e-1137 (Radio and television programming)

Petition to the Minister of Canadian Heritage

• The Canadian screen-based production sector generated $8.5 billion in economic activity and created over 140,000 middle-class jobs in 2016, including $2.9 billion producing original Canadian content;
• The Minister of Heritage has shown a commitment to a strong Canadian cultural sector and a thriving screen-based industry that supports made-in-Canada production of compelling, original content that stands out on the world stage;
• The recent decisions on broadcast licence renewals by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) stray from Canada’s broadcasting policy objectives, harm the Minister’s positive vision, and threaten the production of distinct and innovative content in both French and English;
• These decisions directly threaten Programs of National Interest (PNI), which promote the diverse stories of Canadians;
• These decisions slash the obligations of broadcasters to invest in independent English-language PNI production, and have already moved broadcasters to cancel a number of original, independently-produced French and English shows; and
• The CRTC’s decisions undermine both the livelihoods and fair treatment of Canadian creators, opportunities for young and emerging talent, and the quality and diversity of Canadian content on offer to audiences at home and around the world.