Streaming giants need to do more to support Canadian culture, heritage minister says

Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez says streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney and Amazon Prime are "the new big players" and should contribute more to Canadian culture.

In a debate Wednesday in the House of Commons about a bill to regulate online streaming, Rodriguez said updating the broadcasting law is long overdue and needs to cover commercial content on social media and streaming platforms.

He said the last time the law was updated in 1991, people took out videos from Blockbuster and listened to Walkmans.

The new law would regulate online streaming platforms, as well as traditional Canadian broadcasters, which already have an obligation to provide Canadian content.

Rodriguez said he wants to see the creation of more Canadian programs to promote homegrown talent, such as CBC's Schitt's Creek and Anne with an E, both of which also streamed on Netflix.

But he said he is "flexible" about how streaming platforms contribute to Canadian culture and they could use different models, including putting money into a fund.

"Amazon, Netflix and Disney are already investing in Canadian content and we love that stuff. It's very entertaining," he said.

But he said Canada has incredible talent and wants to see streaming services invest more in Canadian film, TV and music.

"Our system must also pave the way for new and upcoming Canadian artists," he said.

He also said Indigenous, disabled and racialized Canadians, as well as people from the LGBTQ community, "deserve to have space to tell their stories."

Speaking at the second reading of the bill, Rodriguez said he has "fixed" concerns raised by critics of a previous version of the legislation that it would clamp down on people watching or creating content for social media platforms.

That version of the bill failed to become law before the federal election after concerns were raised that social media influencers or people uploading homemade videos to YouTube could be affected by it.

Rodriguez said the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), which will be in charge of regulating online streaming platforms as well as traditional broadcasters, "will have no power to regulate the everyday use of social media by Canadians."

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