Corus entertainment facing unfair regulatory environment While foreign streaming giants collect cash from Canadians without contributing their fair share to the local economy Corus has to commit
- 30 per cent of its last year revenues ($1.6 Billion) to Canadian Programming Expenditures and
- 8.5 per cent to Programs of National Interest
- 0.17 per cent to the Factor and Musicaction funds
Imagine the unfairness of having to pay 40 per cent of the revenues you made the previous year while your current revenues for the year declined because of higher costs (interest rate rose 5 per cent in the last year) while your direct US competitors are paying and have been paying zero for decades. Corus has been subsidizing Canadian content production for the longest time and this needs to stop. Regulators need to speed up the process of levelling the playing field through bills C11 and C18.
OTTAWA – Unions representing workers in media production and screenwriting are asking the CRTC to reject an application by Corus to reduce its Canadian content obligations.
The media company filed a Part 1 application in November asking the CRTC to reduce its Canadian programming expenditure (CPE) amount from 30 per cent to 25 per cent of previous year’s revenues and to reduce from 8.5 to 5 per cent its obligation to programs of national interest (PNI) in large part because it has had to compete against unregulated online streamers. In July 2022, the regulator renewed Corus’s licence for another two years, but did not amend those obligations as the company asked.
Corus is also asking for the CRTC to discontinue its temporary obligation to direct 0.17 per cent of previous revenues to the Factor and the Musicaction funds.
https://cartt.ca/creative-unions-ask-crtc-to-reject-corus-request-to-lighten-cancon-obligations/