Just days after the CRTC outlined the obligations under the Online Streaming Act that web giant streaming services would need to abide by when it comes to a portion of their Canadian revenues to be sent to Canadian content funds (which, to be clear, they could then draw from in order to develop shows and put on their platforms), and a day after Dominic LeBlanc was in Washington for more trade talks, the government decided to try and walk back these CRTC obligations. Minister Marc Miller ordered the CRTC to review the decision (as he can’t outright ignore it, as the CRTC is a quasi-judicial body) but with a “focus on affordability” as the claim is that these streaming services will simply raise their prices and Canadian households are already hit hard. Oh, but they’ll devote $600 million to Canadian media in lieu of these funds.
They insist it’s not a capitulation, but that’s exactly what it feels like, particularly since Trump mouthpieces were grousing that this levy was “discriminatory” (it’s not—it levelled the playing field with Canadian broadcasters and streaming services), and that it was yet another “trade irritant” as though they are allowed to throw up whatever tariffs they want (this week: New ten percent tariffs because of forced labour, but don’t look at their own deals with China, or the forced labour that comes from American prisons). Miller also insists that because the funds collected to date were frozen due to court challenges also seems to be beside the point. The point was that these web giants are taking Canadian money and giving nothing back (and no, treating our production studios as a resource colony is not exactly giving back), so having them contribute the same way a Canadian broadcaster contributes was both fair, and, I stress again, gave them the option to use these same funds that they contributed in order to create their own Canadian content that they could put up on their platforms.
I’m not going to engage in any kind of elbow discourse, but when you consider just how much these web giants and the tech bros that own them are integrated into Trump’s fascist regime, capitulating to them yet again is not exactly giving the impression that we’re protecting Canada’s cultural sovereignty, or that all the talk about Heated Rivalry and how much of a success it’s been is hollow if we keep letting the web giants dictate our own cultural policy. Where is the self-respect that should be a bare minimum in this conversation?
My Latest:
My column on legacy columnists opining about the “condescension” of central Canadians when it comes to Alberta separatists and their crybaby tendencies.
Ukraine Dispatch:
At least three were killed in shelling on the front-line cities of Kramatorsk and Dnipro. Russia has been focusing on the air war as their front lines have faltered. Ukraine, meanwhile, hit an oil refinery and naval base in St. Petersburg as Putin hosts an economic summit there to drum up investment.
Noteworthy:
Althia Raj hears from Liberal caucus members about Carney’s controlling behaviour, yelling and punching down, saying he doesn’t want to hear complaints.
Want more Routine Proceedings? Become a patron and get exclusive new content.
PP lost 5 MPs to floor crossing who all specifically and on the record blamed him and his leadership and I remember the column where Althia Raj blamed the MPs so spare me.. Her column (it’s a column, not a news article) will and should be dismissed because she granted the MP anonymity. She explains in the column why the MP wanted to remain unnamed although it doesn’t hold up since as you remind us that MPs aren’t employees of the PMO or PP’s office, but she doesn’t explain why she allowed it. The Winnipeg MP cited an example disputed her version of events on the record yet gossip wins out.