Consulting with new media creators paramount: Oda

On June 1, Heritage minister Bev Oda addressed the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. During the committee meeting, Oda faced questions from Conservative member Chris Warkentin about the emergence of new media, and how Canada’s policies and regulatory environment can adapt to meet the obstacles and opportunities it affords. An edited excerpt from the meeting’s evidence appears below. Mr. Chris Warkentin (Peace River, CPC): Thank you, Minister, for coming today. I appreciate your honesty and your forthrightness in answering the questions. One of the things I've noticed over the last number of years certainly is the nature of our consumption of media. Our consumption of culture is changing. It seems that my generation and the generation that's following my generation are consuming culture far differently from my parents' and my grandparents' generations. You mentioned that our country is lagging behind other nations in terms of preparing our different departments for this emergent technology. I'm wondering if you would identify some of the challenges that you consider would be important for us to deal with in the near future, and what policy changes we might see as a result of that. I don't want you to speculate on certain policies, but to talk about where we see challenges, and where we see other countries going to address this. What I'm wondering is how do we regain the ground that maybe we've lost by not considering these new technologies as part of the policy framework? The Honourable Bev Oda: It's essential to understand the new technologies and the different ways Canadians are receiving and consuming their entertainment, their information programs, and services. If we are not where Canadians are going to be, if our Canadian products, our cultural products, our programs, our films are not going to be where Canadians are accessing those products, then we will have done a disservice to Canada's culture, and to our artists, our creators, and our production sector. That is why the broadcasting industry and the media industry have clearly indicated that they need a framework that recognizes that the digital world is a different world. Even the private broadcasters, in many public statements, at their conventions, et cetera, are looking at the impact of the new technologies on their businesses. The business models were based on traditional models. I say as a former vice-president of programming that to know the program you paid dollars for is available within hours on the Internet devalues the program; it just changes your entire business model. What is the new business model? We see now that the Internet providers, et cetera, and the websites are looking for where the business is. We've talked for two decades about convergence and about the Internet and all these technologies. Until the industry finds the business model there, we are going to be left behind. That's why I'm very supportive of hearing from those industries and hearing from the sectors. I had a demonstration at Concordia University last week from Hexagram on the developments and the new technologies they're taking advantage of. I had a round table with new media creators. These are successful companies. We have the talent here and we have the ability. We have very successful new media companies, and that's what motivates me to look at all the new media programs we have and to ensure that we are supporting that sector adequately and in the right way. This is why I say that in many of our reviews we're looking in the new media area at how we can do this effectively. You're quite right, new technologies and new media are creating some very interesting challenges. I would suggest they are not challenges; they are new opportunities.

Consulting with new media creators paramount: Oda

Broadcast | June 12, 2006

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