CBC urges stricter CanCon rules for homegrown programming, foreign partners
CBC is urging Canada's regulator to tighten restrictions around what constitutes Canadian screen content, pushing back against foreign streamers seeking looser rules.
The public broadcaster says at least 60 per cent of key creative positions should be filled by Canadians, including the top two leads and director, writer and showrunner.
Under current rules, productions must earn at least six out of 10 points by filling key creative roles with Canadians — with only one Canadian required as director or writer, and one as a lead actor.
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CBC executives including the head of English services appeared at a CRTC hearing Monday to stress the need for strong Canadian creative and financial control, especially when collaborating with foreign partners.
They also say Canadians should own the copyright to Canadian productions.
'We believe that relaxing these rules is a slippery slope that does not serve the interests of the Canadian broadcasting system,' Barbara Williams, CBC's executive vice-president of English services, told the hearing.
'The best way to support the viability and sustainability of our system is a definition that requires Canadian creative control over and the retention of meaningful economic benefits derived from television productions by Canadians.'
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is in the midst of a two-week hearing with key industry players to update the Online Streaming Act, including what obligations should be imposed on foreign streaming giants like Netflix and Prime Video.
'(Foreign streamers) have benefited enormously from being here in this country and we look for opportunities through the system to be sure that they pay back and that they contribute and be a partner in a meaningful way,' Williams said.
'And that's not about giving away some of our Canadian control — creative, financial or otherwise. It's about maintaining and holding on to what we have and finding ways for them to be a meaningful participant.'
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CBC series 'North of North,' co-produced with APTN and Netflix, was repeatedly cited as a model of successful collaboration.
CBC said the series, developed over two years before Netflix joined, proves that strong Canadian-led projects can attract global partners without giving up intellectual property rights and key creative roles. The broadcaster's execs said the show has performed well domestically and abroad.
'Netflix was an important and critical piece of the financing, but we didn't need to compromise being Canadian-owned in every way, shape and form in order to have them be a partner,' said Lisa Clarkson, CBC's executive director of business and rights.
CRTC commissioners asked whether looser IP-sharing rules could lead to more collaborations like 'North of North.' Williams responded firmly: 'The simple answer is no.'
Rather than relaxing IP ownership to lure foreign involvement, she argued, the better path is to support Canadian creators to develop world-class ideas that attract global partners.
Clarkson added that CBC assumes significant risk and cost in early-stage development of programs, long before foreign investors get involved.
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She argued foreign partners receive creative benefits including 'a fully polished script. They don't have to take the risk for that.'
Clarkson noted that 'North of North' is just one of 38 drama co-productions the public broadcaster has undertaken with foreign financing partners in the past five years, all while maintaining full Canadian ownership.
'To take away ownership from the Canadian producer is... unwise and unnecessary,' Clarkson said, adding that foreign partners already benefit from incentives like tax credits and public funding.
'Instead of paying 100 per cent, they're often paying 20 to 50 per cent. Those are massive inducements already.'
Last week, a group representing major streaming companies told the CRTC that digital platforms shouldn't be bound by the same Canadian content obligations as traditional broadcasters.
Speaking at a hearing, the Motion Picture Association-Canada — which represents streamers like Netflix, Disney, Amazon and Paramount — urged the regulator to take a more flexible approach to updating the definition of Canadian content.
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Asked by the CRTC to respond to that request, Williams said both the public broadcaster and the regulator must consider their shared responsibility in supporting the domestic creative industry.
'Here in Canada, in this moment in particular, what we are really driven by is the need to support a creative community that can feel it has the opportunity to put its best foot forward and build great content that then they can exploit, that they can own, that they can build a business around,' said Williams on Monday.
'But what we're reluctant to accept is that somehow we need a foreign entity to help us do that. We're very, very capable of doing this on our own and making great projects.'
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2025.
