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I'm not sure what Canadian content rules the CRTC is trying to enforce, but if it's anything like 5% of content shown must be Canadian I'm not sure how they can

I'm not sure what Canadian content rules the CRTC is trying to enforce, but if it's anything like 5% of content shown must be Canadian I'm not sure how they can enforce that as a content provider where the consumer picks what they want to watch. Additionally if noone is watching the Canadian shows how does the CRTC determine what % content they require netflix to provide.

Mikeb85 12y ago
But with Netflix the consumer doesn't pick the content. They choose a 'channel' they want, just as they would on a normal TV. They don't pay per show, they pay for a curated service and then 'tune in', albeit on demand. The consumer doesn't choose what's on Netflix, they only choose what they watch. They don't choose what they pay for, they pay for what Netflix chooses. This is the same model as every content provider in Canada, which is why Netflix needs to abide by the same laws.
- ende 12y ago
  Wrong.
  - Mikeb85 12y ago
    Why? Because internet, right...
- ay 12y ago
  Is the parent comment a sarcasm ? If not - then it's completely incorrect description of how Netflix works. They have one month for free - so you can check for yourself how exactly it functions, before commenting. (disclaimer: I'm a happy streaming-only Netflix user for several years, and I do not own a TV, my cable subscription is internet-only).
  - Mikeb85 12y ago
    I've used Netflix... You've given no example or explanation whatsoever of how I'm wrong.
    - delinka 12y ago
      What are these "channels" of which you speak? I choose specific episodes of specific shows that I want to watch. There are no "channels," no curated collections that just serially stream various episodes of varied shows. Please explain how a user of Netflix chooses a "channel" and receives the streaming content of said channel without the need to continue to select content to watch.
      - Mikeb85 12y ago
        Each show is essentially the same as a channel. BTW, the current incumbents also have Netflix-like services. Which are subject to CRTC rules...
        delinka 12y ago
        The current incumbents are indeed broadcasters - they broadcast on radio frequency spectrum their selection of episodes from a variety of shows. And yes, they have features similar to Netflix. No amount of logic dictates that such features offered by others automatically drags Netflix into the "broadcaster" categorization. Taking such logic further would bring bloggers into the "broadcaster" category should the incumbent broadcasters begin blogging themselves. Each show is not "essentially the same" as a channel. A channel is a curation of related content (by the curator's definition of 'related.') Obtaining a collection of all episodes of a series and making them available for customers to play on demand is pretty much the opposite of curation, in my opinion. So I'm still not seeing how Netflix is a broadcaster by any existing definition of the term.
    - ay 12y ago
      Hit "search", search for "Rain man", watch the movie. How is this a "channel" ?
- lucisferre 12y ago
  I can see how you're not understanding why people don't agree with you, but it's because you are twisting the meaning of words to suit your case. There are no "channels" on Netflex. A more accurate description would be: There is a limited library of content that Netflix licences and you can pick and choose what you watch from that library. This is, for the most part, nothing like existing broadcasters who have finite channels which have finite scheduling space. Thus when CanCon rules state X% of that space must be Canadian it has a clear meaning. With Netflix, I suppose they could require that X% of the library be Canadian shows, but that seems pretty arbitrary. In the end this is another example of how much the CRTC panders to the existing broadcast industry in Canada. Much as they did when people tried to subscribe to US satellite television providers. It is protectionism at best, corporate pandering at worst.
abandonliberty 12y ago
I'm sure part of the process will examine this. We have to update our laws to deal with the new world. Privacy laws are decades behind. There could be several reasonable approaches. E.g. 5% of their content expenditures must be Canadian, whether or not it is watched. I'll leave the discussion of whether this is desirable alone.

Mikeb85 12y ago

But with Netflix the consumer doesn't pick the content. They choose a 'channel' they want, just as they would on a normal TV. They don't pay per show, they pay for a curated service and then 'tune in', albeit on demand. The consumer doesn't choose what's on Netflix, they only choose what they watch. They don't choose what they pay for, they pay for what Netflix chooses. This is the same model as every content provider in Canada, which is why Netflix needs to abide by the same laws.

ende 12y ago
Wrong.
- Mikeb85 12y ago
  Why? Because internet, right...
ay 12y ago
Is the parent comment a sarcasm ? If not - then it's completely incorrect description of how Netflix works. They have one month for free - so you can check for yourself how exactly it functions, before commenting. (disclaimer: I'm a happy streaming-only Netflix user for several years, and I do not own a TV, my cable subscription is internet-only).
- Mikeb85 12y ago
  I've used Netflix... You've given no example or explanation whatsoever of how I'm wrong.
  - delinka 12y ago
    What are these "channels" of which you speak? I choose specific episodes of specific shows that I want to watch. There are no "channels," no curated collections that just serially stream various episodes of varied shows. Please explain how a user of Netflix chooses a "channel" and receives the streaming content of said channel without the need to continue to select content to watch.
    - Mikeb85 12y ago
      Each show is essentially the same as a channel. BTW, the current incumbents also have Netflix-like services. Which are subject to CRTC rules...
      - delinka 12y ago
        The current incumbents are indeed broadcasters - they broadcast on radio frequency spectrum their selection of episodes from a variety of shows. And yes, they have features similar to Netflix. No amount of logic dictates that such features offered by others automatically drags Netflix into the "broadcaster" categorization. Taking such logic further would bring bloggers into the "broadcaster" category should the incumbent broadcasters begin blogging themselves. Each show is not "essentially the same" as a channel. A channel is a curation of related content (by the curator's definition of 'related.') Obtaining a collection of all episodes of a series and making them available for customers to play on demand is pretty much the opposite of curation, in my opinion. So I'm still not seeing how Netflix is a broadcaster by any existing definition of the term.
  - ay 12y ago
    Hit "search", search for "Rain man", watch the movie. How is this a "channel" ?
lucisferre 12y ago
I can see how you're not understanding why people don't agree with you, but it's because you are twisting the meaning of words to suit your case. There are no "channels" on Netflex. A more accurate description would be: There is a limited library of content that Netflix licences and you can pick and choose what you watch from that library. This is, for the most part, nothing like existing broadcasters who have finite channels which have finite scheduling space. Thus when CanCon rules state X% of that space must be Canadian it has a clear meaning. With Netflix, I suppose they could require that X% of the library be Canadian shows, but that seems pretty arbitrary. In the end this is another example of how much the CRTC panders to the existing broadcast industry in Canada. Much as they did when people tried to subscribe to US satellite television providers. It is protectionism at best, corporate pandering at worst.

abandonliberty 12y ago

I'm sure part of the process will examine this. We have to update our laws to deal with the new world. Privacy laws are decades behind. There could be several reasonable approaches. E.g. 5% of their content expenditures must be Canadian, whether or not it is watched. I'll leave the discussion of whether this is desirable alone.