They’re all full of it.  A Netflix tax is impossible. Journalist Steve Faguy explains why.

Episode Rundown

The CBC and Ontario and Quebec say they want to tax Netflix, to pay for CanCon TV. The Harper government says there will be no Neflix tax as long as they remain in power.

They’re all full of it- a Netflix tax is impossible. Journalist Steve Faguy explains why.

00:00 The late Zip.ca (link)

01:50 So I guess it was like Redbox except I’ve never seen one (link)

02:00 Swing and a miss (link)

02:30 CRTC talking (and talking and talking) TV in Ottawa (link)

03:15 “The idea that is being put forth, not by CRTC but by the CBC, by the government of Quebec, now by the government of Ontario, by the Director’s Guild, by ACTRA (The actors union), by the Media Producers’ Association: the proposal is, “let’s tax Netflix and keep the Canadian system going to keep making CanCon TV shows.” Jesse

03:27 Keeping on taxing the better things so we can keep on making the garbage things (link)

04:27 Steve Faguy’s Fagstein blog, covering all the recent CRTC changes (link)

08:47 “It seems ridiculous to tax that (Netflix) to make that old stuff that nobody watched anyhow… It seems you’re just trying to slice something out of this new thing to keep this old dying thing limping along”  -Jesse

11:30 “I sincerely doubt any type of tax, whether it’s 5% or otherwise will actually be leveled on Netflix” -Faguy

14:07 “The CRTC, at least when it comes to television regulation, has to start preparing for itself to be rendered irrelevant. It has to start preparing to not have any regulation.” Faguy

14:44 “If you talk to the (CRTC) commisioners, they understand that, and they actually agree wtih that. I get the sense of frustration from them when you have these media players big and small coming to them and wanting more regulation and wanting to reduce consumer choice for example. They’re like, ‘in twenty years you’re not going to have any free rides.” Faguy

18:00 Speaking of good Canadian made internet TV. I’d highly recomend Just Passing Though (link)

19:42 “Should we just accept the American and Canadian culture as far as video is concerend will slowley meld together?” Faguy

21:25 “This is all about bureaucracy, this is about licencing and regulation, tax and funding. And legacy busines fighting tooth and nail to keep things as they were or at least to extract as much money as they can out of it.” Jesse

22:55 “At some point we’re going to get to the point where it makes more financial sense to get out of the system where you’re not dedicating a certain amount of your precentage to Canadian content or meet a bunch of regulatory requirements. But we’re a ways out and that’s why the CRTC has time to phase this regulation out instead of cutting it up all together because we’re still dependent on this system.” Faguy

25:50 “Companies can’t get free money for being old. That’s the probelm with the current system, it advantages channels that are just older than other ones. They’re going to have to prove to consumers that they’re worth paying for.” Faguy