Silly Little Country

Another Bout of Arts Funding Rent-Seeking

The Canadian arts commnunity is a sorry excuse. The pigs are back at the trough begging for yet some other involuntary expenditure to be fed them.

Mochrie and fellow actors Charlotte Arnold and Bruce Dinsmore spoke on behalf of the performers union ACTRA, which along with other groups is calling for the CRTC to reconsider the distribution of new media content as broadcasting.
They also urge the regulator to introduce a levy on internet service providers whereby three per cent of revenues would go to a fund that would specifically support the creation of Canadian online programming, from documentaries and webisodes to comedy skits and internet games.

Oh no - our stories will be lost! Well yes, they are worried that their stories will be lost because nobody in Canada wants to pay for them, which suggests to me they SHOULD be lost! If you need to threaten me with jail to get the story told, I object.
Our ISPs object and speak rather refreshingly sensibly.

Likening the levy to an unnecessary tax, Ken Engelhart, Rogers senior vice-president of regulatory affairs, said Canadian content already exists.
"People [already] visit Canadian websites," he told CBC News. "We don't see a reason why it needs a subsidy."

I do see a reason why one is being demanded, though. It's HARD to create art interesting enough to garner an audience on its own - much easier to simply pressure bureaucrats and politicians to feed you funding. And actually, the demanders are not really all that good at creation (particularly because their business model has come to be to harvest subsidies, not entertain and interest a real audience).

posted by Alan Adamson @ 11:38 PM