Feds Unveil Plans to Extend CanCon Regulations to Streaming Services
On Nov . 3 rd , the federal government introduced a bill that would update the Broadcasting Act in order to extend Canadian content regulations ( a . k . a . CanCon ) to the music and TV / film streaming services like Spotify and Netflix .
Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault says the legislative changes will ensure “ online broadcasters ” ( i . e . streaming companies ) contribute to the creation and promotion of Canadian content and would require streaming companies to invest more than $ 800 million in Canadian creators , music , and stories by 2023 .
“ Canadians have a right to recognize themselves in the music they listen to and the television they watch . We are proposing major changes to the Broadcasting Act in order to ensure online broadcasting services that operate in Canada contribute to the creation , production , and distribution of Canadian stories ,” Minister Guilbeault says .
The amendments would also provide the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ( CRTC ) with additional enforcement tools . The CRTC has long declined to use its authority to regulate web-based companies .
“ The Bill also provides that the Canadian broadcasting system should reflect the needs and interests of all Canadians — including Francophones and Anglophones , Indigenous Peoples , Canadians from racialized communities , and Canadians of diverse ethnocultural backgrounds , socioeconomic statuses , abilities and disabilities , sexual orientations , gender identities and expressions , and ages ,” the government ’ s announcement says .
For more information , go to the Department of Canadian Heritage website at www . canada . ca / en / canadian-heritage .
MIDI 2.0 Continues Rapid Evolution Prior to Product Releases
The MIDI Manufacturers Association has reviewed and adopted eight new MIDI 2.0 specification families , bringing the total to 13 finalized specs . The eight new specifications take advantage of MIDI Capability Inquiry ( CI ), a protocol that expands MIDI with new features while protecting backward compatibility . MIDI 2.0 devices can query MIDI 2.0 and 1.0 gear automatically about the functions they include , follow rules that create user-friendly profiles for different instrument types , and standardize formats for exchanging properties ( such as preset data ) among instruments and DAWs . Furthermore , a universal MIDI data packet accommodates communicating both MIDI 2.0 and 1.0 data over USB .
Parallel MMA working groups are currently working on specifications for default control mappings , orchestral articulations , guitar controllers , wind controllers , a standard file format for MIDI 2.0 , and other elements designed to add both convenience and power to upcoming MIDI 2.0 products .
For details on the new specs , MIDI 2.0 spec downloads , and more , go to www . midi . org .
Ð CANADIAN MUSICIAN 13