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EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

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Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#21

Post by iDemonix »

phyller wrote: post #7

> The proposals will require that streaming services give over at least 30% of their on-demand catalogues to original productions made in each EU country where a service is provided (individual EU Member States could choose to set the content bar even higher, at 40%) 30% for each country seems really high to me. As usual for regulation, there will likely be high unintended consequences. While in the US and elsewhere…

I'm amazed something this poorly thought out is about to be 'signed off'.

I foresee shrinking catalogues and a massive increase in piracy. Go EU!

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#22

Post by Frqy3 »

I'm not an expert in media laws, but my understanding from the broadcast days was that TV broadcasters got access to radio spectrum for effectively zero or peppercorn rates and in return were required to broadcast a certain level of local content. Broadcast licences were also limited in number by the available spectrum.

An on-demand catalog is also quite different from broadcast, being measured by content availability rather than transmission time, and a 30% (or higher) local content bar seems to me to be a rather high level for an on-demand service, however, I read elsewhere [0] that Netflix is already close to meeting this, so the restriction is not likely to be too onerous for them at least.

[0] https://venturebeat.com/2018/09/04/eu-will-force-netflix-and...

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#23

Post by davedx »

ethbro wrote: post #8
comboy wrote: post #3

> So the move — which will probably draw loud and hair-raising screams from U.S. commentators — is, nonetheless, A Good Thing. I'm in EU. A Good Thing is letting me watch whatever the fuck I want. It's a real dystopia if the state decides which movies you should or shouldn't watch.

It's hard to watch a movie that never gets produced. Let's not pretend there aren't strong tendencies towards centralization and homogenization in media. (That we could, most charitably, ascribe to efficiency and risk management) On the other side, yes, protectionism leads to a lot of otherwise unmarketable things being produced (looking at you, France). But balance doesn't seem like too much to ask. Because Hollywoo…

> But balance doesn't seem like too much to ask. Because Hollywood is doing fuck all for diversity.

Six million Wakandans might disagree with you...

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#25

Post by ethbro »

phyller wrote: post #7

> The proposals will require that streaming services give over at least 30% of their on-demand catalogues to original productions made in each EU country where a service is provided (individual EU Member States could choose to set the content bar even higher, at 40%) 30% for each country seems really high to me. As usual for regulation, there will likely be high unintended consequences. While in the US and elsewhere…

I mean, Uwe Boll is European (German, specifically).

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#26

Post by FearNotDaniel »

comboy wrote: post #3

> So the move — which will probably draw loud and hair-raising screams from U.S. commentators — is, nonetheless, A Good Thing. I'm in EU. A Good Thing is letting me watch whatever the fuck I want. It's a real dystopia if the state decides which movies you should or shouldn't watch.

Given a choice of dystopias, I would also prefer to avoid the one where "the market" decides what I should or shouldn't watch. Nothing here is suggesting that you should be prevented from watching Jersey Shore, or the Kardashians, or whatever superhero action flick is in vogue this month, if that's your taste; but if it all came down to money then that's all any of us would get whether we like it or not.

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#27

Post by rocqua »

AllegedAlec wrote: post #17

I've said this before, but the EU overstepped their intended mandate the very moment they decided that they were more than the ECSC. It is beyond me how those numbnuts in Brussels keep thinking up more stupid and useless plans each time. Not only is it completely up to streaming services what they do and do not offer in terms of content, now you force those services to split up what they show per country, decentralis…

I like the GDPR, I like many other EU rules. In short, I am quite in favor of a big EU.

But this is simply stupid. This is straight-up protectionism / weird national pride.

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#28

Post by raverbashing »

comboy wrote: post #3

> So the move — which will probably draw loud and hair-raising screams from U.S. commentators — is, nonetheless, A Good Thing. I'm in EU. A Good Thing is letting me watch whatever the fuck I want. It's a real dystopia if the state decides which movies you should or shouldn't watch.

> A Good Thing is letting me watch whatever the fuck I want

While I disagree in part with this, it is not forcing you on the chair and autoplaying a cult movie. You still watch what you want.

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#29

Post by ethbro »

davedx wrote: post #23
ethbro wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard to watch a movie that never gets produced. Let's not pretend there aren't strong tendencies towards centralization and homogenization in media. (That we could, most charitably, ascribe to efficiency and risk management) On the other side, yes, protectionism leads to a lot of otherwise unmarketable things being produced (looking at you, France). But balance doesn't seem like too much to ask. Because Hollywoo…

> But balance doesn't seem like too much to ask. Because Hollywood is doing fuck all for diversity. Six million Wakandans might disagree with you...

I'm as much of a Black Panther fan as anyone... but how many Hispanic Marvel superheroes are there?

Re: EU to move ahead with cultural quotas for streaming services

#30

Post by rcMgD2BwE72F »

AllegedAlec wrote: post #17

I've said this before, but the EU overstepped their intended mandate the very moment they decided that they were more than the ECSC. It is beyond me how those numbnuts in Brussels keep thinking up more stupid and useless plans each time. Not only is it completely up to streaming services what they do and do not offer in terms of content, now you force those services to split up what they show per country, decentralis…

>It is beyond me how those numbnuts in Antwerp keep thinking up more stupid and useless plans each time

You may question your sources of information.

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