The CMDC and ACA have issued a joint statement expressing concern regarding the new Digital Services Tax (DST) introduced through Bill C-59. The CMDC and ACA urge the Government of Canada to urgently reconsider the implementation of the Digital Services Tax Act (DSTA), which imposes a 3% tax on digital services revenue. While the tax is intended to ensure fair taxation of multinational digital companies, the reality is that this levy is being unfairly passed down to Canadian advertisers — effectively transforming it into a fee on the Canadian advertising industry.

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The Canadian Media Directors’ Council (CMDC) is continuing to push its invest-in-Canada focus as it inches closer to its goal of having the country’s advertisers commit 25% of digital media investment (or $380 million) to Canadian media by 2025. Right now, over 1,500 pledges have been received to bring the Canadian Media Manifesto tally to 19.5% for local media.

CMDC will launch a new ad campaign in September to support the Media Manifesto. In the meantime, it is sharing case studies of brands that have been successful in shifting dollars to local media. One example is the recent “Nobody Knows” campaign for Via Rail.

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The CMDC Media Summit is set to return on April 24th at the Toronto Design Exchange, bringing together influential media and business leaders. The Summit is a full day program that aims to spark ideas, partnerships and growth in the Canadian Media industry. From enlightening leadership talks to dynamic masterclasses, the day is structured to spark meaningful conversations and networking.

This is a unique experience to mingle with CMDC board members, industry speakers and over 300 professionals representing top Canadian brands, agencies and businesses.

Investing in Canadian Media is Investing in our Shared Future.

Mark your calendars: Agenda and Tickets will become available March 1st, 2024.

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After the Online News Act was passed in June, both Google and Meta confirmed plans to remove news content from their platforms. Several media companies – alongside stakeholder organizations and multiple governments – have paused their advertising on Meta in an effort to compel Meta to change its stance.

But independent of new regulations, media agencies and their clients have their own ability to change the fortunes of local media. Below, CMDC president Shannon Lewis makes an open call for leaders in the field to pledge their support for local news outlets and publishers.

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Bill C-18 – also known as the Online News Act – received royal assent on Thursday afternoon, meaning that large tech platforms will soon be forced to share more of their revenues with news outlets.

But the tech companies that the government seeks to regulate remain committed to plans to remove news content from their platforms in order to move outside of the Act’s purview.

The Online News Act is meant to give news outlets a more fair share of revenues generated by digital ads, the vast majority of which currently goes to major tech platforms like Google and Meta. The bill attempts to achieve this by setting out parameters for bargaining between outlets and platforms to determine fair compensation, including giving the CRTC the right to impose arbitration if a deal cannot be met.

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This year’s CMDC Summit brings together the media industry to explore the latest ways to create a sustainable future for businesses, brands and people. Together, let’s learn from extraordinary leaders who are navigating shifting currents and charting a more sustainable future for the media business with purpose, responsibility and impact.

Join us for an impactful day of debates, brand pop-ups, visionary keynotes, mindfulness, speed mentorship, and the Cannes Young Lions Awards. Plus, local cuisine and unlimited networking at W hotel's Skylight rooftop.

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It's certainly been an extraordinary year. As we can all attest, this has been a time of change. We hope that for you that it's been overwhelmingly positive. In that spirit, this is an enormous 'thank you' to you, our members, partners and the media community for supporting the CMDC. You've demonstrated yet again that We are Better Together.

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The new partnership announcement with Newguard will elevate advertiser support for responsible news media in Canada and protect brands from unintentionally funding misinformation sources that fall below their brand safety standards while supporting legitimate news publishers, including those serving local markets and Black, Indigenous, Asian, or LGBTQ+ communities.

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The power and credibility of television as a news medium. There’s no question that Canadians have a hunger for quality local news coverage. Corus EVP & CRO Greg McLelland shared that TV broadcast news reaches 71% of Canadians weekly, is highly trusted, and provides a great place for brands to grow – yet broadcast news notoriously under-indexes on advertising support relative to time spent.

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