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Toronto Sun
36 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
Can't stop talking about Netflix's bonkers ‘Sirens'? Join us
Published May 30, 2025 • 9 minute read Meghann Fahy, Julianne Moore and Milly Alcock attend the Netflix Premiere of Sirens at the Paris Theater on May 20, 2025 in New York City. Photo by Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for Netflix Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Hey, hey: If you've perused Netflix at all in the past week, chances are you've encountered the new dark comedy 'Sirens,' starring Julianne Moore, Meghann Fahy and Milly Alcock as a trio of women locked in a battle of power and status on the fictional New England island of Port Haven. The streaming platform reported that the five-episode series debuted at No. 1 over Memorial Day weekend, which would explain all the buzz and fan theories floating around the internet. The other reason is a plot salad whose ingredients include: photographic blackmail, suspected cult activity, gruesome bird death and people falling off cliffs (both in real life and in their dreams). And more! This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Moore stars as Michaela Kell, an ambitious lawyer turned socialite who hires 25-year-old Simone DeWitt (Alcock) as a live-in personal assistant on the island estate she shares with Peter (Kevin Bacon), her husband of 13 years. Fahy plays Simone's older sister, Devon, who still lives in their hometown of Buffalo and tends to their father, Bruce (Bill Camp), who has early-onset dementia. Eventually, Devon shows up at the Kells' property looking for Simone. The DeWitt sisters had a rough upbringing, especially after their mom died, so Devon is stunned to discover her sister's new life of luxury. Audiences might be just as surprised by the show as a whole. Because while 'Sirens' has all the trappings of a prestige TV hit, it is also – how best to put this? – completely insane. Creator Molly Smith Metzler (Netflix's 'Maid') based the series on her 2011 play 'Elemeno Pea' and takes advantage of the expanded runtime. She leans into soap opera dramatics, all of which build to a jolting crescendo. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This is the sort of show you'll want to discuss as soon as its bonkers finale fades to black, so we – Washington Post senior video journalist Allie Caren and Style reporter Sonia Rao – thought we'd get the conversation started. There are plenty of spoilers ahead, obviously, so don't say you haven't been warned. – – – Allie Caren: I'm a sucker for so many things in this show: ultra-wealth; sweeping, pristinely manicured oceanfront real estate; complicated family dynamics; and 'summering' in a coastal town. What's not to like? Sonia Rao: 'Sirens' certainly belongs in the thriving genre of rich people doing silly rich people things, similar to HBO's 'The White Lotus' and 'Big Little Lies.' At times, it can feel like a counterpart to Hulu's 'Nine Perfect Strangers,' especially when Devon starts to believe – deep breath – that Michaela a.k.a. Kiki somehow killed Peter's ex-wife and is now the leader of a spiritual cult that ends each meeting with a strange phrase: 'Hey, hey.' Rich people, cults, luscious aesthetics – it sort of comes off as an SEO dump of what makes for a popular TV show these days. Not to say it doesn't have its merits, but … didn't Nicole Kidman already make this? Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. AC: There are definite similarities between 'Nine Perfect Strangers' and 'Sirens,' down to the significance of something as small as a smoothie. In the former series, Masha (Kidman), the director of a remote healing resort, micro-dosed her guests' smoothies. Kiki, on the other hand, is much too preoccupied to take a single sip of the daily blends her personal chef, Patrice (Lauren Weedman), whips up. She waves it off in one scene like it wouldn't cost 20-something dollars at Erewhon. Hey, Patrice, I'll take it! SR: Julianne Moore was the main reason I decided to watch 'Sirens.' She so carefully navigated her performance in Todd Haynes's 'May December' as a Mary Kay Letourneau analogue married to a much younger man, and Kiki seemed similarly stubborn about sugarcoating her rather transactional marriage to Peter. We do learn as the show goes on, though, that Kiki is far more in touch with reality than she lets on. