Liberal appointees to the Senate transport and communications committee Tuesday rejected a proposal to narrow regulation of legal internet video content by a 10 to 4 vote, according to Blacklock's Reporter..“It’s time we pass that bill,” said Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez..“The Senate had it for over six months,” Rodriguez told reporters. “It’s over 40 hours in committee, 120 witnesses, another 80 witnesses in the House of Commons. So I think it’s time.”.Bill C-11, An Act To Amend The Broadcasting Act would see the CRTC regulate “commercial” internet video and film content on YouTube, Netflix and other platforms. The bill does not define “commercial.”.The Senate committee yesterday rejected an amendment to exempt from regulations all but the largest programmers with a minimum $150 million in annual revenues. The bill as written by cabinet applies to all “undertakings for the transmission or retransmission of programs over the internet.”.“All Canadians could potentially be targeted,” said Senator Denise Batters (SK.), sponsor of the amendment. The bill “is so vague it could include everything from Amazon Prime to everyone with a website and a podcast,” added Batters..Senator Pamela Wallin (SK.) yesterday said decisions on who is subject to regulation should not be left to the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission..“It just becomes a judgment call of whoever’s sitting in the chair,” said Wallin..“If there is no actual bright line, if there is no actual number, then you pick and choose and say, ‘Oh well, the CBC won’t be subject to it, but this private operation over here will be subject to it because I’m the chair of the CRTC and I can just make that choice arbitrarily.’”.“What is the resistance actually to having clear rules?” said Wallin..Thomas Owen Ripley, associate assistant deputy heritage minister, said cabinet wanted to leave regulatory decisions to the commission..“The CRTC will determine,” he said..“The government’s position is there should not be a threshold established in the act,” said Owen Ripley. “This was a point of debate.”.Senator Leo Housakos (Que.), chair of the Senate transport and communications committee, said regulations must not apply to “content producers who are self-employed Canadians generating income” by uploading content on YouTube..“The more and more we’ve debated and we’ve heard from the Mminister and the government, the current chair of the CRTC, constantly I get this feeling of, ‘I reserve the right to do tomorrow what I am promising not to do today,'” said Housakos. “That is really my concern.”
