Unifor, the union representing Canadian media workers, is calling on the federal broadcasting regulator to stop giving foreign streaming services a free ride.
At the last week of the CRTC’s hearing today, July 3, Unifor’s media director Randy Kitt argued that companies like Netflix, Disney, and Apple should be treated the same as Canadian broadcasters when it comes to rules and funding obligations.
“Listening to the foreign streamers you would think that a duck is not a duck,” said Kitt. “We must not be fooled when they ruffle their feathers and quack and claim they’re not a duck.”
He pointed out that these platforms do the same things as Canadian broadcasters: create content, distribute it, and charge for access. The only real difference is they use the internet instead of cable or over-the-air signals. Unifor says that’s not a valid reason to avoid regulation.
Unifor wants foreign streaming services to contribute 25% of their Canadian revenue to support Canadian programming. That would match what domestic broadcasters pay. They also want some of that funding to go specifically to news, especially local news.
“Canadian news programming, and especially local news, must be defined as services of exceptional importance,” the union said. “Extra supports for news must be created.” Unifor is also urging the CRTC to push for mandatory carriage of important Canadian content—meaning it should be featured prominently on all platforms.
The union raised concerns about the growing size and power gap between foreign tech giants and Canadian companies. For example: “Disney’s market cap is roughly ten times that of BCE. And Apple’s market cap is 172 times that of BCE,” said Kitt. “The difference in financial scale is truly staggering.”
They say the CRTC must ensure fair negotiations between these global players and smaller Canadian media companies — and that foreign services should carry the burden of proving they’re negotiating in good faith.
Unifor also supports new laws that would make it illegal for streamers to lock up exclusive rights to major cultural events — such as elections, disasters, or big Canadian sports moments—behind paywalls.
“The Tragically Hip’s last concert is another example of a production that we believe was a significant cultural event,” the union said.
Unifor concluded they see this as a critical moment for the future of Canadian media. “We are currently standing on the edge… Respectfully, please do not underestimate the importance of the decisions you make here.”
Last month, Unifor urged the CRTC to bail out newsrooms from Rogers and Bell, saying, “Elbows up. Don’t give concessions to foreign streamers just to appease them. It won’t work out for us in the end.”
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With a significant amount of filming and production taking place in Canada for TV and Film, almost everything is Canadian content now. The tax credits have been more effective than the Cancon fee ever was.