of Canadian content that began Wednesday. The proceeding is part of its work to implement the Online Streaming Act — and it is bringing tensions between traditional players and large foreign streamers out in the open.

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[-] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works -5 points 3 days ago

What, like if you binge a whole season of Stranger Things, you have to watch at least two episodes of Murdoch Mysteries?

The policies for domestic broadcasting literally do not make sense - not over sociopolitical objections, but for plain technical reasons. Streaming does not work like broadcasting. You can't make an American video-on-demand company produce Canadian content, almost by definition. You cannot reasonably make any streaming service show people a certain percentage of domestic content, because they're not in charge of what people watch.

[-] Enkers@sh.itjust.works 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

That's... not what anyone is suggesting. They just want streaming services to also have to contribute a % of their revenue to CanCon, just like traditional broadcasters do.

[-] healthetank@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 days ago

Tell me you didn't read the article without telling me...

Currently, large English-language broadcasters must contribute 30 per cent of revenues to Canadian programming, and the CRTC last year ordered streaming services to pay five per cent of their annual Canadian revenues to a fund devoted to producing Canadian content.