The Toronto Star reports on the unreleased CRTC draft report on new media, which is set for release in May.
Toronto Star on the CRTC and Cancon for the Net
March 23, 2008
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Law Bytes
Episode 241: Scott Benzie on How Government Policy Eroded Big Tech Support for Canadian Culture
byMichael Geist

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Here we go again
Maybe I don\\\’t understand the problem.
I think I understand the comment made by Mr. Richardson,
\\\”Canadians are \\\”incredibly\\\” fixated on the regulation of Canadian content\\\” and \\\”You know, Canadians want to have rules and regulations about things….\\\”
-if he means that Canadians want to see more (high Quality) Canadian content AVAILABLE, he may be right.
However, If he means to limit access to non-Canadian content, — I\\\’m certain he is wrong.
In a similar vein, a comment attributed to ACTRA
\\\”ACTRA is one of several stakeholders proposing a levy on Internet service providers, or ISPs, to help fund the creation of digital content in the same way that satellite and cable TV providers are required to use a portion of their revenues to help fund Canadian television programs.\\\”
There is a distinct difference between ISPs and satellite and cable TV providers, one provides the electronic highway, the others are retailers along the highway (actually – in this case, an entirely different highway). I may drive along the highway without ever going to my local theatre.
If I do CHOOSE to purchase \\\”entertainment\\\”, then I do so knowing what I want and the costs involved. ie My choice.
I suspect that this predilection for levies by many organizations/groups has more to do with the potentially huge cash flow (and having the government act as cashier), than as a means of fairly and equitably collecting revenue from willing customers.
Taxing the general population to support a defunct industry does not work. Taxing users of an (almost essential) service to support an entirely different ( and definitely non-essential) business makes no sense at all.