Get Out of My Computer! (Threats of Regulating the Internet in Canada)


[Awesome B&W photo above by Christian Fosatti.]

Jeezus, that thought scares me. Yes, broadcasters are actively cajoling the CRTC into regulating the Internet in Canada. Why? Because they see their stranglehold over Canadian ad dollars slipping away, end of story. They want it both ways: the Canadian broadcaster wants as LITTLE regulation as possible when it comes to airing Canadian content, so that they can continue to make the big bucks on ad spending during the airing of U.S. shows; but now that eyeballs are drifting over to Heavy.com and YouTube.com and MyDamnChannel.com, well, they're terrified. And now they're crying like little babies about the lack of regulation of the Internet. The CRTC wisely allowed market forces to govern the Internet, and the Canadian TV networks realize that you and me and some guy named Gord in Powell River can be a broadcaster too. Oh, so NOW they want regulation. The same broadcasters who arm-twisted the CRTC into relaxing several regulatory rules, thereby allowing broadcasters to count reality TV as Canadian "dramatic" programming, as well as attempting to stretch the "prime time" slots for Canadian programs towards midnight on Saturday nights when no one would be watching. (See, the Canadian networks don't care if you watch Canadian TV--they just put it on the air because the CRTC makes them do it as a price to pay for getting the right to air American content in "real prime time," like Thursday night at 8 pm!)

Thing is, I'm absolutely 100% for regulation of the television networks and Canadian cable signals. If we didn't have regulation we'd have no Canadian content on our own channels at all. But the key is that CRTC regulation, in the ancient television world, is a force which protects the interests of THE PEOPLE. The CRTC regulations are NOT primarily designed to protect executives' salaries at CTV and Global, despite what those executives might think. The CRTC regulations are NOT designed to preserve share value of Canadian networks either. Market forces dictate those things. In fact the networks themselves employ very few people directly (relative to other industries, and I'm not including the freelance production community, which again only gets work because the CRTC forces the networks to finance some Canadian shows). But here the networks are lobbying for CRTC regulation of the Internet to protect THEMSELVES not to protect the people. The earth-shattering difference is that the Internet is already democratized and Canadians can create content and get it out to their fellow citizens at will. So regulation of the Internet by the CRTC is not needed to keep Canadian stories on the Net the way it's needed to ensure the existence of Canadian stories on traditional network television. Any Canadian, any time can put their story out there on the Net.

See, Canadian network television signals were rare and precious and deserving of regulation because they were LIMITED. Only a few companies had access to them, because at the very least it takes millions of dollars and a corporate infrastructure to become a TV network. Plus, a network consisted of a SINGLE CHANNEL delivered to many cities at once. So if you're Channel 8, well then you have a licence to a LIMITED piece of real estate, which is in fact owned by the Canadian people. The network is regulated because we want to ensure that the network operates on that piece of precious Canadian real estate with our best interests in mind. Reminder: the network doesn't OWN that channel. It operates there under a licence that the people (i.e., the government) has given to the network as long as certain obligations are met (e.g., airing stories and news relevant to Canada as well as making too much money on American shows bought on the cheap).

So now we're in the digital age where there is no limit to the number of channels. The number of channels is infinite. Every Canadian can have one as soon as they post their home videos on their blogs. And it doesn't takes hundreds of millions to run a "network." It's free or almost free to anyone with an Internet connection. See how terrifying that is to the networks? It's not surprising the networks suddenly want regulation of the Internet. North Korea and Iran have regulation of the Internet too: it's about control. And control is usually really about money. The Internet threatens the salaries and dividends of the very rich families behind the Canadian networks. But now it's actually the NON-REGULATION of the Internet that provides the most powerful way in history to get Canadian voices out to the people. It's what the CRTC regulations were all about in the first place: not about protecting network exec's salaries, but about ensuring that the airwaves were owned by Canadians. We do own the Internet. Just like every citizen in the world owns the Internet. And we should fight to keep it that way before corporate interests try to control our access and our voices for their own ends.

Because what the networks really want is to apply the old world television definition of "broadcaster" (a regulated entity) to any individual who starts putting videos online and making money from them. That's right. If you're a filmmaker or write a blog and you start a web page that attracts advertising revenue, the Canadian networks want you to be defined as a "broadcaster" so they can shut you down. See why I find that scary?

But I envision a day when government cultural subsidies go not to broadcasters and politically connected production companies, but directly to the artists who make content, which is then distributed online right to your television set. Like a future Best-of-Canada-Channel.com, where the funniest Canadian comedy, the most compelling Canadian docs, the most valuable Canadain news, and the most gripping Canadian drama can be viewed by Canadians. It will be created by Canadians, and the Canadian audiences will benefit as well as the artists and storytellers who make the content.

In short, let's not forget who is really supposed to be protected by CRTC regulation: the people. Not the networks. I hope Canadians have the gumption to keep the Internet owned by the people, for the people. And when you hear arguments that Canadians watch too much American internet, well, then we should lobby for more moneys to help Canadians make and promote their sites online to get Canadian eyeballs watching Canadian stories again. But we should NOT be brainwashed into believing that we therefore need to hand control of Internet distribution to broadcasters or even to the government. I believe we really can tell stuff the world wants to watch. And a democratized Internet that's freely accessible to all will help ensure those Canadian stories gets out there.

What the WGA Strike Means to You



Also see this article on the subject over at FreshDV.

I'd still like to read some analysis of how such strikes affect non-union writers and filmmakers. I mean, obviously having the protection of a guild/union is invaluable. Creative contributions will NEVER be valued to the degree they should be without such protection. But will non-union writers working for below scale (often WELL below scale) find more work as a result? There is increasing non-union (i.e., truly indie or DIY content) being made every year. The DVD market could easily be flooded with non-union films, if a producer is able to invest in a non-union project without violating their own adherence to WGA rules.

Then again, the adage that you get what you pay for may well hold true: the quality of scripts by unknown, non-union writers may be so much lower that it's not worth the risk to a producer. On the other hand, let's not forget that every union writer was an unknown, non-union writer at one time too.

In the end, I would like to see every writer--both union and non-union--refuse to work for below scale, whether during a strike or not. That's just not a reality for non-union writers, however. And in case any WGA members with dual-citizenship plan on trying to make some money in Canada (which is not on strike) over the next few months, be aware that animation writers in Canada, despite being covered by the WGC, don't even have minimum script fees--and the "standard rates" seem to be dropping each year rather than rising. You see, animation fees are "subject to negotiation," but a starving writer has very little negotiating power. That's why we need a healthy union on both sides of the border. I think the situation warrants some serious attention here in Canada, though I doubt Canadian writers have the guts and gumption that the American writers are showing right now. (Then again, with the appallingly low rates for scripts in Canada, we have a lot less to lose, and a strike might not have as much impact on our livelihoods as the comparatively flush US writers working for "the Networks.")

In the end, I still think it would be nice to see more writers pick up a camera or hook up with someone who can pick up a camera so that they own more of their own work. Then if the film makes money online the artists can keep most of it, and not just the relatively small amount they'll probably derive after a the strike. As distribution becomes democratized via the Internet, more writers need to flex their muscle by creating content they own directly. I think that could also send a very loud message to the studios. They need our words and ideas more than they know. And we're not just going to give it away. The Internet will soon be the ONLY way audiences receive content (whether it's viewed on a TV or a computer screen). It's a fight writers can't afford to lose.