Cultural subsidy - Definition and Overview

A cultural subsidy is a payment to cultural industries to ensure that some public policy purpose in culture (e.g. multiculturalism, bilingualism, Canadian Content, the French language, preservation of ballet or opera or circus arts) is preserved or perhaps overtly promoted as superior.

They are considered a form of industrial subsidy usually by their opponents, and a form of public interest communication, such as public broadcasting, by their supporters. A common means of providing a cultural subsidy is to have public broadcasters pay for program development.

See also: arts grant