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Cultural Group Fails to Understand Internet
TubularLuggage
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In what almost sounds like a story from The Onion, a Canadian cultural group wants to regulate the internet, ensuring more space for Canadian content.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1107042.html
Full Story
So essentially, producers and performers of Canadian media are worried about Canadians not watching their content on the internet, and so rather than actually producing something worth watching, they're calling for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to "regulate the internet".
The only way I can even see something like this working is to block access to American shows and films to any Canadian internet users. The problem with this kind of protectionism is that, unlike many material goods, media isn't interchangeable. Someone who wants to watch a certain American program isn't going to just go watch some other show on CBC when they can't access the American show. It's not the same thing.
Should countries try to block content from other countries for the purpose of promoting their own content, or should the internet remain an open exchange of media? I'm very much for the latter. I think if networks in a country want to compete, they have to make something people actually want to watch.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1107042.html
"What we simply want is a place for Canadian stories," said Richard Hardacre of the actors guild, ACTRA. "We know if we don’t get it right now, tomorrow will be too late."
About 93 per cent of Canadians have the ability to access all types of music, videos and films on their computers through a broadband connection, and an increasing number do.
That is precisely why the commission needs to move quickly to ensure Canadian programs have a guaranteed space on the new platforms, said ACTRA witnesses
Hollywood is already planning to begin making current-run films available on the Internet, which could be accessed from Canada without any restrictions or assurances Canadians films are also offered, they said.
The actors guild would go even further in instituting content rules that would require "shelf space" on new media for Canadian productions.
Full Story
GATINEAU, Que. — The Internet is growing so quickly and uncontrollably that time is running out for regulators to ensure Canadian content remains a significant player in the new media, cultural groups said Tuesday.
The warning came as the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission opened public hearings revisiting the decade-old question of whether the Internet should be regulated, and if so, how.
"What we simply want is a place for Canadian stories," said Richard Hardacre of the actors guild, ACTRA. "We know if we don’t get it right now, tomorrow will be too late."
The actors and the Directors Guild of Canada made separate recommendations calling for the creation of a $100-million fund for the production of Canadian content for new media.
The fund would be paid for by the corporations that provide Internet and wireless services in Canada, such as Rogers Communications Inc. and other cable companies, and phone companies such as BCE Inc. and Telus Corp.
Determining whether that is desirable, possible or even necessary will be the issue before the federal regulator over the next four weeks and, like last year’s hearings on the future of broadcasting, it is pitting the various interests in the system against each other.
The CRTC decided in 1999 that the Internet, just then becoming a prominent force in commercial circles, should not be fettered or regulated.
But the world has changed since then, said commission chairman Konrad von Finckenstein, and the Internet is no longer the new kid on the media block.
About 93 per cent of Canadians have the ability to access all types of music, videos and films on their computers through a broadband connection, and an increasing number do.
That is precisely why the commission needs to move quickly to ensure Canadian programs have a guaranteed space on the new platforms, said ACTRA witnesses, which included actors Colin Mochrie of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and Degrassi’s Charlotte Arnold.
Hollywood is already planning to begin making current-run films available on the Internet, which could be accessed from Canada without any restrictions or assurances Canadians films are also offered, they said.
Tuesday’s first day of testimony brought a mostly united front of actors, producers and directors — the creative end of Canadian broadcasting — speaking with one voice in urging regulators to drop their hands-off approach to new media and begin treating it as just another delivery platform.
"Broadcasting is broadcasting regardless the distribution platform," argued Alain Pineau, national director of the Canadian Conference of the Arts, who also called for a production fund to "level playing field" between old and new media.
ACTRA and the Directors Guild of Canada said Internet providers should pay a levy representing three per cent of gross revenues, with wireless providers contributing 0.6 per cent of revenues. They estimated that would amount to about $100 million annually.
The actors guild would go even further in instituting content rules that would require "shelf space" on new media for Canadian productions.
The difficulty, as several commissioners noted, is that it is not clear if there is even a problem that needs to be tackled.
No one currently knows how much Canadian content is available on the Internet and portable devices such as cellphones, or how it would be possible to regulate such a free-form media platform where almost anything and everything can be accessed from anywhere in the world.
Harris Boyd, representing the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance, said measuring the extent of Canadian content would be a nightmare.
While content on over-the-air broadcasting and cable and satellite services can easily be managed, with the Internet, "there isn’t anybody actually managing the content other than the customers who decide what they are going to access, from when and where.
"The bottom line is they are trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist," Boyd said.
Commissioners challenged several of the witnesses, particularly those from ACTRA, over the suggestion that it should ensure space for Canadian programs on the Internet.
