MAP’s Randy Kitt Presents for CRTC on Canadian Content

Courtesy: Oliver Macklem

Unifor media director and MAP executive Randy Kitt presented to the CRTC today on ‘Defining Canadian Content’ and supporting the creation and distribution of domestic programming in the audio-visual sector. “Now is the time to stand up for Canadian content, protect our sovereignty and make the tough decisions necessary to save our Canadian media industry, including local news” Kitt said to the panel of CRTC executives.

He documented the history of failed regulatory policies for foreign online streamers, and the job losses suffered by Canadian media workers as a result. “When we formed Unifor in 2013, our media sector was at 13K members and now, thirteen years later, we have just about 10k media members. And this decline is largely due to the failure to recognize the damage foreign broadcasters could do to our industry and the failure to regulate them.”

Kitt then called for the board to maintain a strong definition of Canadian content, which would ensure key roles in TV production are filled by Canadians for a show to be deemed Canadian.  He emphasized the importance of making foreign broadcasters contribute to the local news industry saying, “they should absolutely have to pay into funds that support local news, because Canadian broadcasters have always had to, and because it is the very existence of foreign online broadcasters in this country that has contributed to the decline of local news and eroded our democracy.”

The presentation and accompanying written submission by Unifor had recommendations for supporting a vibrant news industry: staffing minimums for journalists and news creators, daily local news distribution and locally sourced decision makers and bureaus. Kitt closed by saying “Elbows up, do not give concessions to foreign streamers to appease them. It will not work out for us in the end. The answer is regulation and support!

Watch the full presentation here: https://tinyurl.com/2an6wzee