Article content continued

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, at the behest of the federal government, has until June 1 to deliver a report on future business models to ensure a “vibrant domestic market” that supports the creation, production and distribution of Canadian content.

But there’s no consensus on how to do that in the online streaming era, according to the second round of proposals that the CRTC received from dozens of industry players in mid-February.

One camp wants the government to enforce broadcast regulations for streaming services such as Netflix; another wants it to deregulate broadcasting. Some outright ignore the Liberals’ vow not to tax Netflix or the internet, asking Ottawa to implement such taxes and spend the money on Canadian content. Many called on the government to at least require Netflix to collect and remit sales taxes.

One universal conclusion emerged from the myriad proposals: The industry agrees the internet has forever shaken traditional audio and video consumption and their underlying business models.

“The genie is out of the bottle,” Rogers Communications Inc. said in its submission. “There is no going back to the protected closed broadcasting system that existed prior to the widespread adoption of broadband internet.”

Rogers and BCE Inc. both proposed regulations to force streaming services to fund Canadian content as traditional broadcasters are required to do.