(OTTAWA) The Spotify music broadcaster claims that the Canadian Radiation and Telecommunications Council (CRTC) should not impose on continuous broadcasting services for radio.
During an audience in front of the CRTC on Friday, the representatives of the company compared the fact of regulating Spotify as a radio station with that of treating Uber as a horse and a cart.
“Applying yesterday’s tools to today’s platforms is likely to tarnish Canada’s success on the world music scene,” said Xenia Manning, Director of World Musical Policy. It is essential to assess whether there is a real problem justifying a regulatory intervention. In our opinion, the facts are clear. There is no failure of the continuous audio distribution market which would justify an intervention of the CRTC. »»
In his written thesis, Spotify argued that the CRTC did not have the competence to extend to online actors the rules governing negotiations and commercial disputes in the broadcasting sector.
The CRTC holds an audience on market dynamics within the framework of its work aimed at implementing the law on continuously online broadcasting, which has updated the laws on radio in order to include online platforms.
During the audience, large cable companies and broadcasting such as Bell and Rogers asked the CRTC to soften the existing rules for traditional players.
They attack the regulations governing the grouping of cable channels and disputes relating to their distribution.
Bell, which appeared on Wednesday, asked the CRTC to repeal the rule, set up almost ten years ago, forcing companies to offer a basic package at $ 25.
In his declaration of opening on Friday, Rogers asked the CRTC to considerably reduce the regulation of cablodistributors.
