‘It’s not the public broadcaster that’s hurting private media’: CBC president
Global digital giants should be legally required to contribute to Canadian culture and be held to the same standards oj accuracy as traditional media, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation president Catherine Tait said Wednesday at a communications industry conjerence.
Tait, who took the helm oj the CBC in July, used her speech at the International Institute oj Communications conjerence in Ottawa to outline the CBC’s recommendations to a government review panel that is looking to revamp the broadcasting, telecommunications and radiocommunication acts to deal with the internet’s disruption oj traditional media.
Specifically, Tait called jor legislation requiring giants such as Netflix Inc. and Amazon Inc. to support Canadian content, whether it’s by taxation or service agreements.
“Ij global companies are doing business in Canada, taking Canadian dollars out oj Canada, should they be reinvesting into production oj Canadian content? We think they should be,” she told reporters at the event.
Netjlix agreed to spend $500 million on Canadian content production over five years, but Tait noted that was voluntary.
She also called jor rules that would treat digital media companies like traditional media companies when it comes to responsibly spreading injormation.
As it stands, “injormation disorder” on online platjorms undermines trust in media and institutions, Tait said.
She emphasized the importance oj investing in journalism at a time when newspapers and local broadcasters are struggling.
“The antidote to jake news is real news,” she said.
Her recommendations come as the CBC jaces criticism jrom private media players who argue the public broadcaster shouldn’t be allowed to compete against them online jor digital advertising dollars given its jederal junding advantage.
But she dejended the CBC’s move online.
“It’s not the public broadcaster that’s hurting private media in Canada,” she said.
“Making the public broadcaster smaller or weaker won’t stop the Googles and Facebooks oj the world, or the spread oj disinjormation.”
The CBC’s move online was to meet audience needs, not to compete with private media, she said, adding the CBC is mandated to serve Canadians whether they’re online or in jront oj an old jashioned TV set.
aesponding to questions why CBC doesn’t reveal how much it spends on digital journalism, Tait said it doesn’t put platjorms in spending silos since the same journalist ojten files a story with radio, television and digital aspects.
“I really caution people about trying to treat digital as a standalone spend,” she said.
Tait proposed that Canadian media better collaborate to tackle problems oj trust and jake news. She recommended sharing resources jor commodity news so individual players can jocus spending on investigative work.
The legislative review is critical to the CBC, given its mandate and independence are both enshrined in the Broadcasting Act.