The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has released a new report that recommends music and video streaming companies should be federally regulated in Canada.
It suggests that streaming giants like Netflix and Spotify (as well as internet service providers and wireless companies) should fund the creation of local content in an attempt to prop up the decline of the cable and satellite providers industry in the digital age.
It further states that the regulations should be implemented even on foreign-owned companies, so as to level the playing field with their Canadian counterparts.
The report argues that charging streaming services would create additional revenue and reduce strain on federal funds that are increasingly used to top up the Canadian Music Fund and Canadian Media Fund due to declining contributions from private sector donors.
The report also stresses the importance of promoting Canadian content on the internet, urging that it remain discoverable in the endless sea of global content online.
The report was commissioned by the federal Liberal government as a first step to revising the existing federal laws for TV, radio and online content providers.
Consumers aren't expected to see higher bills, but internet service providers and streaming companies like Netflix may face a new levy if the CRTC regulations are adopted by the Canadian government.
Read the report in its entirety here.
It suggests that streaming giants like Netflix and Spotify (as well as internet service providers and wireless companies) should fund the creation of local content in an attempt to prop up the decline of the cable and satellite providers industry in the digital age.
It further states that the regulations should be implemented even on foreign-owned companies, so as to level the playing field with their Canadian counterparts.
The report argues that charging streaming services would create additional revenue and reduce strain on federal funds that are increasingly used to top up the Canadian Music Fund and Canadian Media Fund due to declining contributions from private sector donors.
The report also stresses the importance of promoting Canadian content on the internet, urging that it remain discoverable in the endless sea of global content online.
The report was commissioned by the federal Liberal government as a first step to revising the existing federal laws for TV, radio and online content providers.
Consumers aren't expected to see higher bills, but internet service providers and streaming companies like Netflix may face a new levy if the CRTC regulations are adopted by the Canadian government.
Read the report in its entirety here.
