The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is calling for amendments to Bill C-11 which seeks to amend the Broadcasting Act to regulate online businesses.
The Provincial Council of the communications sector of the union affiliated with the FTQ pleaded Monday before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage for an expansion of the regulatory power of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CTRC).
He recommends expanding the CRTC’s regulatory power to fund local news and community television, allowing it to examine, in particular, the rates of online companies.
“We need new legislation quickly to allow broadcasters to return to profitability and protect jobs, but in its current form, Bill C-11 contains too many uncertainties,” said Valin-Landry, president of the CPSC.
The CPSC suggests an amendment of an article to better clarify what the Canadian broadcasting system is in a context of market opening and to avoid the sale of Canadian broadcasting undertakings to foreign interests.
“The CRTC’s mission and responsibility should also be strengthened with respect to what we call the guiding objectives of Canadian broadcasting policy, primarily Canadian ownership and control of broadcasting undertakings, Canadian programming and Canadian jobs. offered by the Canadian broadcasting system,” added Nathalie Blais, an advisor to CUPE’s research department.
