In the spring of 2016, the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office issued a call for comments on proposed changes to eligible platforms for the ‘shown in Canada’ requirement. The changes were designed to allow audio-visual productions whose distribution is exclusively via online platforms (including through mobile video services) to be eligible for the Canadian Film and Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC), provided that the rights have flown through a Canadian distributor to the entity showing the production in Canada.

Interactive Ontario welcomed this as a first step towards much-needed improved funding for digital-first linear video content, but also said that the regulations should be further amended to allow producers of self-distributed content to access the tax credit. This would bring policy into line with new business models and viewing habits of consumers in the digital era, who no longer distinguish between CRTC-licensed and non-CRTC-licensed content providers. Read our full submission here.