The final regulations for the Online News Act have shed light on the limitations of the funding that private broadcasters will receive through the government’s $100-million deal with Google, with an even lower cap for the CBC. According to the regulations released on Dec. 15, broadcasters will receive a maximum of $30 million from the fund, while CBC/Radio-Canada will be limited to no more than $7 million. The remainder of the money is designated for other qualifying news outlets such as newspapers and digital platforms.
Last month, Google entered into a deal with the Liberal government to contribute $100 million annually, indexed to inflation, to Canadian news publishers. In exchange, the government agreed to exempt Google from the legislation, which requires tech companies to compensate news publishers for linking to their content if it generates revenue for the digital giants. Instead, Google will enter into a single collective bargaining group that will serve as a media fund.
Despite Google’s belief that the law is “fundamentally flawed,” a company spokesperson expressed satisfaction in finding “a viable path to exemption in the final regulations.”