Heritage Committee hears final witnesses on Online News Act

Canada’s Online News Act could serve as a template for countries around the world who are seeking to protect legacy media from the overwhelming power of Google Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. This was part of the testimony at the House of Commons Committee on Canadian Heritage as it heard its final witnesses on Bill C-18 on Friday. “The fact that this bill has improved materially on the Australian model has significantly increased the likelihood that other countries, such as the UK, Germany, South Africa and maybe even the US, will very soon adopt a similar model.” Taylor Owen of McGill University stated. “And it is this likelihood, not of Canadian implementation but of its global spread that I think has shaped the character of the platforms’ response to this bill.” Lots of countries are in the same position as Canada and are paying close attention to what this nation does. Owen was critical of the secret deals Google and Meta have signed with some mainstream publishers, saying their non disclosure agreements lack transparency. He originally preferred a news fund rather than negotiation but has come around to the government’s way of thinking. During the question and answer session, Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu mentioned that Owen has received funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage and asked if he was not in a conflict of interest by speaking in favour of a bill proposed by that ministry. “I’m not sure I appreciate the tone of that frankly.” the professor shot back. “My research institution at the university has received funding through the Digital Citizens Initiative as have hundreds of organizations across the country. So if none of those organizations are capable of speaking to a bill on which they have academic expertise, then I think our public policy debate is greatly diminished in this country.” Other witnesses decried the lack of participation for media outlets that produce content outside of English or French. Jean LaRose is president and CEO of Dadan Sivunivut, the organization which handles all of APTN’s non-television properties, including radio stations and a news service. He has long been critical of the bill for not reaching out to First Nations people. “But the bill needs to better reflect the unique place of indigenous news organizations based on Canada’s commitment to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” he told the committee. “UNDRIP includes the express recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples to operate our own media in our own languages. At the least, Bill C-18 should place indigenous news outlets on the same footing as nonindigenous local news services.” Maria Sara-Voutsinas, executive director of the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, said the situation was the same for her membership. They have been particularly hurt by the economics of the COVID pandemic. “We are just as impacted as the mainstream media,” she said. “We have always competed for advertising dollars to survive. Advertisers, including government, turned to digital advertisers. For context, the government spent more on Facebook and Instagram advertising last year than all print publications combined, both mainstream and ethnic.” Google and Meta have not signed any agreements with ethnic news media, she explained. She also urged the committee to loosen the rules on what is defined as an eligible publisher. Owner-operators who contribute to their own publications should be included in the bill, she stated. Randy Kitt is the media sector director for the Unifor union which represents thousands of broadcasters and print journalists. Much of his testimony was a reiteration of what he told the Senate about the Online Streaming Act, Bill C-11, earlier this week. The union is solidly behind both pieces of legislation. “Where has all the advertising gone? American web giants Google and Facebook have cornered the world advertising market. Their market share dominance is an abuse of power where they dictate terms and price,” he asserted. He also advocated for a news fund but conceded the model proposed in C-18 would not face as many legal challenges. Making his second appearance before the committee was the University of Ottawa’s Michael Geist, who testified last September. He repeated much of earlier testimony. He reminded MPs that while Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez was correct that over 400 media outlets have closed since 2008, more than 200 new news operations have started up. Unifor’s Kitt noted that it was large organizations that were laying off workers or shutting down entirely and the new sites were manned by one or two people. Geist was critical of the public broadcaster being eligible to receive funding from web platforms. “CBC news content, I think, is a public good for which facilitating access should be encouraged,” he said. Committee vice-chair Kevin Waugh, a retired broadcaster, attacked the bill for letting most of the funding go to big broadcasting outlets like BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., and the CBC. He asked Randy Kitt of Unifor (a union to which Waugh once belonged) why the big players should get any money under C-18. “Why shouldn’t the broadcasters be included and we applaud the government for making this bill platform agnostic,” Kitt countered. “Facebook and Google profit from broadcast news just the same as print journalism.” Amendments to the bill must be submitted by next Thursday. Committee chair Hedy Fry told the panel she hopes to move to clause by clause study by Nov. 18. –Reporting by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca and editing by Jenna Cocullo at jcocullo@thewirereport.ca.

Heritage Committee hears final witnesses on Online News Act

Broadcast | November 4, 2022

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us

Heritage Committee hears final witnesses on Online News Act

Broadcast | November 4, 2022

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Related Stories

Netflix pulling funding from Canadian arts programs due to Online Streaming Act

CTRC considering updating eligibility for Independent Local News Fund

Blue Ant joins broadcasters in call for CanCon relief

Meta considers blocking Facebook news in Australia

Reuse & Permissions

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us