Cultural Industries Policy: Objectives, Formulation, and Evaluation

Abstract

This paper reviews the literature on Canadian public policies affecting magazines, books, sound recordings, films and video productions, and radio and television broadcasting focusing on the themes of “cultural development” and “open economy.” The author’s premises are that the primary significance of cultural works is social, cultural, and political. A positive cultural climate provides opportunities for talented individuals to create works of the imagination that develop a body of shared knowledge which provides communities and nations with a collective memory. When made widely available, cultural works allow for current realities to be explored, reflected, debated, and contested, thereby laying secure foundations for independence and democracy. In the body of the paper the author considers the importance of historical perspective, the connection between chosen frameworks for policy analysis and resulting policy measures, and the critical need for precisely stated and explicitly analyzed policy goals. It identifies current information shortfalls for sound policy development, and suggests a more focused approach for further research.