Cultural groups wait for Ottawa's promised $600 million

Promised to Canadian content producers

600 million $

Cultural sector groups say they are worried by the federal government's silence on $600 million promised in June. Four months later, Ottawa has not said when the money will be paid.

Background

In 2024, the CRTC ordered large streamers such as Netflix to pay 5 per cent of their Canadian revenues to funds for Canadian content. In May, it raised the share to 15 per cent.

In June, Ottawa told the CRTC to review the rules and said it would fund producers directly instead. The streamers' payments were already on hold because of a court challenge, so the sector now has neither.

“And it is urgent. The situation in the audiovisual industry is very bad.”

— Hélène Messier, Quebec media producers' association