In the new media hearings, the chair emphasized a fundamental principle in his conversation with SOCAN, reminding the witnesses that in the new media world, the consumer is in control, not the content provider. Consumers will find the content they want, regardless of where in the world it is hosted.
SOCAN was asking for regulatory constraints on Canadian hosted websites to require that Canadian content be made available. SOCAN suggests that Canadians want to have access to Canadian content, so the Chair wanted to know why it needs to be regulated. If there is a commercial advantage to making Canadian content available, why does it need to be regulated? In the alternative, since consumers can seek out content world wide, why would we want to disadvantage Canadian operators of websites.
SOCAN suggested that a commercial website including professional blogging sites could be subject to government licensing requirements under the Broadcast Act. Commissioner Denton suggested that SOCAN’s proposal could result in significant government restrictions in the ability for Canadians to speak. SOCAN’s response was to push the problem back onto the CRTC – that it would be the Commission’s job to carve out some kind of subset of Canada’s websites upon which to impose licensing restrictions.
Most government licenses are viewed by the investment community as assets; this one would make most investors run away.
SOCAN said that they want to make sure that at least the archives section of websites have available Canadian content. In that case, why not ask the national archives to build a repository – a giant bunker of on-line content? Index it properly and the world will be able to find it. Let Canadian hosted sites succeed or fail on their own.
It is really shameful to see so many organizations coming together to try to control the internet. There are already too many restrictions on devices you purchase (PVR’s being locked down) because these organizations fear what they do not understand.
When consumers get fed up with ‘content’ control or quality, they look elsewhere. Colin Mochrie wants to regulate the internet so Canadian artists have a chance in the massive sea of the world’s content.
Why do Canadian content creators fear competition so much? Do they doubt their own quality? It certainly seems that way. And regulation is certainly a great way to alienate your consumers, which results in them simply turning elsewhere.
SOCAN and the like, adapt or move over! Give us something we want or step aside! You can’t truly represent creativity if you can’t be creative enough to see the advantages of the global internet. You’ll also set precedents you don’t want, suppose the US does the same, you’ll lose those viewers!! Did you think of that? Doesn’t sound like you did.
I like the national archives idea… much like http://nfb.ca has just done.