CRTC hears debate on considering 'cultural element' when defining Canadian content

Anja Karadeglija · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 20, 2025 4:56 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

The national broadcast regulator is considering whether it should see a "cultural element" successful its caller explanation of Canadian content.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is holding a nationalist proceeding from May 14-27 successful Gatineau, Que., that successful portion is looking astatine defining Canadian content.

The CRTC has said that portion it's leaning distant from including a taste constituent successful its contented test, it's unfastened to proceeding different viewpoints during the two-week hearing.

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre said connected Tuesday that the CRTC should instrumentality to its existent approach, which looks astatine whether Canadians are employed successful cardinal originative positions.

The consumers' radical pointed to the United Kingdom, noting it has a peculiar institute to reappraisal and measure whether projected taste references successful a accumulation suffice arsenic "sufficiently British."

"We presumption a imaginable Canadian exertion of this approach, oregon immoderate different taste elements test, wherever a tiny radical of radical would beryllium attempting to objectively specify what and who is culturally Canadian, arsenic being highly problematic," the advocacy centre said successful a written transcript of its opening connection astatine the hearing.

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It besides warned that accumulation companies could exploit Canadian stereotypes to get astir immoderate "cultural element" test.

"An American portrayal of however a Canadian quality would talk oregon behave, for example, cannot beryllium considered Canadian content," it said. "It is simply a practice of the American taste presumption of Canada."

The broadcast regulator has heard from others during the proceeding who are successful favour of including civilization successful the modernized explanation of CanCon.

The National Film Board, which appeared Friday, has argued that present is the clip to see taste elements successful the explanation of Canadian content.

It said successful its anterior written submission that not having a taste constituent successful the explanation could effect successful harmful semipermanent consequences and risks erasing "what makes america who we are."

The movie committee pointed to taste tests utilized successful countries specified arsenic Australia, France, Italy and Britain.

"These countries employment taste elements alongside different criteria, specified arsenic nationality of cardinal originative roles and ownership," the NFB said. It said those taste elements see societal oregon governmental relevance, however the mode of beingness is depicted and recognizable locations oregon figures, among others.

"Our nationalist surface civilization has agelong operated connected a explanation of 'CanCon' that has excluded taste elements. This attack has contributed to Canadians' inability to admit erstwhile a communicative is of us," the NFB submission said.