(Montreal) While the cultural industry and artists’ representatives welcome the adoption of the Online Streaming Act, they will be following very closely the shaping of this long-awaited broadcasting reform integrating platforms such as Netflix, YouTube and Spotify.
Following a long political soap opera, the law won Royal Assent on Thursday, with several cultural organizations calling it “a historic moment.”
The Quebec Association of the Record, Entertainment and Video Industry (ADISQ) sees the adoption of C-11 as “a great day for the music community”.
“With the adoption of the bill, a major step has been taken towards the establishment of a more equitable system which will contribute to a better influence of our music which experiences a vital need for it”, underlined by press release the president of ADISQ, Jean Francois Renaud.
Now that the Online Streaming Act has been passed, the government will provide general guidelines to the CRTC, which will be responsible for enforcing the law, Canadian Heritage recalled Thursday.
For public consultation, a draft of this strategic direction will be published in the Canada Gazette for input from anyone who wishes to participate, such as stakeholders, artists, businesses, digital creators and Canadians.
The CRTC said in a statement that it can “now begin to build the broadcasting system of the future.”
“We will share our detailed plan and launch our first public consultations shortly,” it said.
The Professional Society of Authors and Composers of Quebec (SPACQ) spoke of a “crucial step for the recognition and enhancement of the work of music creators”, and said they believe that they will be able to better manage the use of their works and benefit from fair and equitable remuneration.
SPACQ believes that Bill C-11 will ensure the protection of copyright “in an increasingly complex and evolving context”, particularly with regard to the use of online music and the management of digital rights.
In putting the law into practice, it expects international digital platforms to respect the Canadian broadcasting framework system, contributing to existing music support funds, showcasing music from here and Collaborating by sharing information with the CRTC.
Speaking of a “historic moment”, the Association québécoise de la production musicale (AQPM) also points out that the attention of all stakeholders is now turning to the implementation of this new legislative framework.
“Representatives from Canadian Heritage highlighted to the cultural community the significant benefits resulting from this new regulatory framework; I invite them to ensure that the directives given to the CRTC will make it possible to achieve this commitment, “said the president and CEO of the producers’ association, Hélène Messier.
“It is essential that all broadcasting undertakings make a significant contribution to the creation, production, distribution and enhancement of Canadian audiovisual content to ensure the sustainability of the national industry,” he said. she adds.
The movement for local voices in public broadcasting and the media Les FRIENDS also pointed out that there was “still work to do before scrolling through the credits of Bill C-11”.
According to the organization, the legislation sets up “two different standards for the use of creative resources here: one standard for Canadian broadcasters and a lower standard for foreign streaming giants.”
“That’s why FRIENDS will work hard to ensure that the Ministerial Directive contains the final script changes that will create a fair and equitable broadcasting ecosystem,” CEO Marla Boltman said in a statement.
In a joint statement, professional artists’ associations hailed the path to “long overdue” reform.
The Union of Artists (UDA), the Guild of Musicians of Quebec (GMMQ), the Association of Directors and Directors of Quebec (ARRQ) and the Society of Radio, Television and Cinema Authors (SARTEC) said they welcome the adoption of C-11.
All the same, the new president of the UDA, Tania Kontoyanni, said she believed that “this adoption imposes a fairer level playing field on the web giants”.
According to the president of the ARRQ, Gabriel Pelletier, the guiding principles of the law will allow the influence of Canadian culture in particular “through the obligation to have recourse to Canadian creative resources and by the protection and promotion of French-speaking culture. and the French language across the country”.
“Recall that the current government’s election platform promised to reduce the share of French-language production to 40% of the CMF (Canada Media Fund) envelope, up from the current 33%. The direction to the CRTC should be one way to do that,” said Pelletier.
