By C. Gwendolyn Landolt
National Vice President
REAL Women of Canada
What are we going to do about the CRTC? The only reasonable response to this question is to get rid of it.
The CRTC was established back in 1968 when broadcasting was conducted in a completely different world. Its mandate, according to its enabling legislation, was to maintain a balance of views in the broadcasting industry in the public’s interest among cultural, social and economic differences. At that time, there were only a few channels available, and the CTRC’s purpose was to ensure Canadian content, as well as this balance of views on matters of public concern. The CRTC has obviously failed in this regard – big time – since all we have heard over the airwaves on both radio and TV, has, over the years, been the mindlessly repetitive views of the left in Canada. Rarely has a conservative voice been heard in the broadcasting industry. On the few occasions that it was heard, it was mainly to disparage or ridicule that perspective.
Today, however, with the presence of a 500-channel universe, brought about by digital technology, the CRTC is no longer able to control channel capacity. Despite the impossibility of this, the CRTC is still trying to control what the public sees or hears. For example:
Pornography
In August 2008, the CRTC approved a Canadian pay-television pornography channel called “Northern Peaks” on the basis that 50% of its pornographic content would be produced in Canada. This implies that the Canadian content was one of the main reasons for the approval of the channel.
In justifying its decision, the CRTC argued that it never takes a moral perspective on the content of the applications it reviews. This explanation was not credible because the CRTC has been noticeably reluctant over the years to license any religious broadcasting. Even today, there are only two or three religious broadcasting channels permitted in Canada.
The result of this CRTC decision to accept the application for the pornography channel is that it is now increasing the amount of pornography that is already taking place in that lucrative and unregulated industry in Canada. The latter is mostly located in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. Northern Peaks, based in Alberta, is no slouch either since, to date, it has produced 200 pornographic films or “ titles”. It is now enthusiastically shooting more videos and reality television shows using equally enthusiastic homegrown Canadian pornographic actors.
This is scarcely of benefit to society, and only benefits the owners, operators and porn actors in this greatly enhanced porn industry. The latter will be making an easy profit: the more disreputable the content, the greater the profit.
Homosexual Channel “Out TV”
The CRTC is incensed that the homosexual/lesbian Channel “Out TV” has been allegedly placed at an unfair advantage by Shaw Cable. Apparently, the latter cable company has not been “marketing” the homosexual/lesbian channel as the CRTC thinks it should, resulting in “Out TV” (formerly known as Pride Television) failing to achieve the audience on Shaw cable that it has on other cable systems. “Out TV” on Shaw Cable reaches merely 0.49% of its subscribers, in comparison to other cable systems on which “Out TV” has 18.11% of Telus subscribers, 15.9% of Bell ExpressVu, 9.27% of Cogeco subscribers, 7% of (Rogers) Systems and 6.61% of Star Choice subscribers.
Shaw Cable has placed “Out TV” adjacent to channels carrying such adult programming as Playboy and Hustler, and includes these channels in an “all in one” pack. Significantly, Shaw Cable provides its customers with the choice of opting out of a specific channel such as the homosexual channel in their All-in-One package. The option may well be a reasonable explanation for Shaw’s low subscribership of “Out TV” in that it actually allows its customers to opt out of “Out TV’s” package deal. In short, it may not be the marketing of “Out TV” by Shaw that is contributing to its low membership on Shaw Cable, but rather the fact that Shaw daringly gives the subscribers a discretion as to whether they want to view the controversial channel. We’ll never know whether this actually is the case, as the CRTC hasn’t bothered to investigate the matter. It just accepted the complaint from “Out TV” about Shaw Cable’s low number of subscribers to “Out TV,” and concluded the cable company wasn’t pushing the homosexual/lesbian channel enough.
Response by Shaw Cable
Shaw Cable responded by agreeing to market OUT TV as equitably as it does other channels and raise the profile of it on the dial by including free previews of it for new digital customers.
The CRTC at this time doesn’t have the authority to fine Shaw or to make it reimburse OUT TV for its supposed financial losses. Unless the CRTC is controlled, however, this will no doubt be added to CRTC’s arsenal so as to control what the public is allowed to view and hear.
The Internet
In 1999, before the digital 500-channel universe descended on the broadcasting world, the CRTC decided it would not become involved with regulating broadcasting services over the Internet.
The CRTC confirmed this again in 2003 when it concluded that transmission of television or radio programming over the Internet would not be regulated by it.
That was then. The CRTC has now changed its mind about regulating the traffic on the Internet. With high-speed residential Internet access, increased accessibility to audio, radio, professionally produced high-quality broadcasting content, and the emergence of new advertising revenues business models, the CRTC held public hearings in February 2009 to determine whether it should assume jurisdiction over the internet.
Members of the TV production industry, including actors, artists and directors, want the CRTC to regulate the internet in order to impose Canadian content which would then provide more opportunities for them. Internet servers think this is a very bad idea because under this scenario, they will be asked to surrender 3% of their subscriber revenue – roughly $100 million – to cover the cost of producing this Canadian content material for the Internet. Needless to say, this 3% tax on the Internet provider’s revenue will be passed on to its customers by way of our monthly bills.
The unionized culture industry with its actors equity systems which regularly dictates who is to act professionally and who isn’t, will then become a part of the Internet. This will change it profoundly since the Internet has always prized itself on its free flow of ideas and expressions. No more will this be a part of the Internet, if the CRTC controls its content.
Why bother with the public hearings when we already know that the CRTC will decide to regulate the Internet? Why not regulate, if it gives the CRTC greatly enhanced power and influence plus the requirement for the dreaded Canadian content, which no one wants to view anyway?
For far too long, appointed and well paid members of the CRTC have been deciding, unilaterally, what is good and bad for Canadian viewers, telling us what is acceptable to watch. It has no right to do this. The CRTC is an unaccountable group of bureaucrats who are attempting to retain power over a broadcasting system, which has long outgrown its control and which Canadians do not want.
Please write to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Heritage Minister James Moore, requesting that the CRTC, which was established in 1968 and no longer has a useful role, be disbanded.
The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister(80 Wellington Street(Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A2(Fax: 613-941-6900
The Hon. James Moore
Minister of Heritage and Official Languages
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Fax: 613 996-9880
Your MP
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
April 1, 2009 |
