Episode 73: The Broadcasting Act Blunder - Why Minister Guilbeault is Wrong

Canada is currently considering major reforms to how it regulates Internet services. Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault’s Bill C-10 would dramatically reshape the Broadcasting Act by regulating foreign Internet sites and services with the prospect of mandated registration, payments to support Canadian content, confidential data disclosures, and discoverability requirements. The bill would also remove policies supporting Canadian ownership of the broadcasting system and reduce expectations about Canadian participation in film and television productions. This week’s Law Bytes podcast takes a closer look at the implications of the bill, examining key concerns discussed in my ongoing Broadcasting Act blunder blog series.

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Show Notes:

Broadcasting Act Blunder series

Day 1: Why there is no Canadian Content Crisis
Day 2: What the Government Doesn’t Say About Creating a “Level Playing Field”
Day 3: Minister Guilbeault Says Bill C-10 Contains Economic Thresholds That Limit Internet Regulation. It Doesn’t
Day 4: Why Many News Sites are Captured by Bill C-10
Day 5: Narrow Exclusion of User Generated Content Services
Day 6: The Beginning of the End of Canadian Broadcast Ownership and Control Requirements,
Day 7: Beware Bill C-10’s Unintended Consequences
Day 8: The Unnecessary Discoverability Requirements
Day 9: Why Use Cross-Subsidies When the Government is Rolling out Tech Tax Policies?
Day 10: Downgrading the Role of Canadians in their Own Programming
Day 11: The “Regulate Everything” Approach – Licence or Registration Required, Broadcast Reform Bill Could Spell the End of Canadian Ownership Requirements
Day 12: The “Regulate Everything” Approach – The CRTC Conditions
Day 13: The “Regulate Everything” Approach – Targeting Individual Services
Day 14: The Risk to Canadian Ownership of Intellectual Property
Day 15: Mandated Confidential Data Disclosures May Keep Companies Out of Canada
Day 16: Mandated Payments and a Reality Check on Guilbeault’s Billion Dollar Claim

Credits:

House of Commons Debate, November 18, 2020
CPAC, Heritage Minister Discusses Bill to Update Broadcasting Act