MARCH 9, 2009

ONTARIO CHAMPIONS CULTURAL INDUSTRIES AT CRTC 

McGuinty Government Supporting New Media Broadcasting

 

 

NEWS

Enhanced investment in Canada’s innovative new media broadcasting system will help position Ontario’s cultural industries as leaders in the global marketplace.

Culture Minister Aileen Carroll expressed Ontario’s support for the creation and promotion of Canadian content to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today as part of a joint presentation with the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) at hearings regarding the new media broadcasting sector.

The province believes that fair access to new media broadcasting platforms will help generate audiences and promote the visibility of Canadian content.  The economic impact of the entertainment and creative industry in Ontario is significant, and the province has made key investments to support the growth of Ontario’s cultural industries.  Over the past four years, Ontario has invested more than $700 million to strengthen the competitive advantage of the industry.

QUOTES

“This hearing presents an important opportunity to chart a new course for the future of our growing new media broadcasting sector. Ontario is contributing to this review because we want to help build a strong new media broadcasting system that drives economic growth and generates highly-skilled jobs.”
- Aileen Carroll, Minister of Culture

“We are pleased to appear before the commission to advocate on behalf of Ontario's world-class cultural media industries, particularly the screen-based and music sectors. A major challenge for the industries continues to be access to capital to develop and promote high-quality Canadian content across all platforms.”
- Karen Thorne-Stone, President and CEO of the OMDC

QUICK FACTS

• Ontario’s entertainment and creative industries generate almost $12.2 billion of Ontario’s Gross Domestic Product.
• In the past ten years, employment in the entertainment and creative cluster has grown at twice the rate as the overall Ontario economy, creating over 80,000 new jobs.
• The global entertainment and media sector is expected to be worth approximately US$2.2 trillion in 2012.

 

LEARN MORE

Access the Ministry of Culture's full presentation and written submission and the Ontario Media Development Corporation’s full presentation and written submission  

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Contacts:
Sarah Petrevan, Minister’s Office, 416 325-1676
Anna-Maria Mountfort, Communications Branch, 416 314-3497
George McNeillie, Ontario Media Development Corp. (416) 642-661