November 21, 2024
Subject: Doubling Funding for the Canada Media Fund to Support Growth in Interactive Digital Media
Dear Valerie Creighton, Nathalie Clermont, Rod Butler and Janine Steele,
On behalf of the Canadian Interactive Alliance, I am writing to advocate for an increase in funding for the Canada Media Fund’s (CMF) Interactive Digital Media programs. This investment is vital to addressing the challenges currently faced by traditional linear content in engaging and educating children and youth audiences.
Children’s and youth programming, as defined by CMF, serves a critical role in shaping the next generation’s creativity, learning, and sense of identity. However, traditional linear formats are increasingly losing ground in capturing the attention of younger audiences who gravitate toward interactive, immersive experiences produced outside of Canada. According to the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, 89% of individuals aged 6 to 17 engage in video gaming, compared to 61% of adults aged 18 to 64. In terms of screen time activities, a March 2023 survey revealed that 50% of Canadian children spend most of their screen time playing games, while 38% primarily watch TV.* With these shifts in media consumption habits, the importance of supporting Canadian-owned interactive digital media (IDM) projects has never been greater.
