CRTC and democracy or lack of...

[JWayne625]

I don't agree with the power this unelected body exerts over our lives. The power to deny us the right to access U.S. programming if we so wish, especially considering the technology which is now available. The power to force cable companies to bundle stations so that we have to have our daily dose of Canadian dribble whether we want it or not. I'm not saying that all Canadian programming is terrible, but most of it is so amatuerish that is is not fit to watch, yet we are not given a choice. Now Quebec is demanding a special consideration with Ottawa so that they can make their own decisions with regards to license regulation. I suppose it will be an agreement similar to that for Immigration, Income Taxes, Pensions (QPP), etc.

The CRTC is an unelected and unaccountable body imposed upon us by "Big Brother" in Ottawa, and is made up of a bunch of political hacks who have no special talents other than they support the particular party that appointed them to their positions. If I choose to subscribe to DirectTV from south of the border, I should have that choice without interference from the CRTC, with them telling me I have two choices Bell or Star Choice, both of which impose Canadian content rules set out by this undemocratic body.

I don't agree necessarily with some of the racist comments purported to have been made by personalities on CHOI in Montreal, but neither do I agree with the Quebec government's demands that they be given an accomodation by Ottawa to make decisions on licence granting an renewal by the Quebec government while the rest of us are forced to remain under the thumbs of the CRTC in Ottawa.

What is good for some Canadian's should apply to all Canadians, including the Province of Quebec, and in all areas of responsibility including CPP/QPP, Income Tax, Immigration, etc., after all they are still a Province within Canada and therefore should be treated exactly the same as the rest of us.

[belfred]

JWayne625 - I concur, our home tube viewing is severely restricted by the Canadian Radio and Television Commission. In fact, not long ago I undertook a scaled down research into the reasons why Canadian TV viewers are hobbled so.

Surprisingly, the discoveries I made were rather obvious. Here are a few examples.

- Canadian Producers of Movies for TV have long lobbied against foreign markets invading the film industry.

- American Television giants want prohibitive returns for investing in our programming.

-Canadian artists in the movie , television , and music video industry seldom graduate into the more lucrative USA markets.

-Canadian entertainment industry has the unqualified support of Parliament to reduce and continue reducing air time to foreign broadcasting.

In a word, the CRTC enforces the will of the Government. I rather doubt the current policy will be reversed because a handful of Canadians don't approve. The only other method of gaining unfettered access to the American market is illegal. There are quiet but vigorous prosecutions taking place against those who steal TV signals.

[caesar]

I get to watch more than enough American programs. Where are we so deprived????

I would like to see more control on allowing any company to have such a large monopoly on our news in Canada as has Can West, We need better control; not less.

I certainly do not want any of our Canadian media to be foreign owned. There is enough propaganda coming from the USA and Can West sources now. Basically it is more by what they neglect to tell us.

[maplesyrup]

Canada's distinctiveness is bound up in our culture, and like Quebec efforts to preserve the French language and culture Canada needs to do the same.

If you have satellite dish can't you get all 500 channels that I am sure no one could possibly live without. As the announcer says on City TV: Maybe it's time to get off the stinking couch.

[maplesyrup]

What is good for some Canadian's should apply to all Canadians, including the Province of Quebec, and in all areas of responsibility including CPP/QPP, Income Tax, Immigration, etc., after all they are still a Province within Canada and therefore should be treated exactly the same as the rest of us.

Still at it I see!

Don't you think it is time to move on over the Quebec issue. Quebec is unique or distinct, and Quebeckers have, as their special mission, the preservation of French within Canada.

Anyway, I was listening to an English radio commentator in BC the other day and he had a message for his French listeners: " The referendum score is two-zip for les federales, but hey, anytime Quebeckers want to go best out of five les federales sont pret!

Or we could add the Canadian content rule, and invoke the Stanley Cup finals accounting system, and go best out of seven!

It is a joke but actually what is wrong with looking at Quebec sparation like a hockey series, where one side has to win the majority of games, or as in this case, the majority of referedums.

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear JWayne625,

The power to force cable companies to bundle stations so that we have to have our daily dose of Canadian dribble whether we want it or not.

Actually, I protest that cable companies bundle American drivel into the basic cable package, so that I must subsidize it whether I want it or not. I do not watch TV, but my wife likes A&E, TLC and a few others. We have never watched 'Seinfeld', nor 'American Idol', yet still have to pay for such drivel in order to watch anything of substance.

The CRTC recently banned Fox News, while allowing AlJazeera, and it does make me think. Fox is unabashedly pro-American, and will disregard the truth, or not show it, based on whether it is 'good for America' or not. At least whith Aljazeera, I can get some bit of news, even if it is biased. (as they both are).

For example, the Los Alamos Nuclear Weapons facility recently shut down all classified work after top-secret information went missing. I read it on BBC, AlJazerra, The Asia Times, and a few others, but I could find nothing from any western news stations, including Canadian ones. I asked someone in the industry why this was so, and that person replied, "you have no idea how incestuous the media is". A few people control what the masses get for information in the western world.

Another example was that Aljazeera ran a story about Halliburton being probed for it's dealing with Iran, contrary to US law regarding 'conducting business with a terrorist nation'. Halliburton's explanation was that they were conducting business in Iran through an offshore subsidiary in the Cayman Islands, so that technically they were not breaking US law. I do not think Fox news will rush to cover the story. Even If the US invades Iran, and has to 'destroy the country in order to save it', Halliburton will probably be awarded the rebuilding contract to rebuild their own facilities in Iran with taxpayer money. Again.

