Proposed Amendment to Canada’s Radio and Television Act

The Government of Canada proposes to amend the Radio and Television Act to force YouTube and other online platforms to contribute a portion of the revenue associated with the broadcasting of Canadian content.
According to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Ottawa, the Government of Canada is proposing a number of changes to the Radio and Television Act, to require YouTube and other streaming platforms to “support” Canadian content and close the deal. donate a portion of the revenue related to the distribution of Canadian content to the fund for the production of cultural products.

Accordingly, these changes do not focus on policing individual Canadian posts. Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault said personal social media posts would not be covered by the new rules. The government says the purpose of the changes is to bring streaming platforms like Netflix into the regulatory framework that currently applies to traditional radio and television stations. New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh said his party supports the bill’s main content, which is that companies like Netflix need financial support when they broadcast Canadian content, just like other companies. traditional radio-television stations are doing. Janet Yale, chairwoman of the legal review committee in the fields of telecommunications and broadcasting, said the bill was necessary for the cultural industry. Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault said authorities want social media platforms to make a fair financial contribution to Canada’s cultural industry, just as Canadian companies are doing and helping artists Canadian doctors can reach the public, such as on a YouTube suggested list. At the end of February 2021, Mr. Kevin Chan, who is in charge of public policy of Facebook in the Canadian market, confirmed that this technology “giant” is willing to pay fees to Canadian publishers to publish news. ie on its platform. According to Chan, Facebook is ready to negotiate licensing agreements with Canadian news publishers, after making a similar commitment in Australia. The payment plans will be added to existing programs to support Canadian journalism, Chan said, adding that Facebook wants to invest more in the news system in the North American country.