Mr. Chair, I proposed this amendment because a small number of big broadcasters control access to broadcasting and disproportionately impose their conditions on independent producers. The Yale report noted this major “power imbalance” and recommended that the CRTC regulate these relationships.
This amendment adds that that the CRTC may impose conditions of service to establish a framework for contractual practices between broadcasters and independent producers. A framework would serve as a tool to better support independent producers in contract negotiations. This amendment is related to amendment PV-23, which would also enable the creation of regulations to establish contractual frameworks.
The organizations that supported this are the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada and the Canadian Media Producers Association.
I hope committee members will support this amendment.
Thank you.