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Cultural industries brace for digital onslaught amid clashing views

Sep 13, 2016 | 8:30 AM

OTTAWA — The federal government faces stark differences of opinion over how best to help Canada’s cultural industries adapt to cyberspace, says an academic watching the unfolding public consultations on the future of digital content.

The latest phase of those consultations, started Tuesday by Heritage Minister Melanie Joly, asks for suggestions on ways Ottawa can help create, promote and deliver digital content, including local news, at a time when Canadians have a wide array of foreign content at their fingertips.

While the minister wouldn’t say directly whether the end result will be more federal money for content producers, including local TV stations, she suggested that Canadians clearly favour government intervention to stimulate and promote cultural products in the digital world.

“We heard loud and clear the importance of local content as a (preference) of Canadians,” Joly said after meeting with her cabinet colleagues.

There has been growing concern among cultural industry players that current government policies are stifling creation of content at a time when Canadian products are being drowned out by the likes of Apple iTunes and Netflix.

A discussion paper released to coincide with the consultations makes clear the government doesn’t want to place limits on foreign content, but aims to channel energies into supporting cultural industries.

“The way forward is not attempting to regulate content on the Internet, but focusing on how to best support Canada’s creators and cultural entrepreneurs in creating great content and in competing globally for both Canadian and international audiences,” said the paper.

In a pre-consultation, online questionnaire completed by close to 10,000 people, participants were asked what they saw as the most pressing challenges facing Canada’s cultural sector.

In their responses, individuals focused on foreign competition and ways of making Canadian content stand out online.

So-called industry stakeholders, however, “were all about the money,” with a majority of respondents arguing for more public funding, said University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist.

“(Industry) focuses on money, the public focuses on finding content,” said Geist, who holds the school’s Canada research chair in Internet and e-commerce law.

The questionnaire also asked respondents to define the barriers to creating and promoting Canadian cultural content.

Most public responses centred on a perceived lack of quality Canadian content, while the industry voiced concerns about consumers who expect free content and outdated government supports.

The public appears to be more onside with Joly’s goal of producing more content and doing a better job of promoting it, said Geist.

“The differences between the public and … industry stakeholder responses are pretty stark,” he said.

Rapidly changing technology is affecting how Canadians produce and consume cultural content, Joly acknowledged.

She says the new digital reality has produced both challenges and opportunities for creators.

“Every day, we use our phones, our tablets and other devices to access music and apps, to watch movies and shows, to read and to research contemporary works of art,” Joly said in introducing the consultations, titled “Canadian Content in a Digital World.”

The national dialogue on Canadian content “will help us adapt our cultural policies to today’s digital realities,” she said.

Canada’s union of professional performers said it will argue during the consultations against any deregulation that would allow for more foreign content.

“The engine that drives Canada’s creative economy is work that’s written, directed, produced and performed by Canadians,” said ACTRA National President Ferne Downey.

“While some argue for deregulation and a diminished government role, we know that approach would leave Canadians awash in a flood of Hollywood content,” said Downey.

“Canada’s creative economy won’t thrive unless government takes a leading role promoting Canada’s creative talent.”

Canadians have until Nov. 25 to have their say about what new policies, if any, they think are needed.

Information about the consultations can be found online: http://www.canadiancontentconsultations.ca/home

 

Terry Pedwell, The Canadian Press