Sovereign countries must tell their own stories
TORONTO, ON (February 3, 2022) – ACTRA welcomes the government’s tabling of Bill C-11 to modernize Canada’s broadcasting legislation, as announced yesterday (February 2) by the Honourable Pablo Rodríguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage.
“The new broadcasting legislation signals the government is ready to seize this moment by strengthening our Canadian cultural industries and our economy,” said ACTRA National President Eleanor Noble. “As performers working in English-language productions across Canada, we are pleased the federal government recognizes the importance of investing and promoting Canadian content and its discoverability on all platforms. Swift action must be taken to pass this legislation to support original Canadian programming.”
For over a decade ACTRA has been calling for a modernized Broadcasting Act that brings all broadcasters in Canada, including traditional broadcasters, over-the-top (OTT) media services, web giants and music streaming services, under the umbrella of Canada’s regulatory system requiring them to contribute financially to the production of Canadian stories.
“Streaming services need to be required to contribute to Canadian content production, distribution and development,” said Noble. “Other countries are taking measures to protect their economy and their cultural sovereignty. Canada must not fall behind. Sovereign countries must have the necessary tools to tell their own stories in the 21st century.”
Specific details and measures in Bill C-11 (Online Streaming Act) require further review and analysis after which ACTRA may have further comment.
About ACTRA
ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) is the national union of professional performers working in English-language recorded media in Canada. ACTRA represents the interests of over 28,000 members across the country – the foundation of Canada’s highly acclaimed professional performing community.
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Media Contact: Carol Taverner, Public Relations Officer, ACTRA National, tel: 416-644-1519, email: ctaverner@actra.ca