DGC CONGRATULATES GOVERNMENT ON THRONE SPEECH

Directors Guild applauds promise to require web giants invest in original Canadian programming

Toronto, September 24, 2020 - Directors Guild of Canada President Tim Southam issued the following statement regarding yesterday's Speech from the Throne:

"We applaud the Government of Canada for their clear commitment to ensuring all streaming services invest in the creation of original Canadian programming. The decision to include this pledge in Wednesday's Throne Speech underlines the government’s recognition of the urgent need for change, and their commitment to ensuring that revenue generated by web giants in Canada is 'shared more fairly with our creators and media' and will also 'require them to contribute to the creation, production, and distribution of our stories, on screen."

"Now, more than ever, introducing new legislation is a crucial step to building a stable and thriving future for Canada’s creative industries. We are encouraged that Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Guilbeault understand the urgency of this file and call on the government to introduce legislation to amend the Broadcasting Act at the earliest opportunity."

"The Directors Guild of Canada also welcomes the decision to extend the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) until mid-2021. Along with the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), this program has been instrumental supporting our members throughout this unprecedented crisis. We look forward to seeing the government's future proposals to modernize Employment Insurance."

"Taken together, this is excellent news for our audiovisual sector. The DGC is committed to continue to collaborate with Minister Guilbeault and his team to support Canadian creators."

Earlier this week, the DGC joined with ACTRA, AQPM, ARRQ, CMPA, SARTEC and the WGC to call on government for a commitment in Wednesday's Speech from the Throne to table legislation revamping the Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Copyright acts in the next session of Parliament. That joint statement can be found here.