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There is overwhelming support among Canadians for the idea of requiring Internet and wireless service providers to help finance the production of Canadian digital media content, according to a new poll.

The survey was commissioned by associations representing producers, actors, directors and writers who work in the film, television and new media industry.

The survey also found a majority of Canadians believe that the federal government should work to ensure that Canadians have Canadian content choices available to them on all media platforms, including the Internet and wireless networks.

The Harris/Decima poll shows that 69 per cent of Canadians believe Internet service providers should be required to help fund the production of Canadian digital content in the same way that cable and satellite TV providers are required to contribute a small percentage of their revenues to the production of Canadian TV programs. Similarly, almost three-quarters of Canadians believe wireless service providers should also fund digital media production.

"Internet and wireless service providers should play a vital role in helping to finance production of critical Canadian online and mobile content. It is important to ensure that while surfing the net or watching video on their mobile phones, Canadians have Canadian content choices available to them," says Richard Hardacre, national president of the actors union..

"ISPs and WSPs are as much 'distributors' of information and entertainment content as cable and satellite TV providers," says Alan Goluboff, of the Directors Guild. "They should be required to help fund Canadian digital media content in the same way that cable and satellite companies are required to financially support Canadian television programming. These companies are immensely successful and have ample resources to support the creation of Canadian content for new media."

The poll of more than 2,000 people was conducted in mid-January. It is considered accurate within 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.