Corus separately lobbied gov’t on journalism tax credits

Corus Entertainment Inc. registered to lobby the government to promote the eligibility of broadcasters for a new journalism tax initiative announced by the federal government late last year. The five-year, $595-million tax benefit for newspapers has irked broadcasters because it excludes them, while a report from the panel tasked with divvying up the credits noted the vulnerability of media outlets not covered by the program. The Canadian Association of Broadcasters, which includes Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc. and Corus, has been outspoken about its criticism of the decision, claiming cuts to the industry will be inevitable if broadcasters are not included. Despite already being represented by the CAB, Corus had registered in February to lobby the government separately. Its registration included “potential initiatives related to supporting Canadian journalism, specifically refundable tax credits to support news organizations.” It joins Cogeco Inc. and the CAB -- which began lobbying on the issue at the beginning of the year -- in asking the government to expand the enrollment cohort. “As the CAB has said, the federal government’s decision to explicitly exclude news broadcasters from the journalism tax credit was ‘arbitrary and unfair,’ Troy Reeb, executive vice-president of broadcast networks at Corus, said in an emailed statement. “What we have said is that if relief is to be offered, it should be offered to all providers equally,” he added. Last week, the Quebec government pledged $5 million in aid to a local newspaper chain called Groupe Capitales Médias -- which owns six newspapers in some of the province’s largest markets -- after it filed for bankruptcy protection. “The issues of sustainability in local news are just as real for broadcasters as they are for newspapers,” Reeb added. The tax benefits were announced in the fall economic statement and were fleshed out in the budget in March. The support measures include a tax credit for journalism organizations, a tax credit for subscriptions to Canadian digital news, and charitable tax incentives for not-for-profit journalism. Corus, which owns the Global News brand, cited the Reuters Institute in noting that broadcasting is the “largest source of local news for Canadians,” echoing similar comments from the CAB.

Corus separately lobbied gov’t on journalism tax credits

Brief | August 28, 2019

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Corus separately lobbied gov’t on journalism tax credits

Brief | August 28, 2019

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