CRTC hears debate on considering 'cultural element' when defining Canadian content

The federal broadcast regulator is considering whether it should include a "cultural element" in its new definition of Canadian content.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is holding a public hearing from May 14-27 in Gatineau, Que., that in part is looking at defining Canadian content.

The CRTC has said that while it's leaning away from including a cultural element in its content test, it's open to hearing other viewpoints during the two-week hearing.

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre said on Tuesday that the CRTC should stick to its current approach, which looks at whether Canadians are employed in key creative positions.

The consumers' group pointed to the United Kingdom, noting it has a special institute to review and assess whether proposed cultural references in a production qualify as "sufficiently British."

"We view a potential Canadian application of this approach, or any other cultural elements test, where a small group of people would be attempting to objectively define what and who is culturally Canadian, as being highly problematic," the advocacy centre said in a written copy of its opening statement at the hearing.

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It also warned that production companies could exploit Canadian stereotypes to get around any "cultural element" test.

"An American portrayal of how a Canadian character would speak or behave, for example, cannot be considered Canadian content," it said. "It is merely a representation of the American cultural view of Canada."

The broadcast regulator has heard from others during the hearing who are in favour of including culture in the modernized definition of CanCon.

The National Film Board, which appeared Friday, has argued that now is the time to include cultural elements in the definition of Canadian content.

It said in its prior written submission that not having a cultural element in the definition could result in harmful long-term consequences and risks erasing "what makes us who we are."

The film board pointed to cultural tests used in countries such as Australia, France, Italy and Britain.

"These countries employ cultural elements alongside other criteria, such as nationality of key creative roles and ownership," the NFB said. It said those cultural elements include social or political relevance, how the way of life is depicted and recognizable locations or figures, among others.

"Our national screen culture has long operated on a definition of 'CanCon' that has excluded cultural elements. This approach has contributed to Canadians' inability to recognize when a story is of us," the NFB submission said.