Doc discussion closes CRTC’s three-week hearing process

The Path Forward: The Documentary Organization of Canada proposed direct support for doc features via initial base contributions.

Discussions on the critical role of Canadian documentaries kicked off the final day of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) three-week hearings process on contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content.

Sarah Spring, executive director of the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), told commissioners in Gatineau, Que. on Friday (Dec. 8) that it is “fundamental to democracy” that Canadian documentaries continue to be made and supported.

Spring said there is a keen audience interest in documentaries, but often buyers such as streaming services focus on market-driven and celebrity-focused documentaries.

“Here in Canada we have the opportunity to ensure the streamers are not the ones in the driver’s seat about what exactly is being made,” said Spring. “There’s a demand there, we just want to shift it to Canadian stories.”

Spring said a previously commissioned DOC study showed that roughly 80% of documentary production in Canada is for lower-budget docuseries, showing a steady decline in the creation and production of feature documentaries.

DOC has proposed that 20% of the base contributions be directed to the creation of Canadian feature films, with half of that number directed to documentaries. Spring noted that DOC is also supportive of direct funds to the Indigenous Screen Office, Black Screen Office and the Canadian Independent Screen Fund, noting that many documentaries are made from members of equity-deserving communities.

The final presentation of the day came from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on behalf of its OTT service Fight Pass. Adam Layton, VP of international and content, argued that while niche streaming services like UFC’s Fight Pass may fall under the $10 million revenue threshold, they should be exempt from regulation.

“Requiring a niche, limited‑purpose streaming service like Fight Pass to adhere to the terms of the contribution framework would not only be contrary to the goals of Canada’s broadcasting policy,” said Layton. “In many ways, it would be essentially impossible, in the practical context of how those streaming services operate. If subject to the contribution framework, those streaming services may face no other choice than to cease operating in Canada entirely.”

Layton also pointed to the fact that a streamer with a limited scope in focus would not qualify for funds that it is expected to contribute to, and is in no way similar to diversified services such as Netflix and Prime Video.

What comes next?

As the hearing process came to its conclusion, CRTC chairperson and CEO Vicky Eatrides said the conversation about initial base contributions is “a starting point, and there are a lot more discussions to come.”

Eatrides said the Commission heard from 122 groups and individuals during the three-week process, and took away some key messaging, including how urgent the need is for the broadcasting system to be updated; how critical it is to support equity-deserving voices in the creative sector; and how complex and impactful these new regulations will be for future generations of creators and broadcasters.

The Commission did not disclose a timeline for when a decision will be issued, but Eatrides said that they’ll be sending letters to certain participating parties for additional information, which will be due in early 2024. Those responses will be available for public comment once published on the public record.