MAP’s Randy Kitt Presents for CRTC on Canadian Content
Unifor media director and MAP executive Randy Kitt presented to the CRTC today on ‘Defining Canadian Content’ and supporting the creation and distribution of domestic programming in the audio-visual sector. “Now is the time to stand up for Canadian content, protect our sovereignty and make the tough decisions necessary to save our Canadian media industry, including local news” Kitt said to the panel of CRTC executives.
He documented the history of failed regulatory policies for foreign online streamers, and the job losses suffered by Canadian media workers as a result. “When we formed Unifor in 2013, our media sector was at 13K members and now, thirteen years later, we have just about 10k media members. And this decline is largely due to the failure to recognize the damage foreign broadcasters could do to our industry and the failure to regulate them.”
Kitt then called for the board to maintain a strong definition of Canadian content, which would ensure key roles in TV production are filled by Canadians for a show to be deemed Canadian. He emphasized the importance of making foreign broadcasters contribute to the local news industry saying, “they should absolutely have to pay into funds that support local news, because Canadian broadcasters have always had to, and because it is the very existence of foreign online broadcasters in this country that has contributed to the decline of local news and eroded our democracy.”
The presentation and accompanying written submission by Unifor had recommendations for supporting a vibrant news industry: staffing minimums for journalists and news creators, daily local news distribution and locally sourced decision makers and bureaus. Kitt closed by saying “Elbows up, do not give concessions to foreign streamers to appease them. It will not work out for us in the end. The answer is regulation and support!
Watch the full presentation here: https://tinyurl.com/2an6wzee
It is interesting to think about the tension between protecting space for distinctly Canadian voices and recognising that viewers increasingly discover shows and creators without paying much attention to where they were produced, because the old idea of a national media audience feels much less straightforward when everything is available through the same screen. The reference to Canadian content also made me think about how definitions can become complicated when creators, production companies, funding sources, and audiences cross borders, and I found myself wondering how the CRTC approaches content that feels culturally Canadian even when some of its production elements are international. There is something similar in the way people judge online information, whether they are looking at CIPD Assignment…
It is quite striking to read Randy Kitt’s point about Unifor's media membership dropping from 13k down to roughly 10k since 2013 due to unregulated foreign streamers. It really highlights how tough the local media landscape has become over the past decade. Balancing modern digital consumption with cultural preservation is such a complex topic; I was even researching this recently for some help with my assignment on international media regulations, and it is clear there are no easy fixes. Makes you wonder whether strict regulations like staffing minimums for local news will actually be enough to reverse the trend, or if audience habits have simply shifted too far already.
Muy buen contenido y bastante sencillo de seguir. Para quienes consultan los sorteos diariamente, loteria de hoy puede ser una búsqueda útil para encontrar las últimas novedades y resultados disponibles. La información presentada de forma ordenada facilita mucho la consulta para los lectores.
Really appreciate Kitt pointing out the hard numbers—going from 13K to 10K media members since 2013 says so much about how foreign streamers have been left unchecked. It’s refreshing to see someone push the CRTC to actually protect local news and Canadian stories. By the way, I keep a free GIF to MP4 converter I like to share: https://giftomp4.net/
Interesting point about the drop from 13K to 10K media members since 2013 — that really puts the regulatory failures in perspective. Thanks for sharing the recap of Kitt’s CRTC presentation. By the way, I keep a free GIF to MP4 converter I like to share. https://giftomp4.net/