The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission some time ago indicated it had no purview over the Internet as a regulatory agency. But it has decided now to examine how broadcast content is flowing in an unregulated way online.
Its announcement today is a little cryptic because the issues themselves are still somewhat vague, but it clearly wants to take a look at how such online content commingles with broadcast regulations and programming requirements in Canada.
For the uninitiated, Canada imposes spending and scheduling requirements on broadcast licence holders in order to stimulate domestic production and cultivate domestic audiences for television and radio. The so-called Canadian content rules have been in effect for more than three decades and have been a factor in the development of Canadian music and programming.
The sense is that, if left unfettered by regulation, existing and emerging sites that aggregate and present content across the Internet could hurt Canadian broadcasters.
The review starts in February.
