Uneven media playing field

Photo: Darrin Klimek

The Canadian broadcasting sector should be further deregulated to compete with online media, according to a recent paper by the Fraser Institute.

The conservative think-tank concludes that the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission’s policies that aim to protect and subsidize Canadian content has created an uneven playing field for traditional media against online content providers, like YouTube and Netflix.

“The proliferation of digital producers and distributors of low-cost, online programing is seriously challenging the ongoing viability of the CRTC’s ability to regulate,” said Steven Globerman, author of the paper. “The CRTC cannot impose the same antiquated regulations used for traditional broadcast to online programming without seriously restricting access to internet programs.”

The CRTC currently imposes rules on traditional media, like television and radio, that mandates a minimum amount of Canadian content and mandatory funding for new homegrown content.

Online services do not fall under these regulations.

“While traditional broadcasters have Canadian content quotas and funding taxes imposed on them, online broadcasters enjoy a much more flexible regulatory environment,” Globerman said.

The paper says to level the playing field, deregulation of traditional media is the answer, rather than putting new restrictions on online content.