A  CRTC commissioner emphasized the importance for Canada’s film and television industry to prepare for public consultations following the expected passage of Bill C-11.

Joanne Levy, commissioner for Manitoba and Saskatchewan, addressed the bill in a prepared statement to delegates at On Screen Manitoba’s All Access conference. She appeared on Wednesday (Jan. 11) for a question and answer session on regulatory affairs.

Levy said the CRTC will “hit the ground running” once Bill C-11 receives royal assent, which she said the CRTC hopes “will happen early this year” and that “an extensive amount of work” has been done by staff to act quickly once the bill is passed.

“Our first priority will be public consultations,” she said. “Rest assured that nothing will change before the public and all interested parties are given a chance to have their say about how the legislation should be implemented… the onus will be on you to bring your knowledge, creativity or concerns to the Commission’s attention.”

Bill C-11, also known as the Online Streaming Act, is expected to bring foreign-owned streaming services under CRTC regulation. The bill has been criticized during its review at the House of Commons and the Senate over how much regulatory power the CRTC would have over streamers, as well as on user-generated content on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.

The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications passed an amendment to the bill in December 2022 to limit the CRTC’s ability to regulate online content created by Canadians. Bill C-11 is currently awaiting its third reading at the Senate, which is adjourned until Jan. 31.

Vicky Eatrides will oversee the public consultations as the newly appointed chairperson and CEO of the CRTC. She was named as Ian Scott’s successor in December, and her term began on Jan. 5.

Levy also said that the CRTC is closely monitoring the Canada Media Fund’s plans to hold an industry-wide consultation on how to modernize the definition of Canadian content.

“You will have opportunities to contribute, either individually or through your associations, to defining clear directions and core values as we decide what we want this new system to look like over the next decade or more,” she said. “We will need to determine what we really want to accomplish as a country and how we can best do that in a world where the largest players are not Canadian.”