The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is requiring online streaming services, such as Netflix, to contribute five per cent of their Canadian revenue to support at-home broadcasting.
A chunk of that money, 1.5 per cent, will go to the Independent Local News Fund (ILNF), a move to fund local news that is being applauded by Unifor. It said it has been advocating for “American streamers” to pay their fare share to the Canadian broadcasting system for more than 15 years.
“Foreign streamers have been competing directly with Canadian broadcasters, and they should have the same responsibilities and obligations to support local news and Canadian storytelling,” said Lana Payne, Unifor national president.
These obligations will start in the 2024-2025 broadcast year and will provide an estimated $200 million per year in new funding, which includes approximately $60 million for the ILNF.
“The funding will go to areas in the Canadian broadcasting system in dire need of support, such as local news on radio and television, French-language content, Indigenous content, and content created by and for equity-deserving communities, official language minority communities, and Canadians of diverse backgrounds,” Unifor said in a press release.
It noted that Bell Media, Rogers Media and Corus Media all had layoffs in 2023, with Bell Media alone wiping out 1,300 jobs last June.
Unifor lost over 120 broadcast media members in 2023, and this year, the union has already seen 163 jobs eliminated.
“In an age of disinformation, Canadians will depend on trusted news sources more than ever. The decline of local television news is not simply a function of a change in television viewing habits, it is a result of systematic failure to regulate and properly fund and support it,” said Unifor Media Director Randy Kitt.
“There may be a reluctance from foreign streamers to cooperate with these initiatives, but they have a responsibility to Canadians to contribute to the Canadian broadcasting system in a meaningful way, since they profit from it. It is essential the Commission and the government have a strong resolve against these American streaming giants.”
Unifor represents more than 10,000 media workers, including 5,000 members in the broadcast and film industries.
