A new fight is playing out at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission over the first $100-million annual payment Google agreed to pay Canadian news outlets.
The Canadian Journalism Collective, the group tasked by Google to distribute the money to news outlets, has submitted plans for its governance structure to the CRTC.
If the regulator is satisfied with those plans, it will grant Google an exemption from the Online News Act, which compels tech companies to enter into agreements with news publishers.
The exemption will then trigger the payments to news outlets.
But some news outlets say the plan put forward by the collective is incomplete, and fear that revising it would delay the payment.
Instead, they told the CRTC in written submissions they want Google to disburse the funds through an accounting firm while the permanent plan is fleshed out.
香蕉视频直播淭he alternative 香蕉视频直播 rejecting Google香蕉视频直播檚 application outright 香蕉视频直播 risks bringing us back to square one,香蕉视频直播 Corus Entertainment said in its submissions. Corus is the parent company of Global News, which laid off 35 journalists in June. It said news outlets can香蕉视频直播檛 wait for the money any longer.
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters called for funds to 香蕉视频直播渇low to qualified recipients as soon as possible.香蕉视频直播
At the 香蕉视频直播渧ery least,香蕉视频直播 the first round of funds should be distributed by the end of the year, the broadcasters香蕉视频直播 group said.
The exemption will allow Google to comply with the legislation by paying into a single collective bargaining group that will serve as a media fund.
News Media Canada, which represents hundreds of publishers, said there is a lack of 香蕉视频直播渃ritical information香蕉视频直播 about the Canadian Journalism Collective, including its governance and how it will calculate payments and distribute funds.
Google said it香蕉视频直播檚 willing to make an initial $250,000 payment to help set up the organization that will disburse the funds, but the tech giant maintains that it shouldn香蕉视频直播檛 have to begin making payments to news outlets until it receives a full exemption from the Online News Act.
Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press