CCA Bulletin 8/11
March 1, 2011
National Digital Strategy: the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage makes a series of recommendations
Just the Facts
Almost a year after it began its study of digital media, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage has published its report Emerging and Digital Media: Opportunities and Challenges.
The context for the study relates to two earlier reports published by the committee: one on the impact of emerging and digital media on Canadian public broadcasting (CBC/Radio-Canada: Defining Distinctiveness in the Changing Media Landscape) and another on local television (Issues and Challenges Related to Local Television). In those studies, it was concluded that the developments in emerging and digital media are changing the environment for other cultural industries such as radio broadcasting, book publishing, magazine publishing, music publishing and film distribution. Given the rapidly changing media environment and the profound impact emerging and digital media are having on all aspects of culture, the committee decided that it should study the overall impact of emerging and digital media.
Tell me more
With the help of witnesses including arts organizations, individual creators and institutions, the committee developed a list of 26 recommendations. The Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) took part in the process and is quoted no less than six times in the 44-page report with regards to the relationship between creators and consumers in the digital arena; the necessity for training artists in the realm of digital technology; the challenge of developing successful business models for emerging and digital media; the crucial role of the Copyright Act and the importance of ensuring proper remuneration for creators; the link to foreign trade negotiations; and the importance of Canadian ownership of telecommunications and cultural industries in the development of a national digital strategy. At least two recommendations in the report seem to come directly from the CCA’s presentation.
Without diminishing the importance of any of the recommendations made by the committee, here are the ones we find particularly crucial:
Recommendation 1
The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada support efforts by federal institutions to digitize Canada’s documentary heritage and make it available to Canadians.
Recommendation 4
The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada examine ways of supporting libraries in their efforts to digitize everything that is free of copyright.
Recommendation 5
The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada continue to make efforts to ensure that all Canadians have access to high-speed broadband internet.
Recommendation 8
The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada examine the proposal of the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS) for the establishment of community operated multimedia centres and access to its material online as a way of encouraging people to develop digital skills.
Recommendation 10
The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada take measures to protect creative works from copyright piracy.
Recommendation 15
The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada strengthen the digital media components of its programs for arts and culture.
Recommendation 17
The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada reinvest some of the money it receives from the next spectrum auction in a digital strategy.
Recommendation 18
The Committee recommends that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ensure that net neutrality be respected.
Recommendation 22
The committee recommends that the Government of Canada increase funding to the Canada Media Fund.
Recommendation 23
The Committee recommends that the Canada Media Fund consider approaches to allow producers to access funding without having a pre-sale from a Canadian broadcaster.
Recommendation 25
The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada ensure that trade agreements do not include the right to sue regulatory agencies.
Recommendation 26
The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada continue to ensure that the Canadian broadcasting sector remains under Canadian ownership.
To view the entire list of recommendations, go to page 41 of the report.
What are your thoughts on this bulletin? Let us know on our blog.
|
