Faced with the “anglicization of Quebec”, the PQ members propose creating a “Quebec CRTC” to defend local culture. The party also proposes to create a Quebec content promotion office, which would negotiate visibility agreements with Netflix or Amazon.
Posted at 10:22
These new proposals from the group come at a time when it is revealing the results of a Léger survey, according to which 58% of Quebecers aged 18 to 34 consume only “very little, if any” Quebec content on online viewing platforms.
More than three out of ten of these young people admit “never listening to or watching content from Quebec”. The vast majority, around 75%, say that their consumption of Quebec content never exceeds four hours per week, which is a “tiny part of their total viewing time”.
The member for Matane and cultural critic, Pascal Bérubé, affirms that this portrait is worrying “for the future of French in Quebec and for the knowledge that the youth of Quebec have of what is done here”. “It is worrying, too, for our artists, our production houses and our distributors. However, the blame should not be placed on young people; it’s more about accessibility, discoverability,” he says.
A “Quebec CRTC” would allow, according to the PQ, “to ensure the financing as well as the good representation of Quebec content online”. At present, the Canadian body in place does not allow us to “defend our culture”, affirms the party.
“We must repatriate the powers of the CRTC to Quebec, and the sooner the better. If we want to guarantee the availability of Quebec content online, we absolutely can no longer let Canada decide on the space that will be reserved for it on the platforms. Ottawa is a legislator who dawdles, who has still not modernized either the law or the CRTC, ”said the candidate for the nomination in Marie-Victorin, Pierre Nantel.
Last April, he was defeated by five percentage points against CAQ Shirley Dorismond, in the riding which is historically a PQ castle. He plans to stand for re-election in the next general election in October.
Double the budget of Télé-Québec
In addition to the Office for the Promotion of Quebec Content, the PQ undertakes to double the annual budget of the Télé-Québec channel, increasing it to 140 million, in order to “increase the production of Quebec content”. “Télé-Québec must be put to good use. […] Yes, we have the ambition to compete with Radio-Canada; yes, we have the ambition to affirm our cultural sovereignty without hesitation,” insisted Mr. Bérubé.
Pablo Rodriguez, the federal Minister of Heritage, indicated last April that he intends to hold the CRTC to account, in order to define what will count as a Canadian work after the adoption of Bill C-11 by Parliament. According to him, the act will help increase investment in the creative sectors in Canada.
“The survival of independent production companies depends on their ability to operate in a fairer regulatory environment that involves all the major players in the broadcasting ecosystem,” said the CEO of the Association québécoise de la production maladie. , Hélène Messier, when the bill was tabled in February.