Question Period Note: Broadcasting Act

On June 5, 2018, the departments of Canadian Heritage and Innovation, Science and Economic Development announced the launch of the review of the Broadcasting Act, the Telecommunications Act, and the Radiocommunication Act. The Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel has completed its consultations and is expected to publish its final report by the end of January 2020.

• The Government is committed to supporting a strong, competitive broadcasting and media sector in Canada.
• We are seized with the challenges currently faced by this sector.
• The review of the Broadcasting Act is how we will ensure our Canadian companies can compete in a global market. The panel responsible for this review will complete their work by the end of January 2020.

• New technology, like streaming services, has changed the way that Canadians discover, access, and consume content. Now more than ever, Canadians go online. To keep up with these changes, our legislative framework needs to be modernized so that Canadian creators, consumers and broadcasters can adapt and thrive in a changing environment.
• As committed to in Budget 2017, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and the Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced on June 5, 2018, the launch of a review of the Broadcasting Act, the Telecommunications Act and the Radiocommunication Act.
• The review is looking at ways to update and modernize the legislative framework in a balanced way that takes into account the realities of Canadian consumers, creators, and broadcasters. The review is also addressing how to best promote competition and affordability for internet and mobile services.
• It is examining how to best support the creation, production and distribution of Canadian content in both French and English, and is focusing on updating and modernizing the broadcasting system by exploring how all players are reflected within it and can contribute to it.
• As a response to a unanimously passed motion in the House of Commons, the review is guided by the principle of net neutrality. It explores opportunities to further enshrine this principle in all internet services.
• The review is being led by a panel of external experts including Janet Yale (Chair), Peter S. Grant, Hank Intven (until June 28, 2019), Marina Pavlovic, Monique Simard, Monica Song and Pierre Trudel.
• On September 25, 2018, the panel launched a written consultation process with a deadline of January 11, 2019. On June 26, 2019, the review panel released its What We Heard Report which summarizes the input received during the consultation period. The panel’s final report and recommendations are expected by January 31, 2020.
• Many of the challenges currently facing the broadcasting sector are described in the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s report entitled Harnessing Change: The Future of Programming Distribution in Canada published on May 31, 2018.
• The report confirms, among other things, that video and audio content is a significant majority of the content flowing over Canada’s broadband networks. It also notes that traditional services like conventional TV still play an important role, but that role is declining. As a result, if the status quo is maintained, traditional support mechanisms for the production of Canadian programming may eventually be unable to support the production or discovery of Canadian programming, including French-language programming and programming by and for Indigenous peoples and official language minority communities.
• The report argues that future legislative, regulatory and policy approaches should focus on production and promotion; recognizes the social and cultural responsibilities of operating in Canada; and, be nimble, innovative and adaptable to change. It sets out policy options that the CRTC argues could help ensure a continued vibrant domestic market, including:
o replacing prescriptive licensing with comprehensive binding service agreements (that could include incentives) for all video and audio services offered in Canada and drawing revenue from Canadians; and
o a restructured funding strategy that would aim to keep the amount of contributions to the Canadian broadcasting system at about the same overall amount, but would come from an expanded set of players – including television service providers, radio stations, mobile wireless telecommunications companies and Internet service providers.
• As intended, the report will feed into the Government’s review of the Broadcasting Act and Telecommunications Act.

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