Evidence of meeting #25 for Canadian Heritage in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was content.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:35 p.m.
Liberal
5:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you.
We're going to move to Mr. Champoux for two and a half minutes, please.
5:35 p.m.
Bloc
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
Thank you Madam Chair.
I'm going to leave Mr. Benzie alone for a few minutes, although I am really tempted to follow up on a few points.
I wanted to talk to Ms. Noble or Ms. Blanchette about paragraph 3(1)(f) of the Broadcasting Act, which ACTRA is proposing to amend in an extremely significant way.
Ms. Noble, you had to stop before you'd finished your presentation, and I'd like to give you the opportunity to say a little bit more about that.
5:35 p.m.
National President, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
Yes, thank you.
We've included a proposal to amend proposed paragraph 3(1)(f) of the bill, which acknowledges the essential role for Canadian creators and retains the concept of the nature of the undertaking to recognize that all online services will be contributing to the creation of Canadian content.
Lisa, do you want to add any more to that?
5:35 p.m.
Director, Public Affairs and Communications, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
Sure.
We think that the online streaming act could actually be game-changing for the future of Canadian content creation. It's a major opportunity for performers, in terms of jobs and exposure.
Amending proposed paragraph 3(1)(f) is crucial for us. Our goal is to equalize the regulatory obligations across all broadcasting undertakings delivering similar programming to avoid a cascade effect of traditional broadcasters seeking to lower their obligations to match those of online undertakings.
5:35 p.m.
Bloc
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
So we have to be very straightforward and remain vigilant in this regard. Thank you, Ms. Noble and Ms. Blanchette.
Mr. Benzie, everything suggests that Bill C-11 will be adopted and that you will eventually have to make representations to the CRTC. Among the proposals that the Bloc Québécois will be presenting again this year, there will be the proposal to reintroduce the concept of referral to the Governor in Council.
Is the fact that you will have an additional tool likely to reassure you, if ever the regulations put in place by the CRTC hurt digital creators?
5:35 p.m.
Executive Director, Digital First Canada
I'm sorry, Mr. Champoux. I want to give that all due respect.
I don't know. I'm kind of new to all this. I don't know what “Governor in council” means, to be honest.
5:35 p.m.
Bloc
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
It's simply a way to appeal a CRTC decision or regulation if it goes against the interests of a particular group.
In your opinion, once the regulations are adopted by the CRTC, will this tool reassure you?
5:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Perhaps Mr. Benzie can answer that in another round.
I'm sorry, Martin. That's it.
We go to Peter Julian for two and a half minutes, please.
5:35 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
Thank you very much.
Madam Chair, I wanted to go to Ms. McGuffin to ask two questions.
First off, you've mentioned that the web giants don't contribute as much to community as they should. You're very clearly advocating that C-11 help to level that playing field. I want to ask you about that.
Second is a question I'll direct to you and also to Mr. Benzie. We've heard testimony that OUTtv was excluded from a number of the online streaming platforms. We're having this conversation about gatekeepers, but it seems to me that this is an example of gatekeeping, where a whole community is simply excluded from being present on online streaming platforms.
Does that not indicate that we need to start to step up to provide for that level playing field, so those kinds of exclusions can't occur?
I'll go to you first, Ms. McGuffin.
5:35 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Music Publishers Canada
Thanks for that question.
We really want to make sure that emerging creators and companies that are emerging and growing get the support of FACTOR and Musicaction, which have invested in emerging creators. They may not be the ones you're seeing on TikTok right now, but they may be the ones in five years, so we need to make sure we're building and not just outsourcing our creatives to the international companies.
5:40 p.m.
NDP
5:40 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Music Publishers Canada
I don't have a comment on that.
5:40 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
Okay.
Mr. Benzie, can I go to you because you have spoken about gatekeepers a number of times. Here's an example of gatekeeping that is taking place with the web giants excluding from online streaming platforms. Does that not worry you when you hear that sworn testimony before committee?
5:40 p.m.
Executive Director, Digital First Canada
I agree with Brad. I think on curated platforms, where there is an editorial decision being made like on Roku or Amazon, etc., they are acting as broadcasters and I believe they should be subject to the Broadcasting Act. Brad can upload all the content he wants to YouTube or TikTok or Snapchat or Facebook, because there's nothing stopping him from doing that. There's no gatekeeper.
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you very much.
You have 11 seconds, Peter. Even you cannot make use of that. Thank you very much.
5:40 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
That's an important point, Madam Chair. I will use the 11 seconds just to stress the importance of the fact we are seeing gatekeeping taking place now, which I think underscores the importance of the discussion we're having on Bill C‑11.
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you.
I'm now going to go to the Conservative Party and Mr. Uppal for five minutes, please.
May 30th, 2022 / 5:40 p.m.
Conservative
5:40 p.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Ms. Aimée Belmore
Mr. Uppal, we're seeing that your headset is selected and connected, but we're still not getting any sound from you, I'm afraid. Is there a mike connection or something, a button to push somewhere, that might be muting your microphone?
Mr. Uppal, I'm afraid that someone is going to be calling you shortly.
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Tim, do you mind going after the Liberal member? We have time.
Thanks.
Lisa Hepfner, you have five minutes.
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
Lisa Hepfner Liberal Hamilton Mountain, ON
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for your testimony today.
I think I would just like to stick to the same idea that we've been talking about, namely, gatekeepers. I'd like to go back to Ms. McGuffin, because you did speak very eloquently in your opening statement about the scare tactics that we're seeing from some of the platforms right now. I'm wondering if you could just expand a little bit on the type of power that we're seeing from platforms, and the gatekeeping that you've seen.
