.png){kind=icon}
Political Culture
These clips cover Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) report, Harnessing Change: The Future of Programming Distribution in Canada (2020), and its impact on streaming services in general and Netflix in particular. The issue of Canadian content and the telling of Canadian stories to a domestic and global audience is central to this discussion.
Highlighted Segments
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww6mKDupMtI 2 mins 31 secs: CBC News: The National covers the Cancon struggle with streaming services.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiEoTrLAV5U 2 mins 3 seconds: CBC News: The National covers a new report calling for streaming services to pay to help create more Canadian content.
Suggested In-Class Discussion Questions
- Does the idea of Canadian content make sense in the current global online media environment?
- What price would you be willing to pay for Canadian content? How would this best be provided through an increase in taxation or online provider fees?
- Throughout Canada’s history, the federal government has sought to bring Canadians together and craft a Canadian identity by providing outlets for the telling of Canadian stories and news as demonstrated by the creation of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation services for radio (1932) and television (1952). How, in the current media environment, should the federal government support the creation and maintenance of a Canadian national identity?
- As depicted in the clip, many American television shows and movies are filmed in Canada, mainly in Toronto and Vancouver. How does providing the infrastructure to create American-based programming in Canada compare to the idea of a branch plant economy whereby production is outside the home country but all major decisions are made in, and profits flow back to the home country?
- As noted in the text, Justin Trudeau stated: “There is no core identity, no mainstream in Canada”. To what extent might this be the result of a lack of awareness on the part of Canadians of their history and their stories due to the overwhelming influence of the United States?
Suggested Assignment Questions
- Complete the Political Compass questionnaire to determine where you land on the Authoritarian-Libertarian and Left-Right axes (https://www.politicalcompass.org/test). Do you agree with the results?
- Investigate Canadian contributions to various industries and occupations.