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The committee is studying the challenges the pandemic has created for media and culture groups.
Several members of the committee lamented the reduction in local news coverage as their newspapers cut back on coverage and editions to keep the lights on.
Hinds said some smaller newspapers closed permanently due to the pandemic, while larger publications saw newsroom layoffs.
The federal wage subsidy, he said, has been helpful in avoiding worse.
Advertising revenue plunged by 75% at the start of the pandemic in many markets, he said, and the industry is still struggling with advertising declines in the range of 30%.
The federal government announced a $30-million communications budget at the start of the pandemic, but Hinds said there was limited placement of the resulting ads in Canadian news media.
“The government can deliver on its mandate to communicate with Canadians by implementing a strategy of placing ads where Canadians are looking for trusted content and advertising,” he said.
Without federal help, he added, the future is grim for many of his member organizations.
