Feds underscore support for CanCon ahead of fall’s ‘Canadian Content in a Digital World’ announcement
GATINEAU – Heeding the outcry from Canada’s creative community, the Governor in Council has ordered the CRTC to reconsider its group licence renewal decisions for large television broadcasters that, among other changes, lowered the amount that major broadcasters must spend on Programs of National Interest (PNI).
The rare move came late Monday, followed by a statement by Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly who said that the federal government wants the Commission to review its May decisions to renew the licenses for the television services of the country’s major French-language ownership groups and large English-language ownership groups “in order to ensure that we achieve the right balance of investment in content and in the ability to compete”.
“Canadian broadcasters and creators are at the centre of the broadcasting system, and at a time when our competitive advantage rests on creativity, they must be positioned to succeed”, she said in the statement.
“The Government of Canada recognizes the significant investments Canadian broadcasters make in Canadian content”, Joly continued. “At the same time, the entire industry is in transition and the next few years will be critical to establishing the conditions for Canadians to be able to compete with the best in the world.
“In referring back these decisions, the Government wishes to affirm its support for great Canadian dramas, comedies, animation, films, documentaries — and other programs of national interest — that reflect our country and its diversity. It also recognizes the importance of original French-language content and support for the creators of music programming, short films and short-form documentaries.”
As Cartt.ca reported, Canadian actors, directors, writers and trade groups and unions have actively, and publicly, petitioned Minister Joly and appealed to Cabinet to overturn the PNI decision, claiming that production budgets would be slashed by some $911 million over five years as a result of the new rules.
