Press Releases

Reaction to Bill C-10’s Modernization of the Broadcasting Act

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Montréal, November 3, 2020 – The Coalition for Culture and Media (CCM) welcomes the government’s decision to include on-line platforms in the Broadcasting Act which will lead to their integration in Canadian broadcasting regulation. The draft legislation presented by the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Steven Guilbeault, has been anticipated since the creation of the CCM three years ago.

Federal Election Debates: Party leaders must commit to reinforcing our cultural sovereignty  

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Montréal, October 6th 2019 – During the election debate organized by the TVA network last Wednesday, several party leaders promised to oblige large companies active on the Web to collect GST/HST and to pay a corporate tax or a tax on their gross incomes, if their parties were elected.

The Coalition for Culture and Media (CCM) considers this to be a step in the right direction in re-establishing fiscal fairness for Canadian companies. However, party leaders must also commit to establishing more concrete measures to protect and promote our culture and media in the digital era.

 

Ensuring the future of the media : federal parties must make firm commitments

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Montreal, August 30, 2019 – Political parties crossing swords during the federal election campaign must commit to re-establishing fairness between local media and the Web giants as soon as the next government takes office. This is the pressing message of the Coalition for Culture and Media alongside the Parliamentary Commission on the Future of the News Media, which should guide the Government of Quebec in presenting an action plan.

 

Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Copyright Reform – Federal political parties must commit to acting quickly

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Montreal, June 26, 2019 – In the wake of the publication this morning of the report by the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Framework Review Panel and two reports on the review of the Copyright Act, in May and earlier this month, the Coalition for Culture and Media (CCM) is calling on all federal political parties to take action.

As we approach the launch of the election campaign, politicians must recognize the urgency of the situation and commit to implementing the initial elements of the reforms necessary for the survival of Canadian culture and media companies, during the next 12 months. The government cannot wait any longer. It must restore fairness between Canadian and foreign companies.

Federal Government’s Economic Statement Significant steps, but an unsettled future

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Montréal, 22 November 2018 – The Coalition for Culture and the Media welcomes the measures of support for Canadian journalism announced yesterday by Minister Morneau. The Federal government appears, for the first time, to have taken note of the scale of this sector’s problems. The measures announced, of $595 million over five years in support of news, will certainly help to slow the decline of media newsrooms.

In welcoming the Federal government’s far-from-negligible efforts, the Coalition nevertheless notes that these do not constitute a complete and global solution. Questions of regulatory and fiscal fairness remain at the heart of the problem facing Canadian media newsrooms. 

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Fiscal Fairness in a Digital World: Quebec Kept its Promise

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Montreal, June 13th, 2018 – The Coalition for Culture and Media is very pleased by the adoption of the Draft Bill 150 by the Quebec National Assembly yesterday. In virtue of the latter, the providers of intangible goods and online services – as Netflix and Spotify – will be required, as of January 1st, 2019, to collect QST on sales made in Quebec, and even if they are established outside of our borders.

“We must applaud the fact that all parties have accepted to collaborate to a swift adoption of this important and much anticipated Bill. The cultural and media community has been wishing the establishment of these measures on taxation for several months now for economic reasons, of course, but also considers that the strong political signal sent by the parliamentarians in favor of the restoration of a fiscal fairness among all the digital players is very encouraging. We hope that Ottawa will seize this opportunity and take this first step so that eventually all governments in the country could collect the taxes on all the goods sold via electronic commerce” said the coalition spokesperson.

One more step towards communications laws for the 21st century

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Montreal, June 5th 2018 – The Coalition for Culture and Media welcomes the launch this morning of the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act review.  The review, expected since spring 2016 and announced officially in the 2017 Budget, was set in motion by Ministers Mélanie Joly and Navdeep Bains, who named a panel of experts to make recommendations to the government about the changes needed to adapt these two laws to the digital era.

Minister Joly’s choice of a panel of experts who have a wealth of experience to guide the updating of the Broadcasting Act, is welcome.  That said, the Coalition notes that the delay in establishing the panel and its mandate means that it will only finish its work in a year and a half – after the next election.

Finally! The CRTC recommends regulating digital media: is the government listening?

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Montreal, June 1st, 2018 – The Coalition for Culture and Media welcomes the CRTC findings presented in its much-anticipated report on the future of program distribution in Canada.

Several of these findings respond to the coalition’s expectations, in particular when it comes to regulating all online streaming services and making all industry players contribute – including foreign operators – to the financing of production and promotion of Canadian content. The coalition is also pleased that the CRTC has rejected the idea of deregulating traditional broadcasters (radio, television, cable operators) and appreciates the CRTC’s acknowledgement of the urgency to address the current situation.