"I’m somewhat stunned by your overall approach," said von Finckenstein, who appeared to characterize the actors guild’s recommendations as heavy-handed and somewhat impractical.
The line-up of witnesses suggests the CRTC will be hearing more arguments in favour of regulation until March, when service providers — who oppose any new limits, or fees — get their turn.
So essentially, producers and performers of Canadian media are worried about Canadians not watching their content on the internet, and so rather than actually producing something worth watching, they're calling for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to "regulate the internet".
The only way I can even see something like this working is to block access to American shows and films to any Canadian internet users. The problem with this kind of protectionism is that, unlike many material goods, media isn't interchangeable. Someone who wants to watch a certain American program isn't going to just go watch some other show on CBC when they can't access the American show. It's not the same thing.
Should countries try to block content from other countries for the purpose of promoting their own content, or should the internet remain an open exchange of media? I'm very much for the latter. I think if networks in a country want to compete, they have to make something people actually want to watch.
TubularLuggage on
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I can understand the CRTC looking into this (considering their last ruling was 10 years ago when cellphones and highspeed internet use wasn't widespread), but I'm fairly sure they're going to not opt for regulation considering: it's fuck all impossible and more importantly if you want more content on the internet...then you're free to put it on there. It's not like the structure of the internet makes it such that you're being crowded out by alternative media from other countries (Google seems to agree since they've come out against this plan to regulate). Hell, I had thought that Canadian artists had been turning to the internet just to get that better exposure on their own already.
This entire thing has reeks of RIAA influence to me.
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[5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
The guy in the article says it best.
Wow
This is a pretty impressive statistic
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Unfortunately, I very much doubt the CRTC has a notion of awesomeness. If anything, their style would be to legislate awesomeness and only allow it in well-controlled amounts through predefined awesome-carrying channels. Also, 20% of awesome should be in French.
The old CBC news article.
Yes. Except over the Internet rather than easily controllable TV/Radio stations.
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[5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
Pretty much
silly canadians.
damnit, i was trying not to say that.
whats the probability this will actually go anywhere?
Alan Thick!!
Tom Green
i snorted.
We've long had one of the best rates of broadband access per capita in the OECD.
Unless it's 93 per cent of Canadians with an internet connection, in which case it's kind of sad.
On the other hand, short of setting up a Canadian version of the Great Firewall of China, their regulation will have no teeth. They can't force websites in other nations to do what they want, and they can't control which websites Canadians visit.
The best case scenario is that they come to their senses and don't embarrass themselves. Maybe setup a "Canadian Content portal" website, which would be nice.
Coming at you like a Mongol Horde.
Look Out!
Me after reading the wikipedia entry:
Lack of infrastructure investment is really coming to a head.
My God, it's full of stars
But, where is the internet stored?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRmxXp62O8g
Can we give Celine Dion back to you?
we should try turning the CRTC off and back on again.
I think "Ohhhh Yeaaaahhh" would have been the better line.
In traditional Canadian fashion.
I'm guessing it will, as soon as someone explains to them how the internet actually works.
Regulators
are
Totally
Clueless
Remember this acronym next time you start questioning something the CRTC is doing. It'll help ease the mental anguish.
I never finish anyth
First of all, it started because Bell was selling "flat-rate unlimited high-speed internet". When people took them up on their offer, the traffic started buckling their network, and they cheated their way out by covertly limiting it. That's not an acceptable business practise.
And second, examining data packets to give priority to those originating from certain applications over those originating from other applications is such a blatantly dangerous slippery-slope idea that it should be banned. Say Bell comes out with its own paying phone-over-internet software. What do you think they'll do to those packets coming from their competitors' free softwares?
Man, how did you all miss the major point so badly? It's not really regulation, it's a cash grab.
They want a levy in order to fund some cancon. Stupid and greedy, but not really regulation.
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
Highlights of the conclusions:
On whether the CRTC should impose regulations to increase Canadian content online: NO. Quote the CRTC chairman: "Any intervention on our part would only get in the way of innovation. "
On whether the government should institute an ISP tax and give the money collected to the various actor, writer, director guilds: NO. The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists is pissed, and already calling it the end of Canadian-produced content as we know it.
On whether ISPs qualify as broadcasters and are therefore subject to the same rules on supporting Canadian content as TV and radio broadcasters: Handed to the Federal Court of Appeal to judge.
On ISP network management policies (i.e. traffic shaping): Deferred to a separate hearing in July.
Given the high pace of change in the online community, the decision is set to be reviewed in five years.
Overall, a pretty good outcome
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[5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
Goddamn Canadians can't even fuck up properly
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