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. AC: Moore pulled me in, too. There are so many personas wrapped into her character: first, an emotionally unpredictable boss you're scared to cross but determined to please; second, a mysterious, witchy conservationist who finds purpose in using her wealth to help nature; and finally, your best friend, stand-in mom, confidante, running buddy and sometimes snuggle partner who comforts and consoles and protects you. Kiki has range. What did you make of Simone and Devon's relationship? SR: That was probably the most intriguing part of the storytelling for me, as one of two sisters with a similar five-year age gap who (thankfully!) grew up in a much happier household than theirs. Simone and Devon's mom died when they were young, numbing their father, Bruce, and forcing Devon to become Simone's primary caretaker. Bruce continues to emotionally abuse and neglect Simone once Devon goes to college, and child protective services eventually places Simone in foster care until Devon decides to abandon her studies and return home to Buffalo. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It's brutal on both sisters, given that Simone suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and Devon feels like she never got to lead a life of her own. Simone's behavior early in the series makes sense to me – she yearns for a stable maternal figure and latches onto Kiki, who shows her kindness – but Devon is an enigma. I get that she coped by developing a sex addiction, which is only worsened by her attempts to abstain from alcohol, but I just cannot move past her licking a complete stranger's neck when he was trying to give her a platonic hug. And why is he so chill about her doing that? Devon is exceptionally weird and rude to everyone on the island, even people who never mistreated her in the first place. Fahy is innocent in all this. She and Alcock are really believable as sisters with resentments simmering just below the surface. I wish they'd received a stronger set of scripts. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. AC: Simone's PTSD dramatically affects her relationship with Devon, too. In fact, if you rewatch the series, you'll realize it's present before the viewer even learns about its cause: Their mother tried to kill herself and Simone by piping in fumes to their parked car. (Devon found Simone in time to get her help, but their mom died.) The sprints Simone makes on the stretch of beach between the Kell property and the home of her boyfriend, Ethan (Glenn Howerton), makes for good symbolism: Simone is constantly running from her past (and eventually, her present). She runs, more than once, on the sand along the water's edge between these two spots; rushing out of Ethan's home, racing across the sand, flying up four flights of stairs (plus landings! She must be a StairMaster queen!) before dashing across the Kells' expansive back lawn to reach the back door. (In fact, there isn't much of a 'runner's high' in this show at all: running is almost always associated here with negativity and racing – physically or figuratively – from someone, something or oneself.) This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. SR: We should probably talk about the water, too. While Devon and Simone use the code word 'sirens' with each other as an SOS, it doubles as an allusion to the seductive female creatures in Greek mythology, whose voices lure sailors to their doom. Sirens are often thought of as mermaids, but they're sometimes depicted with the lower body of a bird – making Kiki's obsession with the animal all the more meaningful. Devon, Simone and Kiki are all alluring women who are, at different points, accused of leading men to their demise. AC: And Kiki has a mermaidlike appeal to her, doesn't she? With her porcelain skin, auburn hair, and flowy gowns and ensembles? Even the colors of her matching running sets fit the fin – er – bill. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A majority of the other costume and wardrobe decisions are far less subtle. The only place I'd expect to find a larger collection of Lilly Pulitzer is a brick-and-mortar store or the Kentucky Derby. (Hope the brand got a kickback.) Costume designer Caroline Duncan shied away from quiet luxury and instead leaned in fully to the oversaturated, bright, preppy palettes so often associated with coastal towns. SR: Part of it might be my personal distaste for the Lilly Pulitzer aesthetic, but I found this show really hard to look at. Beyond the color palette, many of Kiki's scenes were blindingly bright – which, paired with a slight blur effect, is clearly referencing the mythological Sirens' hypnotic quality. But the Vaseline lens aesthetic is deployed inconsistently and kept making me feel like I needed to wipe some gunk off my glasses. Not to mention the fact that Devon is shot in some of the harshest lighting I've seen on TV since the last season of 'The Bear.' Again, I understand the symbolism, but the back-and-forth ended up distracting me more than anything. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. I'd love to hear your perspective, though. What did you think? AC: I was captivated by the over-lit, mesmerizing, dreamy effect of the close-ups especially. They force the viewer to be a bit uncomfortable – and I think that was the point. I also deeply appreciate a well-spent drone budget. Bravo to the bird's-eye look at Simone running on the beach (again and again and again) and to the closing shot of Simone reigning over her new domain in a silky, icy blue dress at the miniseries' end. The incredibly deliberate cinematography captures the beauty and excitement of late summer so well. It makes me want to book a trip to Bar Harbor, like, yesterday. SR: I'm absolutely with you there. The show takes place over Labor Day weekend, but it feels like such a blessing that it's coming out at the very start of the season for us. