Canadian content regulation proceedings initiated by the CRTC commence.
Toronto/Ottawa Border 🔥🇨🇦 📺 Streaming Giants Bail on CRTC Hearing Amidst Tension Over Canadian Content 📞
"Well, well, well," Kevin Desjardins, president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, sneered Wednesday morning, "foreign players have swooped in and taken a big ol' chunk of our audience, ad revenue, and subscribers."
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) was set to delve into a new definition of Canadian content this week, but Netflix and other major American streaming platforms suddenly abandoned ship. The Motion Picture Association - Canada (MPA-Canada), representing the likes of Netflix, Disney+, and Paramount, postponed their appearance until Friday.
This two-week hearing is part of the CRTC's implementation of the Online Streaming Act, a law passing in 2022 that updated broadcasting laws to include digital platforms. This act gives the CRTC the power to regulate digital media as "broadcasters," meaning it can now apply Canadian content rules 🇨🇦.
But global streaming services aren't too keen on these regulations. They've been challenging a previous CRTC directive, issued under the law, that requires them to fund the Canadian broadcasting sector 💰. In January, American and tech companies warned the CRTC that their modernization of Canadian content rules could strain trade relations with the U.S. 😠
These foreign broadcasters argue they're already spending big bucks in Canada. Netflix, for example, has tossed over $5 billion into Canadian productions over the past five years.
Recent threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to impose 100% tariffs on foreign films also cast a shadow over the Canadian media landscape 💸💰🇮🇱.
Yet, the CRTC is mum on why these giants abruptly quit the hearing. A Netflix spokesperson didn't respond when asked, directing inquiries to MPA-Canada. No retreat, no surrender, eh?
As Desjardins continues to spar with these global media titans, he asserts that they've been "diverting billions of Canadian dollars from our system and our economy" 💔. He even proposes that these foreign media titans' past investments in foreign productions shouldn't be counted towards their future Canadian endeavors
The recent withdrawal of Netflix and other major American streaming platforms from the CRTC hearing highlights a growing tension in the Canadian-American politics surrounding policy-and-legislation on Canadian content. This tension is part of the broader general-news topics related to the implementation of the Online Streaming Act, which aims to regulate digital media as 'broadcasters' under Canadian law.
