Evidence of meeting #32 for Canadian Heritage in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was content.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Paul Sparkes  Executive Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, CTV Inc.
Mirko Bibic  Senior Vice-President, Regulatory and Government Affairs, Bell Canada
Kenneth Engelhart  Senior Vice-President, Regulatory, Rogers Communications Inc.
Michael Hennessy  Senior Vice-President, Regulatory and Government Affairs, TELUS Communications

5:20 p.m.

Senior Vice-President, Regulatory and Government Affairs, TELUS Communications

Michael Hennessy

I would worry a little about that for two reasons. First of all, I don't think you necessarily want to have a fund that was established specifically to create broadcast content, and which now has new media appended to it, funding products that are perhaps being created by a younger generation not constrained by the thinking in the broadcast system.

The other thing is that increasing the funding for something like the CMF becomes problematic, in that it becomes a matter of accounting again. The more vertically integrated you are and the more you own the broadcasters who receive the money from the fund you contributed to in the first place, the more you're really just controlling your own money, with a few of us throwing in extra dollars, and the less money is flowing to independent producers. That may become a problem in itself.

I would say that the real goal is that we need new thinking if we're going to use new technology like the Internet. So when I think of venture capital, I'm thinking much more of the true sense of venture capital than of subsidy programs like the Canada Media Fund. I think that's the wrong direction to stimulate innovation online.

5:20 p.m.

Conservative

Scott Armstrong Conservative Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS

Okay.

Could you elaborate on a model of venture capital support for production that you see as being—

5:25 p.m.

Senior Vice-President, Regulatory and Government Affairs, TELUS Communications

Michael Hennessy

Yes, I think the government has been looking at this, as it's been raised in the digital economy strategy. We have much less venture capital in this country for all kinds of things in IT writ large. You really need a system that's built on tax incentives and incentives for investment bankers to set up shop in this country and to put money into Canadian enterprises.

That's the end of the business we have to focus on, not the traditional tools we have within the broadcasting system, because you have to leave your entrepreneurs, your younger people who are actually creating things online, with the ability to grow. That's where things fall apart. They get to a certain scale and the only way they can grow bigger is to get financing from U.S. venture capital, and the ownership quickly disappears into a global economy and away from Canada.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Scott Armstrong Conservative Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS

One of the reasons I'm focusing on this is that we're seeing great expansion in the gaming industry, for example, where there's a lot of innovation and entrepreneurship. Having a very diverse portfolio of abilities to support all of these different new ideas and the innovation of the younger generation is something I'm interested in pushing towards. In the short term, though, it doesn't help your problem.

Do you think the CRTC needs to expand its regulatory profile as we go through this period of vertical integration, to somehow stop these over-the-top people from coming in?

5:25 p.m.

Senior Vice-President, Regulatory and Government Affairs, TELUS Communications

Michael Hennessy

It's a very interesting question.

You may notice for the first time that the industry as a whole has not said stop it, and let's put up walls. I say this because it's the Internet, and what you're actually seeing is a clash between the traditional broadcasting system and the Internet, which is based on principles of net neutrality and openness. To try to regulate the Internet or to block and attack content and the way consumers are accessing things I don't think can be done. I think the answer ultimately has to come from the ability of rights holders to be able to protect their rights and to monetize those rights. That's really a debate that's happening in another room.

But at the end of the day, the only way you can have a healthy system is if the people who own the rights are assured that those are protected throughout the system, or the system itself falls apart, because the over-the-top people today don't contribute to any part of the system that I'm aware of.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Michael Chong

Thank you very much, Mr. Armstrong.

We will stop there.

I want to thank our witnesses.

I also want to let everyone know that we will have two things on the agenda when we meet next.

Firstly, we have the deputy minister and other departmental officials in front of us to review the supplementary estimates (C); and secondly, we have two motions to consider, one from Madame Lavallée and the second one from Mr. Angus.

Thank you all for your participation.

This meeting is adjourned.