Derek Fildebrandt, publisher, president and CEO of Western Standard New Media Corp., spoke to a Senate committee Tuesday about his concerns and objections to a bill affecting the funding of news media organizations.. Google .Fildebrandt told the senators in Ottawa the Western Standard is “highly unlike the large corporate media that have lobbied for this bill.”.“As a so-called 'Qualified Canadian Journalism Organization,' we are eligible to receive the full suite of taxpayer subsidies that media are now entitled to in Canada, but we refuse to accept them,” Fildebrandt told the committee..“We believe for media to be independent, we must be independent of the state.”.Fildebrandt pointed out the Western Standard was a couple of people in 2019 sitting at a dining room table and now is “the most-read online publication in Alberta.”.“We have a large newsroom in our Calgary headquarters, bustling with activity and breaking original stories every day,” said Fildebrandt.."We have bureaus in Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, and Ottawa.”.“And we did it all without the help of the government,” said Fildebrandt..“I am here today to plead with you to help stop the government from forcing its help on us through Bill C-18.”.“But greedy newspaper executives, not content with the existing massive bailout of their failing businesses, have come cap in hand to the government for more,” said Fildebrandt..“What they got was Bill C-18, which would force Facebook and Google to pay them for delivering their content to their customers.”.Fildebrandt said “independent media in Canada will be the collateral damage of their greed.”.“We never asked for this bill, and we were never consulted in it,” said Fildebrandt..“But we will have a massive source of our traffic turned off as Facebook and Google retaliate for this naked rent-seeking operation.”.Fildebrandt used his paperboy experience as an example to support his view..“My first job was as a small-town paper boy. In the winter, I even delivered papers through a makeshift dog sled with my Husky,” Fildebrandt told the committee.. Newspaper stackNewspaper stack .“The local paper paid me to deliver their product to their customers. Facebook is the new paperboy. They deliver our products to our customers, but they do it for free.”.“If the government had passed a law in 1995 requiring paper boys to pay the local paper for the privilege of delivering their product, I would have obviously quit,” said Fildebrandt..“It should come as no surprise, then, that's what today’s papers boys, Facebook and Google, have promised to do. Of course, they will not pay the legacy media for helping the legacy media. It’s asinine.”.Fildebrandt credited Facebook and other social media platforms for the rapid growth of the Western Standard..“One of the most critical ways in which we were able to grow so quickly was the availability of platforms like Facebook to deliver our content to potential readers at no cost,” said Fildebrandt..“Facebook made it possible for start-ups like ours to get our products in front of potential customers without the need for large, costly, delivery operations.”.“There will be no 'free money' from these tech giants. They will simply turn off the news in Canada.”.Fildebrandt said “Bill C-18 should be killed, but I understand the Senate generally prefers to amend legislation rather than defeat it.”.Fildebrandt asked the Senate to make changes to the bill..“Please amend this bill to ensure those of us not trying to grift our way to profitability are not collateral damage,” Fildebrandt told the committee..“Please amend this bill to make it explicitly 'opt-in,' so that only media that want to partake in this shakedown are included.”.Fildebrandt said he wants the Senate to change Section 51..“Importantly, this includes removing or amending Section 51, which prohibits Facebook and Google from treating news outlets differently,” said Fildebrandt..“This is important because these platforms should not be required to shut down content from media outlets, like the Western Standard, that are not trying to fleece them.”.“Let Goliath fight with Goliath, but do not require that the Davids here get caught in the crossfire of their squabble.”
Derek Fildebrandt, publisher, president and CEO of Western Standard New Media Corp., spoke to a Senate committee Tuesday about his concerns and objections to a bill affecting the funding of news media organizations.. Google .Fildebrandt told the senators in Ottawa the Western Standard is “highly unlike the large corporate media that have lobbied for this bill.”.“As a so-called 'Qualified Canadian Journalism Organization,' we are eligible to receive the full suite of taxpayer subsidies that media are now entitled to in Canada, but we refuse to accept them,” Fildebrandt told the committee..“We believe for media to be independent, we must be independent of the state.”.Fildebrandt pointed out the Western Standard was a couple of people in 2019 sitting at a dining room table and now is “the most-read online publication in Alberta.”.“We have a large newsroom in our Calgary headquarters, bustling with activity and breaking original stories every day,” said Fildebrandt.."We have bureaus in Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, and Ottawa.”.“And we did it all without the help of the government,” said Fildebrandt..“I am here today to plead with you to help stop the government from forcing its help on us through Bill C-18.”.“But greedy newspaper executives, not content with the existing massive bailout of their failing businesses, have come cap in hand to the government for more,” said Fildebrandt..“What they got was Bill C-18, which would force Facebook and Google to pay them for delivering their content to their customers.”.Fildebrandt said “independent media in Canada will be the collateral damage of their greed.”.“We never asked for this bill, and we were never consulted in it,” said Fildebrandt..“But we will have a massive source of our traffic turned off as Facebook and Google retaliate for this naked rent-seeking operation.”.Fildebrandt used his paperboy experience as an example to support his view..“My first job was as a small-town paper boy. In the winter, I even delivered papers through a makeshift dog sled with my Husky,” Fildebrandt told the committee.. Newspaper stackNewspaper stack .“The local paper paid me to deliver their product to their customers. Facebook is the new paperboy. They deliver our products to our customers, but they do it for free.”.“If the government had passed a law in 1995 requiring paper boys to pay the local paper for the privilege of delivering their product, I would have obviously quit,” said Fildebrandt..“It should come as no surprise, then, that's what today’s papers boys, Facebook and Google, have promised to do. Of course, they will not pay the legacy media for helping the legacy media. It’s asinine.”.Fildebrandt credited Facebook and other social media platforms for the rapid growth of the Western Standard..“One of the most critical ways in which we were able to grow so quickly was the availability of platforms like Facebook to deliver our content to potential readers at no cost,” said Fildebrandt..“Facebook made it possible for start-ups like ours to get our products in front of potential customers without the need for large, costly, delivery operations.”.“There will be no 'free money' from these tech giants. They will simply turn off the news in Canada.”.Fildebrandt said “Bill C-18 should be killed, but I understand the Senate generally prefers to amend legislation rather than defeat it.”.Fildebrandt asked the Senate to make changes to the bill..“Please amend this bill to ensure those of us not trying to grift our way to profitability are not collateral damage,” Fildebrandt told the committee..“Please amend this bill to make it explicitly 'opt-in,' so that only media that want to partake in this shakedown are included.”.Fildebrandt said he wants the Senate to change Section 51..“Importantly, this includes removing or amending Section 51, which prohibits Facebook and Google from treating news outlets differently,” said Fildebrandt..“This is important because these platforms should not be required to shut down content from media outlets, like the Western Standard, that are not trying to fleece them.”.“Let Goliath fight with Goliath, but do not require that the Davids here get caught in the crossfire of their squabble.”
