OTTAWA—The federal government is gearing up to overhaul its Canadian content rules for the digital age but that process shouldn’t drag out too long, suggests one producer.
There are stark differences of opinion over how best to help Canada’s cultural industries adapt to cyberspace, with the business models for everyone from filmmakers to book publishers being upended.
The federal government is now looking at a major update to the system of funding and regulations that have fostered Canada’s creative industries. Solutions are anything but clear.
“It’s a little early to have a recipe for a challenge that is very important and daunting,” said Brian Hamilton, the principal and executive producer of Omnifilm Entertainment and a board member of the Canadian Media Producers Association.
“There is no obvious magical solution.”
That said, the longer it takes to settle on a new regulatory system, the harder it will be for independent producers, he said.
“While the rules are rethought, the system tends to slow down and less programming is made. It is hard on small companies.”
