Regulate and Chill

Last year, the CBC’s parliamentary grant totalled $1.27 billion — some $30 from each taxpayer. In return, the Mother Corp had to obey conditions set by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, including that 85 percent of video programming consist of homegrown content. This requirement — along with the funding — has become increasingly controversial amid the rise of social media and streaming services. Simply put, fewer and fewer Canadians pay attention to their national broadcaster for entertainment and news. They turn to alternative sources like Facebook, Netflix, and YouTube, while the content funded by their tax dollars goes unwatched.

Enter Bill C‑11, the Online Streaming Act. Howard Law traces the origins of this contentious measure — which requires streamers to contribute to the creation, distribution, and production of Canadian content — in Canada vs California. The former director of media locals for Unifor, Law completed...