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. I'm not suggesting I'd want a long weekend resembling theirs, though. My jaw dropped at the finale, in which Simone – after breaking up with Ethan – decides to shack up with Peter, who sends Kiki packing the very same day. The seeds were planted for this crazy development: Kiki compares her marriage to a business transaction in an earlier conversation with Simone, who gets fired after Kiki discovers she kissed Peter earlier that weekend. Simone is a survivor who will clearly do whatever it takes to get out ahead, but I still don't find it believable that she would go after the husband of a woman she absolutely adored. She is supposed to have an undergraduate degree from Yale – can't she get a different well-paying job? This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Also, what's the deal with Peter's kids from his first marriage? There is an entire subplot where Kiki thinks Peter is cheating on her when, instead, he's spending time in secret with his estranged children, who apparently dislike Kiki. He announces they're coming to the estate mere moments before dumping Kiki and getting together with Simone – whom the kids would dislike even more, surely? I wish we got to see his two adult children meet his latest girlfriend. AC: The whole seeing-my-kids-and-new-grandson-in-secret thing was a forced subplot for me. You could have removed the cheating allegations, the chocolates 'from Tokyo' and the lying and instead filled it with the interactions you suggest. I would have even been happy to see the kids interact with Kiki before her demise. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. I honestly had no idea Kiki would end up the victim ('victim') in the end. I thought she'd begin the villain and remain so – maybe that's what they wanted me to think; maybe I just fell for it. SR: Yeah, I think that's the intention. Sirens are a mythical manifestation of men fearing women with power, and by the end of the show it's clear that Peter's nice-guy shtick is all a ruse. He can't stand the idea of Kiki holding anything over him and gets rid of her as soon as he senses her influence growing. I'm a little confused what the show wants us to think of Simone. She seems to be the ultimate villain in the finale, manipulating her way to the top, but Kiki ends up telling Devon on the boat leaving the island that neither she nor Simone are monsters. Is Simone truly a victim of circumstance? Surely there were other, more moral ways out of her situation. One of my friends told me from the very start of us watching this show that she was on Team Kiki. Maybe I should listen to that friend more. Crime World Olympics Sunshine Girls Toronto Raptors
Cision Canada
37 minutes ago
- Cision Canada
Destination Canada Launches New Toolkits to Support the Development of Tourism in Rural, Remote and Northern Communities
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Our mission is to influence supply and build demand for the benefit of locals, communities and visitors through leading research, alignment with public and private sectors, and marketing Canada nationally and abroad. Tourism contributes $130B to the Canadian economy. That's more than $350M a day in revenue powered by 265,000 businesses in 5,000 communities coast to coast to coast. Destination Canada's activities convert public dollars into international visitor spending within the same year—creating jobs, GDP, and tax revenues almost immediately. Every dollar invested in DC turns into a demonstrable financial return for Canadian businesses, workers, communities, and governments. Knowing that diversity is our greatest asset, we promote Canada as a premier four-season leisure and business tourism destination around the country and world in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, United Kingdom and the United States. 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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
With ‘Atmosphere,' Taylor Jenkins Reid leaves the Evelyn Hugo-verse behind and travels to space
