BCAB Supports Bill C-32
The British Columbia Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) has sent a letter of support favouring passage of Bill C-32 - An Act to amend the Copyright Act. “We wanted to make sure that the voice of B.C.’s Broadcasters is heard in Ottawa,” says BCAB President Brad Phillips. “An updated Copyright Act is needed to better reflect our current realities.”
The Copyright Act of Canada has not been substantially amended since 1997 and Phillips says radio stations are currently paying an unfair share of royalties and tariffs because of it.
“Broadcasters are not challenging copyright liability for the broadcasting of the music,” says Phillips. “Across industry we paid $64M in royalties in 2009 for that right. We only take issue with having to pay an additional $21M per year simply to download new music from record companies in order to prepare it for broadcast on our stations.”
In addition, Phillips says this past summer the Copyright Board of Canada levied two more tariffs against BC stations, adding a hefty increase to the already substantial copyright payments. “We don’t mind paying our fair share, but this continuous and unpredictable layering of multiple tariff payments, particularly for the smaller radio stations, has become overly financially onerous and completely unsustainable – it’s a threat to our industry.”
Phillips says the BCAB believes the proposed amendments in C-32 acknowledge the technological realities of broadcasters today. “They recognize that the reproduction taking place in radio stations is part of a purely technical process – a process that yields no revenue.”
He believes that copyright laws should encourage growth and business innovation by facilitating the use of content on a growing number of platforms. He says the amendments help level the playing field for radio stations, allowing them to continue the positive work they do on the air and in the communities they serve. “That’s why the BCAB is supporting C-32 and I hope the legislative committee studying the bill is tuned in and listening to the needs of our industry.”
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