Are we getting closer?
By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – This morning the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications (TRCM) heard from Abacus Data, Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), David Bussières, a singer and producer, Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) and the Canada Media Fund (CMF).
Abacus
David Coletto, CEO of the polling firm Abacus, was taken to task by some when Abacus published a survey done for Google on Bill C-18 but was left alone when it appeared he would not talk about the results, which are proprietary.
SOCAN and David Bussières
They were clear: this bill has to be adopted as soon as possible in its present form. Period. Time is of the essence: “In the form in which it is presented to you, we believe that the bill is an important step in the right direction for the contribution and promotion of Canadian musical works and creators while avoiding unintended consequences,” said Martin Lavallée, senior legal counsel of SOCAN, in French.
“We must act now and pass this law, because the more time passes, the more the hegemony of this big oligopoly of ‘Big Tech’ makes the public move away from local music and in the long run, it is the survival of our cultural identity that is at stake, with all the diversity that characterizes it, the specificities that characterize it, and the fact that it is home to the only francophone communities in America,” added Bussières, also in French.
The music creators are viewed as being the big promoters of discoverability, which they seem to value more than monetary participation.
CMF
The CMF seems to have a different approach: “Creators, no matter who they are, all want the same thing. Whether they are doing long-form or short-form content on YouTube, they want a good story, well told, that reaches an audience,” said Valerie Creighton (above), president and CEO of the CMF.
“The first thing you have to do is ensure there are resources to make that content. I’m not particularly a fan of the word “discoverability.” I know what its intent is,” she said.
“But if you have strong compelling development that’s not restricted by, say, a broadcast schedule, and you give the creators enough time and resources to create, they will have a better chance in the market. Whether the market is CBC, Gem, Netflix, Hulu or whatever, that piece of content will have a better chance of getting picked up, produced, financed and distributed around the world for sure.”
DOC
DOC is proposing amendments to ensure a greater level of equity and diversity but still wants the bill passed soon.
“We need to pass Bill C-11, and we need to have a long conversation about discoverability and how to support people accessing the content in the long term. That is where the policy directives will be in place and stakeholder conversations will be really key, but the first thing is to pass Bill C-11,” said Sarah Spring, executive director of DOC.
Conclusion
And the final word goes to Creighton who said “somehow we’ve gotten into these deep and conflicting debates, and I don’t envy you listening to all the testimony you’ve heard over the last while on how complicated and dynamic this industry is.”
“What we need is change in the structure and the right tools because the content and the innovation are not the problem. It’s the barriers and the structure. We need the right tools in today’s environment to keep supporting those creators from all over the country,” she said later.
Are we getting closer? Not sure. The next meeting is tomorrow evening with people who, while supporting the bill, could kill it through multiple amendments.
