Thank you very much, Chair.
Thank you to the committee for inviting us here this afternoon. My name is Bill Skolnik. I'm co-chair of the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, CDCE. We are a coalition of 43 organizations representing more than 200,000 creators, performers and professionals in trade associations, music and screen production, publishers, unions and collectives.
For more than 20 years, our members have been working together to protect and promote Canada's diverse cultural expressions. My colleague Nathalie Guay and I have been CSO delegates at several UNESCO assemblies on this topic. This crucial protection and promotion requires the exercise of cultural sovereignty. The review of the Broadcasting Act is an essential part of the tool kit that can return some balance to our ecosystem. It is worth noting that the maintenance of cultural diversity was deliberately included in the terms of reference for the Yale commission.
Recently, it was reported that one in four people working in this sector lost their jobs in 2020 due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, companies providing access to cultural expressions online have made substantial profits. Netflix's revenues increased by more than 22% during 2020. It was a great year for Spotify too. They saw their total subscriptions rise by 27%.
The CDCE applauded the tabling of Bill C-10 on November 3, 2020, and welcomed the agreement of all parliamentarians to move the bill forward at an accelerated pace. To us, this represented agreement on the urgency to act.
Many of the people who have appeared before you have referred to our proposals to improve the bill. We have gone to the heart of the matter to ensure that the Broadcasting Act truly allows Canada to maintain cultural sovereignty. The changes that we ask you to contemplate are the result of an unprecedented consensus created by our multi-faceted and eclectic membership. We will respond to the draft policy direction with the same objectives. The Broadcasting Act is not just for regulation; it's cultural policy, and it has to remain cultural policy.
I will now turn the floor over to Nathalie, who will present these proposals to you.
Thanks.