Bill C-11, currently being debated before parliament, seeks to update streaming and content regulations of the Broadcasting Act, regulations previously modified by Bill C-10. However, watchdog groups such as OpenMedia note that Bill C-11 does not resolve the core problems that Bill C-10 introduced. Instead, they argue, it continues to favour legacy media at the expense of independent creators, using an antiquated points system to determine what does or does not count as Canadian content or “CanCon.” They are also concerned that the bill will grant too much power to the CRTC (the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission) to monitor online audio-visual content.
OpenMedia would prefer a more egalitarian approach, one that doesn’t distinguish between “professional” and “amateur” content using vague delineations based on revenue generated. They would also prefer to dispense with the gatekeepers of Canadian Content so that more stories about Canada by Canadians get seen rather than productions written by Canadians about other cultures and histories.
