TORONTO, July 3, 2024 /CNW/ - Unifor supports the
Ontario government's announcement
today that it will direct key provincial agencies to ensure at
least 25% of their ad spends will go to Ontario publishers, a move that encourages
saving local news.
"We all know that community, regional and national news
publishers have been facing and struggling with declining ad
sales," said Unifor National President Lana
Payne.
"This initiative will help giving Ontario publishers support to keep afloat.
Unifor calls on the federal government, as well as other provinces,
to follow Ontario's lead on and
commit to supporting Canadian news."
Unifor has always maintained that Canada's media sector requires a variety of
sources of funding, and this is one important piece of that puzzle.
The federal government has taken steps to provide relief and it's
encouraging to see Ontario step up
to the plate, by putting tax dollars to work.
The Ontario Finance, Transportation and Tourism, Culture and
Gaming ministries have directed the largest to four government
agencies – the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), the Ontario Cannabis Store,
Metrolinx and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) – to
allocate a minimum of 25% of their annual advertising spend, which
tends to be well over $100 million on
marketing each year.
The ad buys must be directed to Ontario-based publishers, designated as
Qualified Canadian Journalism Organizations by the Canada Revenue
Agency.
This means the province expects this new initiative to flow over
$25 million to Ontario-based publishers, which will help
protect jobs and promote local content and culture.
"This is a step in the right direction," said Unifor Ontario
Regional Director Samia Hashi. "It's great to see the
government supporting Canadian journalism and prioritizing local
news and media workers in Ontario."
The plan comes into effect by Sept. 3,
2024. The Ontario
government said it will review this initiative on a quarterly
basis.
Unifor represents more than 10,000 media workers, including
5,000 members in the broadcast and film industries.
Unifor is Canada's largest
union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every
major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working
people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in
Canada and abroad, and strives to
create progressive change for a better future.
SOURCE Unifor