Want to go to Blockbuster? The CRTC is Faced with an Opportunity to Change its Regulations to Better Adapt to an Era of Dominant Foreign Streaming Services

The rise of global streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video has disrupted traditional media landscapes, posing significant challenges for Canadian content production and distribution. This article examines the role of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in safeguarding Canadian cultural identity amidst the dominance of foreign streaming services. It analyzes the CRTC’s current regulatory framework, which has struggled to adapt to the digital era, and proposes policy reforms to support Canadian content better. Key recommendations include deregulating domestic media companies to foster competitiveness, imposing sales taxes on foreign streaming services to level the playing field, directing tax revenues to the Canadian Media Fund, redefining Canadian content to reflect multicultural narratives, and incentivizing streaming platforms to distribute Canadian productions through procurement strategies. These measures aim to ensure that Canadian stories are created, distributed, and accessed by audiences while aligning with the CRTC’s mandate to promote national identity and consumer affordability in a rapidly evolving media environment.