Taylor Jenkins Reid recalls a moment writing her new novel, 'Atmosphere: A Love Story,' set against NASA's robust 1980s shuttle program, where she felt stuck. She went, where she often goes, to her husband to talk it through. 'I said, 'I can't write this book. I don't know enough about the space shuttle. I don't know what happens when the payload bay doors won't shut and you have to get back within a certain amount of revs, but they can't land at White Sands. They have to land at Cape Kennedy.' And he's like, 'Just listen to yourself. You know so much more than you knew a couple months ago. Keep doing what you're doing.'' 'Atmosphere,' out Tuesday, follows the journey of astronomer Joan Goodwin, an astronomer selected to join NASA's astronaut program. She and fellow trainees become like family and achieve their dream of going to space — until tragedy strikes. The story unfolds in two timelines: One when Joan first joins the NASA program and the other in December 1984 when a mission goes terribly wrong. The duo behind 'Captain Marvel,' Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, are adapting the book into a film with a theatrical release in mind. Reid knew that she had to do more than just her average six to eight weeks of research. Research and rabbit holes, by the way, are Reid's jam. She's written blockbuster novels set in the golden age of Hollywood in 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,' the 1970s rock scene in 'Daisy Jones & the Six,' 1980s surf culture in 'Malibu Rising' and professional tennis in 'Carrie Soto is Back.' With 'Atmosphere,' though, it took extra time, reading and understanding. 'It feels like a fever dream now when I think about it,' Reid told The Associated Press. 'It was a very intense period of time.' For this endeavor, she needed assistance. 'I had to reach out to people, complete strangers that I did not know and say, 'Will you please help me?'' Reid was surprised at how many people said yes. One of the most important voices was Paul Dye, NASA's longest-serving flight director. 'He spent hours of time with me,' Reid said. 'He helped me figure out how to cause a lot of mayhem on the space shuttle. He helped figure out exactly how the process of the connection between mission control and the space shuttle work. The book doesn't exist if he hadn't done that.' In an interview, Reid also talked about astronomy, social media and yes, the latest on 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' movie at Netflix. Answers are condensed for clarity and length. —- AP: How has writing 'Atmosphere' changed you? REID: I'm really into astronomy. Last Thanksgiving my family took a road trip to the Grand Canyon. I routed us through Scottsdale, Arizona, because I wanted to go to a dark sky park. Because of light pollution, we can only see the brightest stars when we go out and look at the night sky in a major city. Whereas when you go to a dark sky park there is very limited man-made light. So you can see more stars. We got there and it was cloudy. I was beside myself. The next night we got to the Grand Canyon and all the clouds had disappeared and you could see everything. I stood there for hours. I was teary-eyed. I can't emphasize enough: If anyone has any inclination to just go outside and look up at the night sky, it's so rewarding. AP: Last fall you left social media. Where are you at with it now? REID: I didn't realize how much social media was creating so many messages in my head of, you're not good enough. You should be better. You should work harder. You should have a prettier home. You should make a better dinner. And when I stopped going on it, very quickly I started to hear my own voice clearer. It was so much easier to be in touch with what I thought, how I felt, what I valued. I was more in touch with myself but also I'm going out into the world and I'm looking up at the sky and I am seeing where I am in relation to everything around me and I starting to understand how small my life is compared to the scale of the universe. AP: Serena Williams is executive producing 'Carrie Soto' for a series at Netflix. Did you meet her? REID: Yes. It's the only time I've been starstruck. I was in my bones, nervous. I had to talk to myself like, 'Taylor, slow down your heart rate.' The admiration I have for her as an athlete but also as a human is immense. The idea that I might have written something that she felt captured anything worth her time, is a great honor. And the fact that she's coming on board to help us make it the most authentic story we possibly can, I'm thrilled. It's one thing for me to pretend I know what it's like to be standing at Flushing Meadows and win the U.S. Open. Serena knows. She's done it multiple times. And so as we render that world, I think it is going to be really, really special because we have Serena and her team to help us. AP: Now for your favorite question. What's up with the 'Evelyn Hugo' movie? REID: There's not much that I am allowed to say but a lot of times I think people mistake me not saying anything as a lack of interest or focus and that's not the case. Everyone is working incredibly hard to get this movie made and everyone knows that there is a lot of pressure to get it exactly right. We're all hard at work. We're taking it very seriously and I give Netflix so much credit because they have such an immense respect for the readership of that book. They want to make them happy.
