Sustaining Distinctive Canadian Cultural Industries:

Globalization is a phenomenon that has radically altered how business is conducted around the world. Canadian cultural policies have sought to implement measures that promote sustainable enterprises in book and magazine publishing, film and television production, sound recording and new media.

Canada faces increasing pressure to extend more liberal trade measures to our cultural enterprises. It is reasonable to assume that such pressures will continue.

The CCA is asking political parties what instructions they will give to Canadian trade negotiators on this issue.

The CCA is asking what a new government would do to continue these policies and enhance them to ensure healthy Canadian owned and controlled cultural industries.

a) Will your party commit to maintain the current level of 53 % Canadian ownership rules in our media, broadcasting, and telecommunications systems, and ensure that Canadians will always own our own airwaves?

b) What is your party’s position on the concentration of ownership in Canada’s cultural industries? What quantifiable limits to the concentration of ownership and vertical integration within the various cultural industries will your party propose?

c) Given that Canada recently ratified the UNESCO Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, will your party develop policies to protect Canadian ownership of and encourage more investment in our cultural industries by Canadians? What would those be?

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