Broadcasting Act | The soundtrack of our lives is at stake

The parliamentary work currently taking place in Ottawa to modernize the Broadcasting Act may seem far from our daily concerns. We would be wrong, however, not to give it all the necessary attention, because the soundtrack of our lives is currently at stake. For local music, Bill C-11 could change everything… for the better. or worse.

Music is everywhere around us: in our homes, in public places, in our headphones, in our cars, in our memories. Sometimes we choose it; often it happens to us. In Quebec, thanks in part to a regulatory ecosystem that has ensured its promotion in the traditional media for decades, this music that surrounds us and gives rhythm to our daily lives is, for the most part, the work of local artists. So much so that when it comes time to pay, half of our music purchases go to albums, both physical and digital, from Quebec. An exceptional result, which has allowed us to build a viable music industry for a large number of local artists and independent businesses.

But in recent years, this virtuous circle has been rusting before our eyes. While our music consumption has transformed, the regulatory framework that surrounds it has remained frozen, allowing digital companies, almost all of them foreign, to avoid it.

So, unlike commercial, public or satellite radio, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube or TikTok don’t have to support the funding of our music or stimulate its discovery. The consequences are real and alarming: in Quebec, barely 8% of the music listened to on streaming audio services is local, according to data provided by Luminate and analyzed by the Association québécoise de l’industrie du disque, entertainment and video (ADISQ).

The modernization of Broadcasting Act this is its second attempt. In Ottawa, parliamentarians are studying the proposed new text. For this reform to produce the expected effects, they will have to resist any pressure aimed at reducing the planned provisions.

We must count on a strong legislative text, otherwise our music will be condemned to marginalization in a universe dominated by the great American hits. We call on parliamentarians of all stripes to work for the passage of Bill C-11, which has just passed second reading: thousands of Canadian artists, artisans, businesses and organizations are counting on you.

The courage needed

Regulating powerful foreign companies, known for their defiance of all legislation and the imposing resources they devote to lobbying, requires courage. Each of the countries that have dared to embark on the adventure, let us think of Australia or the European Union, have come up against proven platform techniques: legislators are quickly singled out as “not understanding the technology”, and threats that the law has the effect of reducing citizens’ freedom of expression are brandished.

These messages, unfounded but worrying for the general public, are generally taken up by interest groups opposing the regulation of the web and by personalities whose notoriety depends on these platforms, thus giving the illusion of being supported by civil society.

In Canada, last spring, this is precisely what happened, until the death on the order paper of the first version of the bill.

However, in reality, the support of civil society is unequivocal: according to a survey conducted for ADISQ, by Léger, among 4,003 respondents, from March 14 to 27, 2022, 89% of the population of Quebec thinks that it is important for the state to protect Quebec culture.

Canada’s legislative framework surrounding broadcasting is the key instrument through which Canada asserts its cultural sovereignty. By modernizing it, we will put an end to an unjustifiable inequity and give it back its full meaning. For citizens, the benefits will be significant. Control of our cultural landscape will no longer be left solely in the hands of foreign corporations motivated solely by the pursuit of profit. And alongside the great foreign successes, we will be able to continue to discover quality music, with familiar accents. Because protecting a national culture means guaranteeing a space for minority languages, fostering true diversity and supporting a healthy democracy.

* Co-signers: Annie MorinARTISTI; Jerome PayetteAssociation of Music Publishing Professionals (APEM); Luc FortinGuild of Musicians of Quebec (GMMQ); David BussieresAssociation of Music Craftsmen (RAM); Andrea KokonisSociety of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN); Thomas JolicoeurCollective Management Society for the Rights of Producers of Phonograms and Videograms of Quebec (SOPROQ); Alexander AlonsoProfessional Society of Authors and Composers of Quebec (SPACQ)