Oh, Canada, are you going to get with the times already?
With the development of Hulu.com, I am both excited and frustrated. 
It's an exciting event because large multimedia corporations are finally showing signs of embracing new media, instead of trying to control or quash it. By offering their full-length, top-shelf television programs and movies online, free of charge, they are tapping into the technology's potential to dramatically increase audience reach for them, and their advertisers. It's smart, progressive thinking, and I welcome it.
What I'm worried about, though, is not being to enjoy Hulu.com in Canada. Here we're unable to legally purchase television shows and movies online through means such as iTunes. We can't even watch the sponsored stuff offered for free as is done by ABC.
I'm not sure of the exact reasoning behind it, but I'm fairly sure it involves protecting "cancon," which boils down to ensuring that enough Canadian-made content is available to (some would say forced on) Canadian audiences that our culture isn't lost in a sea of foreign (read: American) programming. As well, Canadian sponsors, who no doubt have paid handsomely for prime-time commercial spots, want a guarantee that their ads are being seen.
Regardless of the exact profit/culture percentages in the motivation mixture, the fact remains that we in Canada do not have the same choice of online content our southern neighbors do. And this bugs me.
For one thing, it doesn't do much besides create an inconvenience. Those who want the shows and movies just download pirated versions instead of paying for them--even though they'd be more than happy to shell out the money.
Culturally, it reflects poorly on the Federal Government by suggesting there's no confidence in Canadian-produced movies and television programs to succeed on their own merit. Nobody likes having their entertainment tastes foisted on them, so no matter how good a Canadian production may be, it's immediately tainted as some sort of cultural-welfare dependant, sub-standard product. This is inaccurate and unfair, of course, but I don't think protectionist rules regarding online content help matters any.
Plus, we are assuming that the streams only flow one way. What about Canadian film and television earning a bigger audience by participating fully in the international online exchange of culture? What new fans, consumers and opportunities might await us out there? I don't think we'll ever find out if we continue throwing up (fire)walls.
For a different angle on some of the issues raised in this post, here's an interesting story.
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/media/story/2007/10/31/verner-artists.html?ref=rss
Posted by: Francis Wooby | October 31, 2007 at 06:34 PM