[Cartman]

Actually, I protest that cable companies bundle American drivel into the basic cable package, so that I must subsidize it whether I want it or not.

I agree. With my satellite package I not only have to pay for the CRAP, but I cannot even delete the channels once I pay for them.

We have never watched 'Seinfeld', nor 'American Idol', yet still have to pay for such drivel in order to watch anything of substance.

Exactly. I tried to watch them once and suffered enormously.

Watching this stuff is considered freedom?

[Michael Hardner]

Watching this stuff is considered freedom?

Well, NOT being allowed to watch sure isn't.

I'd like to see more bundling available, too. But don't blame the CRTC for the lack of bundling. There's a scarcity of it with many major US cable operators too. They know that bundling would lead to less revenue.

[Cartman]

I wonder why we jump on government when it tries to regulate companies for the social good due to numerous complaints by fellow citizens, but few here seem to be concerned about the fact that companies can do as they please regardless of complaints (essentially forcing people to take crappy channels) in order to make $$?

Why should I be forced to accept Jerry Springer in order to get David Suzuki? We should be more concerned about the fact that corporations (esp. cable and satellite) demonstrate a total disregard for peoples' views while government must, at the very least, listen to what we think. Why are people so quick to judge politicians but hey...companies can do whatever they want to? If you believe government should be moral, why not corporations? They both spend and waste our money.

[willy]

We should be more concerned about the fact that corporations (esp. cable and satellite) demonstrate a total disregard for peoples' views while government must, at the very least, listen to what we think.

The corporations spend a lot of money on market research to see what people will buy and what they think, and then a lot of people watch the junk. The market of consumers rule in the end. What you ask for is the government to act on lobbies. Who are people? The majority. The smart ones. The marginalized. The ones how have morals. Who's morals? Government censorship is very confusing.

Better off policing ones own viewing habits.

[maplesyrup]

A study just came out showing Canadian cities taking five of the first six spots in rankings of desirable places to live. The only US city to make the list was Honolulu.

Canadians do't want to buy the American trip.

Canadians don't want to be bombarded with American culture - we have our own.

[maplesyrup]

Here is the article about desirable cities referred to in the previous post;

Canada rules best-cities list

Canadian cities have taken the top four spots in a ranking of the best places in the world for expatriates to live.

The list – which was created by combining rankings of cities' quality of life and cost of living – was released Tuesday. It placed Canadian cities in five of the top six spots, the Australian city of Perth breaking the Canuck streak with a fifth-place showing.

[cgarrett]

the recent hype in the media against the crtc is all designed to make this entity look like the bad 'big brother'. especially by such entities as can west global.

media is a 'public trust in private hands' and this is part of the crtc mandate. this is very important.

we as a society recognize that the public is educated by the media (mostly tv and newspaper) and that it is one thing to educate and another to portray opinion as educational material. this is a huge problem in canada and the unitied states. one needs a range of voices but as these media giants grow there are less voices and the giants have more power.

can west global now owns about 70% of all canadian newspaper readership alone. and they have been very up front about the fact that the billionaire asper family has specific views that they use there papers to feed to the canadian public! its not about telling two sides of a debate... its about the one side of a debate that the asper family support.

so yes, entities like the crtc are very important in regulating this because if not regulated then we would be educated by the views of a very few rich individuals if we were to rely on the free market system to decide who was to control time on the soap box.

[willy]

How is the CRTC influencing the Aspers editorial content?

[maplesyrup]

The CanWest Global empire needs to broken up.

The media is too important a factor in our society to be controlled by so few.

This is an area where we need some strong government intervention although I don't expect to see it coming from the Martin Liberals.

Now maybe if the NDP are able to secure victories in those possible two by-electons in Saskatchewan, there might be a possibility to see our federal government move on this flagrant abuse of Canada's communication systems.

[takeanumber]

The CRTC got over 90 complaints from CHOI broadcasting racist material that was clearly offensive to blacks and women.

CHOI was warned to clean up its act.

CHOI CHOSE not to.

The CRTC revoked CHOI's liscence.

It's an open and shut case.

We got broadcasting standards for a reason folks.

Do I need to remind anybody here what happened in Rwanda?

There's a reason for those laws.

Personally, I liken the protest by CHOI listeners to a skinhead protest. They're mad that they don't have the right to broadcast hate.

I also find it hillarious that some Quebeckers are comparing the CRTC to the Nazis. If anything, the broadcasts on CHOI are closer to Nazi propaganda than anything else.

I sincerly hope that not Quebeckers are anti-black and anti-woman.

CHOI simply crossed the line between freedom of speech and responsible speech. When you abuse that responsibility, you bring legitimate speech under the microscope.

It sucks how some people just won't grow up and take their duties as citizens seriously, and respect their fellow Canadians.

[Bakunin]

Exaclty, I would stand up for a radio station who would criticize peoples public job or for comedian to joke about people but i would never stand up for a radio that attack people for their phisics, sexual orientation, color or sexe. There have been people that suffered from those comment. Im for Freedom of speech all the way but im against hate speech.

[maplesyrup]

I would like to see how long a radio station or any media outlet in Canada using public airwaves, that advocated gassing corporate executives, would last.

This is just a group of right wing zealots that have no place on Canada's airways. Perhaps CHOI needs to be charged under Canada's hate crime legislation.

Free speech my f------ ass!