Before any changes are made to the Broadcasting Act, we would first like to acknowledge that the existing act has both served us well and been remarkably technology-neutral. Therefore, we believe any changes to the act should only be made if they will help better support and uphold the fundamental purpose of the Canadian broadcasting system, which is to ensure that Canadians have access to Canadian stories and music, as well as entertainment, information and news programs.
That said, we feel we must take this opportunity today to sound the alarm about a proposal in the bill that could significantly reduce the requirement to use Canadian creativity and talent—one that would put Canadian stories and storytellers at risk.
While production activity in Canada is booming, even following pandemic closures, there is growing concern that opportunities to tell Canadian stories are decreasing and that Canadian content production in both English and French is lagging further behind. Recent headline-grabbing announcements of the cancellation of Canadian shows like Frankie Drake Mysteries and Kim's Convenience highlight this problem.
While Canada is experiencing growth in the creation of high-quality English-language films and television shows, we are seeing a downward trend in the production of Canadian content made by Canadian writers, directors and performers. CAVCO data suggests that the number of Canadian productions declined on average by 12.4% each year between January 2017 and December 2020. The growth we've recently seen in television production in Canada has largely been due to higher average spending on the production of television series, not an increase in the number of Canadian shows being produced.
Investment in Canadian drama and scripted comedy programs by both private broadcasters and the CBC is also declining. During the recent CBC licence renewal process, ACTRA noted that CBC English television spending on Canadian drama and comedy programs decreased by 21.2% from 2017 to 2020, even while average costs of production on fiction programs increased.
While we welcome foreign production investment, over the long term we're concerned there will be fewer and fewer opportunities to tell Canadian stories. If we don't create an environment in which Canadian stories and storytellers can continue to thrive, our culture and identity may be lost.