Heritage Minister introduces Bill C-11: The Online Streaming Act
BIPOC TV & FILM welcomes Canadian Heritage's introduction of Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act.
We look forward to engaging with the Ministry of Canadian Heritage, industry stakeholders, our community and the leadership of other equity seeking organizations and movements within our sector on the Bill, in particular the potential impact on and opportunities it may present for BIPOC creators within the screen media industry.
The Bill, announced on February 2, 2022, proposes five key objectives:
Clarify the scope of the Act to include online undertakings, such as Crave, Netflix, Disney+ and Tou.tv, so they are part of Canada’s regulatory system;
Ensure programming reflects Indigenous culture in Canada and is accessible to persons with disabilities;
Grant the CRTC more flexibility in imposing regulations;
Modernize how the CRTC enforces regulation; and Clarify the difference between amateur and commercial online content
“The Online Streaming Act will ensure that our industry can continue to thrive and Canadian creators can tell their stories in the digital age, but the Act will also translate to guaranteed investment in original Canadian programming from multi-billion dollar streaming services and promote a diverse range of world-class content for viewers.” — Warren P. Sonoda, Directors Guild of Canada president and BIPOC TV and Film board member (Source: Playback)