Evidence of meeting #123 for Canadian Heritage in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was creators.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Executive Director, Documentary Organization of Canada
I will answer you in English.
Executive Director, Documentary Organization of Canada
No. We trust government to do the right thing in this circumstance, and sometimes difficult decisions take time to evaluate. We trust that through consultations and with the recommendations of the CRTC, we will reach decisions that are good for documentary filmmakers, although obviously there are a number of other stakeholders that have an interest in seeing the Copyright Act service them. I think these decisions have to take time.
I look forward to the decision, yes, but from my perspective, we want to be part of the conversation. I think it's responsible to at least have a conversation that can proceed over time, because as I said, we're a minority and we think that often decisions are made too quickly. Sometimes that disproportionately affects smaller communities.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
The smaller communities here are documentary filmmakers. I understand.
Of course, that's true. You are a minority within a minority.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
I can tell you that there are many players. A movement has begun, and we feel it among rights holders or creators. In any case, it can be said that there is tension between creators, rights holders and the system that has represented them so far. The situation is problematic.
You have always been in this position because documentary makers have never had a large share of the cake or visibility. The established system, which was built with our quotas, with regulations on Canadian content, with the Music Artist Performance Lyrics, or MAPL, and so on, has been at the industry's service in a large sense, but not as much at the service of more specialized players like yourself.
Ms. Jones, all the committee members have understood the four issues related to the value gap. People from the music industry have done a good job of expressing those four main points.
People from Google told us that they gave 55% of advertising revenues from YouTube to rights holders. Does that reassure you?
Executive Director, Connect Music Licensing
Certainly it's reassuring. I actually wasn't in the room when he was speaking, so I don't know the context of it, but anybody who compensates artists and creators for commercial use of music is welcome.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
People who have appeared told us about the same four points related to the value gap.
I remember a fiddler from Nova Scotia came here—Miranda. She made it quite clear that these new rules were not to her advantage as a middle-class artist. Of course there is Justin Bieber, but there is no space for her.
Fifty-five per cent would be great, but does it show up to you? Do you see the numbers for your members?
Executive Director, Connect Music Licensing
At Connect we don't license services like YouTube, Facebook or any of the other Google properties, so I can't speak to what numbers they represent exactly.
With respect to what Miranda is talking about, she's looking for fair and equitable compensation when her music is used in film and television, which she's not receiving, but a composer is.
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Mr. Schiller, I am pretty surprised that American border stations' view fits within the context of the study on copyright.
I honestly did not expect that. I was somewhat aware of this type of endorsed pirating. I thought it was an issue that would rather be covered in the Canadian Broadcasting Act. Explain to me what the issue entails? Why is it being covered in the study on copyright?
To simplify things, let's say that I have some sort of a cable package and I am offered something. I have a subscription to ABC, CBS and whatever other U.S. network.
I grew up watching WPTZ Plattsburgh. I remember Channel 8 very well. That came from the cable company. So we got the American signal from border stations.
If I have understood what you are telling me, the signal is transmitted to us under the pretext that it was available locally with an antenna. So we could pick up that signal for TVA, Radio-Canada, CBC and, in the Montreal region, CTV. That is what made the picking up of the signal legitimate.
How is this situation related to copyright?
Canadian Advisor, Border Broadcasters, Inc.
If that's okay with you, I will answer in English.
The border stations themselves are program rights owners, so they own the program rights—
Canadian Advisor, Border Broadcasters, Inc.
—for everything they produce, and obviously local television is a creative industry. They employ people in the creative—
Canadian Advisor, Border Broadcasters, Inc.
From our perspective, the Broadcasting Act reports through the Minister of Canadian Heritage, so we think that your study is very important and timely, and the model we're advocating, which is a retransmission consent model, would make new revenues available for Canadian broadcasters as well—
Canadian Advisor, Border Broadcasters, Inc.
—and it will help bolster the sagging local state of television and offset some of the losses by creating these new commercial revenues.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Can I ask you to submit to us a document that's going to explain this and refer to whatever you think is appropriate, because—
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
—we all know that
General interest television, so Radio-Canada, CTV and TVA,
do not get the subscription fee through the subscription to cable, as specialty channels would. Obviously, you get nothing.
Canadian Advisor, Border Broadcasters, Inc.
I see your point. That's exactly right.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
We'll have to cut it there, but if you can submit those materials, please, that would be really helpful.
Canadian Advisor, Border Broadcasters, Inc.
It would be my pleasure. Thank you.