Toronto: Global Media Producers Urge Stronger Local Content Laws to Fend Off Streaming Domination

A coalition of international media organizations has urged governments to support local producers against the “ubiquity of global streaming services” that puts commissions for diverse storytelling at risk.

The call, issued at the Toronto Film Festival, comes as countries internationally have urged politicians to compel foreign streaming platforms to subsidize local media production as Netflix, Amazon and YouTube reshape the global film and TV markets. “Streaming has upended the way content gets commissioned, produced and seen, but domestic policies have not kept pace,” Reynolds Mastin, president and CEO of the Canadian Media Producers Association, representing indie producers, said in a statement that comes as TIFF kicked into gear on Friday.

“Canada, like so many countries around the world, needs updated laws and regulations for the digital world, and we each look to our respective governments to stand up for our cultural sovereignty,” he added. The 23 screen sector organizations signing the joint statement include European Audiovisual Production, Screen Producers Australia, Screen Producers Ireland, Animation Ireland, Swedish Film & TV Producers and AnimFrance.

The call from groups representing around 750,000 workers across Canada, Australia and Europe cautioned that domestic content rules are required to shore up the production of local stories. Canadian producers recently repeated a call on the government in Ottawa to restore plans to force American companies to help subsidize domestic film and TV production as part of the larger cross-border tariffs and trade war with the U.S.

The story in Europe has legacy broadcasters looking to get bigger with local government support and legislation to fend off the dominance of Netflix and Amazon on the audience side, and YouTube, Facebook and TikTok on the advertising side, or risk losing their competitive edge.