Content. Abundance. Discoverability: CRTC and NFB co-hosting "En route to the Discoverability Summit" in Vancouver

News Release

November 3, 2015 – Gatineau/Montreal – Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)/National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Audiovisual content is everywhere: on television, on the Internet, on smartphones and on tablets. In this age of abundance, discoverability is key.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), will host an event in Vancouver, on December 1, 2015, to start a discussion on the discoverability of content.

The Age of Abundance

Hundreds of scripted and other television series are being developed in Canada, in the U.S. and in other countries around the world. It is estimated that over 400 scripted television series were being developed for television this year in North America alone.

In addition, a plethora of online streaming services are available worldwide.

Many viewers say they are overwhelmed with these choices and have a hard time finding the content they want. They are asking less and less "what's on?" but "what should I watch?" And in this era, the traditional ways of discovering content need to evolve. How can viewers find the content they want to watch more easily? How do creators bring content to viewers? That's what discoverability is about!

The Discoverability Summit

The CRTC and the NFB will host, in May 2016, the Discoverability Summit, a unique, authoritative, world-class event. The Summit will be a forum for learning and creative discussions with respect to new strategies, tools and approaches to tackle the challenge of discoverability.

En Route Events

Leading up to the Discoverability Summit, the CRTC and the NFB will kick-start the conversation on discoverability by hosting two half-day events known as En route to the Discoverability Summit: Content in the Age of Abundance. These events will gather experts from a variety of fields to generate preliminary ideas and strategies and create momentum for the Discoverability Summit. Attendance will be by invitation as there is a limited number of seats.

Vancouver

The first En Route event will take place in Vancouver, at The Chan Centre for Performing Arts, December 1, 2015, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Discussions will focus on English-language markets. The event will be live streamed, so make sure to subscribe to the CRTC's YouTube channel and tune in on December 1st! Moderated by Nora Young, host and creator of Spark on CBC Radio, the Vancouver event will feature Tony Chapman, Founder and CEO of Tony Chapman Reactions as the keynote speaker.

Montreal

A second En route event, focusing on French-language markets, will take place in Montreal. Stay tuned for details on this event.

For the latest news and to join the discoverability conversation:

Quick Facts

  • Discoverability is a domestic and international challenge in many cultural sectors, including but not limited to, audiovisual, music, and book publishing.
  • The CRTC and the NFB are collaborating to host two pre-events to the Discoverability Summit that will take place in 2016.
  • The first pre-event will take place in Vancouver, at The Chan Centre for Performing Arts, December 1, 2015 from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm.
  • A second pre-event will take place in Montreal. Details for this event will be announced shortly.

Quotes

"We live in an era where content is everywhere. We can watch it anytime and anywhere on the device of our choice. Discoverability is paramount to ensure viewers can connect with content that is meaningful to them, and that creators can find audiences for their creative products. Discoverability is a challenge in Canada and all over the world.

We are pleased to collaborate with the NFB, an organization that has a track record of experimenting with technology, to host the Discoverability Summit as well as two preliminary events. The events in Vancouver and Montreal will bring together experts from Canada and abroad to identify the technological, cultural, social and behavioural trends that should be explored."

- Jean-Pierre Blais, Chairman and CEO, CRTC

 

"The CRTC's idea to hold a forum on the issues surrounding discoverability offers a unique opportunity to reflect on the impact that digital technologies have, not only on content, but on how we reach the public and establish a genuine relationship with them.

For the NFB, it is also an opportunity, as producer and public distributor, to share our experiences and expertise on these issues. Change is here to stay, and we must act. This is what we have always done and what we will continue to do with this important initiative."

- Claude Joli-Coeur, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the NFB

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