April 22, 2008

ONTARIO CHAMPIONS CULTURE INDUSTRIES McGuinty Government
Emphasizes Economic Impact Of Creative Sector

NEWS

Ontario championed its growing cultural sector today in the third week of Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) hearings being held to determine whether changes need to be made to the country’s broadcasting system. Culture Minister Aileen Carroll urged the Commission to stay the course and reaffirm its regulatory commitment to Canadian programming.

Minister Carroll and Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) Chair Kevin Shea told the commission in a joint presentation that current CRTC policies have helped foster investment in the production and showcasing of innovative Canadian content.

Minister Carroll and Shea said that Ontario’s cultural industries have benefited substantially from the current regulatory environment. The presentation also emphasized how Ontario is strengthening the province’s cultural industries to help them succeed in the global economy.

Since last fall, Ontario has announced over $100 million in new initiatives to support cultural industries over the next three years, including:

• Increasing the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit rate to 35 per cent from 30 per cent
• Increasing the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit rate to 25 per cent from 18 per cent.
• Increasing the Ontario Interactive Digital Media Credit to 25 per cent for larger producers and maintaining the 30 per cent rate for small companies creating their own intellectual property.

QUOTES

“Our creative industries, including TV and film, are important economic drivers and contribute to our quality of life. Ontario recommends that the CRTC stay the course to ensure Canada maintains its position as a global leader in culture industries,” said Carroll. “The Ontario government has an ambitious agenda to ensure growth in the creative sector by investing in infrastructure and technology and fostering innovation.”

"Pay and specialty television services have become a critical element of the Canadian broadcasting system,” said Shea. “In 2007, they spent over $300 million on Canadian programming by independent producers. Ontario, as a leading centre of excellence for screen-based content creation, is a major beneficiary of this economic and cultural activity. Decisions made in this proceeding could have a direct bearing on this economic activity and on support for Ontario's independent producers. We urge the Commission to make the support of Canadian content a priority."

QUICK FACTS

• The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is an independent agency responsible for regulating Canada's broadcasting and telecommunications systems. It reports to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

• Ontario’s culture industries generate $19.7 billion of Ontario’s Gross Domestic Product.

• Culture industries contribute 4.2 per cent to the Ontario’s GDP – more than agriculture, fishing, mining, oil and gas extraction and utilities industries combined.

• Ontario’s entertainment and creative cluster is the third largest in North America by employment after California and New York.

• In the past 10 years, employment in the entertainment and creative cluster has created over 80,000 net new jobs and grown at twice the rate of the overall Ontario economy.

LEARN MORE

Read the Ministry of Culture’s full presentation and written submission.
Find out more about the Ontario Media Development Corporation’s incentives and funding programs.

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Contacts:

Alicia Johnston, Minister’s Office, (416) 325-1676
Dayo Kefentse, Communications Branch, (416) 314-3497