Support our Canadian media

Like many other Canadians, I have Facebook, Netflix and Google accounts. However, until recently I didn’t realize the impact that the American tech giants were having on Canadian media.  

This past decade, over 16,000 jobs in the Canadian journalism industry have vanished and 250 media outlets have closed. Some would argue that this decline is due to the popularity of social media and online technology. However, the decline has also been magnified by federal government policy. 

At $34 per person, CBC/Radio Canada is one of the most poorly funded public broadcasters among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development nations. The average for other OECD countries is $90. Furthermore, licensed Canadian broadcasters like CTV and Global must contribute between 5% and 30% of their revenues to the production of Canadian programs. Netflix is not subject to these same Canadian content rules.  

Special privileges for the Internet giants also extend to tax rules. Canadian businesses can deduct the full cost of ads sold by Facebook and Google from their corporate income tax bill, even though identical expenses with foreign TV, radio and newspapers are not deductible. As a result, advertising products sold by Google and Facebook are significantly cheaper than they otherwise would be.

It is estimated that this advertising loophole will cost the Canadian government $2 billion in 2019. The tax revenue could be used to increase the CBC budget to $50 per person and fund much-needed social programs.

As candidates talk to me about balancing budgets and cutting or expanding social programs, I have been asking them if they are committed to creating policies that would level the playing field for Canadian media. I hope others ask that same question both before and after the election.

Debbie Hubbard, Kelowna