OTTAWA, September 28, 2017—The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) welcomed the Creative Canada policy announced by Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly this afternoon.

“We appreciate the Minister’s efforts to develop creative solutions to the challenges facing Canada’s production sector today,” said Scott Garvie, Chair CMPA Board of Directors and Senior Vice President at Shaftesbury. “Commitments to stabilize CMF funding in light of declining revenues, as well as moves to ensure the CRTC regulatory framework meets the needs of both creators and consumers, are positive developments for our industry and the health of Canadian culture.”

The CMPA cautiously welcomed the announced deal with Netflix as a potential opportunity to drive the creation of more great independently-produced Canadian content as audiences, industry and government adjust to the digital shift.

“The Netflix deal has the potential to be a positive interim measure for Canada if it creates opportunities for increased independent production of Canadian stories,” said Reynolds Mastin, President and CEO, CMPA. “However, with new digital players continuing to enter our country, we believe an updated regulatory system is the ultimate path to ensuring the production of diverse Canadian content for decades to come.”

Added Mastin, “We’re hopeful the announced review of the Broadcasting Act, along with the pending CRTC report on the broadcasting system evolution, will eventually get us there.”

The CMPA also applauded a number of additional commitments included in today’s announcement, which appeared to address recommendations the association made in its submission to the Minister last year. These included:

• Initiatives to reduce red tape and improve administration and efficiencies at CAVCO and within federal funding bodies
• Efforts to support and foster innovation within the production sector, including access to the Strategic Innovation Fund and joint initiatives with the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
• Investment in a Creative Canada export strategy that will help producers bring Canadian stories to new audiences around the world

“We are pleased to see many of the CMPA’s recommendations reflected in today’s announcement and believe these initiatives will be warmly received by our members,” said Garvie. “It’s great to have a Minister that is a vocal champion of Canadian culture, and who clearly understands the importance of the creative content industries as an economic driver for Canada.”

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ABOUT THE CMPA
The Canadian Media Producers Association is the national advocacy organization for independent producers, representing hundreds of companies engaged in the development, production and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema and digital media channels. We work to promote the continued success of the Canadian production sector and to ensure a bright future for the diverse content made by our members for both domestic and international audiences. cmpa.ca

For more information:

Kyle O’Byrne
Manager, Media Relations & Communications
Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA)
kyle.obyrne@cmpa.ca