On-line streaming providers working in Canada will likely be required to contribute 5 per cent of their Canadian revenues to help the home broadcasting system, the nation’s telecoms regulator mentioned on Tuesday.
The cash will be used to spice up funding for native and Indigenous broadcasting, officers from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Fee (CRTC) mentioned in a briefing.
“As we speak’s choice will assist be sure that on-line streaming providers make significant contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content material,” wrote CRTC chief government and chair Vicky Eatrides in an announcement.
The measure was launched below the auspices of a regulation handed final yr designed to make it possible for firms like Netflix make a extra vital contribution to Canadian tradition.
The federal government says the laws will be sure that on-line streaming providers promote Canadian music and tales, and help Canadian jobs.
Funding may also be directed to French-language content material and content material created by official language minority communities, in addition to content material created by equity-deserving teams and Canadians of numerous backgrounds.
The discharge additionally mentioned that on-line streaming providers will “have some flexibility” to ship their revenues to help Canadian tv instantly.
The measure, which is able to begin within the 2024-2025 broadcasting yr, would elevate roughly $200 million yearly, CRTC officers mentioned. It can solely apply to providers that aren’t already affiliated with Canadian broadcasters.
CBC Information has reached out to Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, Spotify and Amazon for remark.
