CRTC head unclear on implications of SVoD U-turn as Canadian industry seethes

Vicky Eatrides speaking at Banff

Kristian Bogner

BANFF: The head of Canada’s broadcasting watchdog has said she remains unclear what impact the government’s apparent U-turn on regulating streaming services will mean for how the Online Streaming Act (OSA) is implemented.

Speaking in a keynote at Banff World Media Festival on Monday, Vicky Eatrides, chairperson and CEO of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), said until new policy directions are given by the government “it’s hard to know precisely how that might affect our work.”

The government has indicated it will “adjust” the implementation of the OSA, with a focus on keeping streaming and broadcasting affordable, protecting consumer choice, “ensuring flexibility for both online streamers and Canadian broadcasters” and using “new government investments” to support the sector. It does now, however, mention mandating US streamers to contribute to the Canadian system – a fundamental intention of the OSA when it was first passed in 2023.

As it awaits further direction from the government, Eatrides said the CRTC remains focused on supporting a modern and sustainable broadcasting system for Canada and continuing the “adaptation” that has “always been part of our regulatory landscape.”

Producers and creators that C21 has spoken with here at Banff continue to be more than a little spooked by the government’s change of heart on regulating streamers like Netflix, Disney+ and Paramount+.

Kyle Irving, co-owner and executive producer at Eagle Vision Group, as well as board chair of the Canadian Media Producers Association, said he was “supportive” of the government giving the industry stop-gap funding but warned that abandoning plans to regulate streaming service would be a “huge mistake,” with potentially existential consequences for the Canadian TV and film sector.

Toby Dormer, Blink49 Studios’ president of unscripted in Canada, said the uncertainty created by the government’s backpedalling is sowing the seeds of chaos in the market, both for buyers and sellers.

“The lack of clarity is confusing for buyers in Canada, and also for us as producers. It’s hard for us to strategise when we don’t know what the future will hold, and it comes at a time when Canadian content, for many reasons, is really, really popular,” he said.

Ann Shin, CEO and executive producer at Fathom Film Group, agreed that producers are struggling build for the future when the ground is constantly shifting under their feet.

“A lot of development [is required] for drama or comedy, let alone unscripted, and the development timeline and investments that producers have to make to develop are done against an uncertain future,” she said. “So if we had rails on the road, and we knew what to expect for that future cash flow, we’d be better able to take those risks.”

Irving also argued that while the C$600m (US$430m) the government has promised to inject annually into the TV and film industry has created splashy headlines, the amount of money it will see is far less than that, with the exec estimating it might be around 25% – the equivalent of about C$150m.

“This room full of independent producers will not be very fond of the amount of money that you’re actually going to see. Out of that C$600m is probably, if you’re lucky, a quarter or less, and that is concerning, especially when you think about the original [15% contribution] decision from the CRTC,” he said.

“Let’s hope that the stop gap of the C$600m is done right, that enough money goes to independent production for it to matter and make up the shortfall that we felt for many years now. That’s essential.”