Throughout the year, you get involved with OpenMedia.ca in many ways - by becoming sustainers or supporters, sending letters and emails to politicians as part of our collective lobbying efforts, making your thoughts known to the CRTC, attending and organizing OpenMedia.ca events, and making a commitment to independent media in your daily life, probably through your support for some of our network members. Together, we're making the movement for truly community-centered open media systems a strong and vibrant one.

You've made such a difference - yet we're asking you to take your commitment one step further, if you haven't already, by becoming an OpenMedia.ca sustainer at this very crucial turning point for media in Canada. Please read the following personal note from our National Coordinator, Steve Anderson, for more information about exactly why we're unique, and why our work matters:

Dear friends,

As we’re thrust into a digital era, many of us have come to realize the importance of citizen-centered media
and communications. For me personally, I’m driven by the belief that we need a media system that maximizes our opportunities for free expression, collaboration and sharing exciting new ideas. It’s through this free flow of ideas that we come across insights and innovations we can’t even imagine yet; it’s through this free flow of ideas that we keep open the possibility of a better society.

I and others started OpenMedia.ca because there were a number of decisions coming from policy makers that we felt were clearly not in the public interest and not reflective of the public’s will – decisions that were going to close down, not open up, our media system. These decisions were being made on behalf of an exclusive set of stakeholders. I also felt convinced that the only way to change that dynamic was to engage the public en masse. There were some organizations doing important tactical work on specific media issues, and many organizations that addressed media as a side issue in addition to their other areas of focus, but there was no organization that was building a movement and a community to push for media policy in the public interest, writ large. OpenMedia.ca combines media education, engagement, and empowerment in order to mobilize citizens at a national level, and bring them together in their communities to work for change.

I wanted to create an organization that was membership driven because it reflects the democratic principles of community control and access that are the major goals of our work. Being membership driven helps ensure that we’re not controlled by granters and powerful institutions and organizations. Having a broad and deep membership base helps secure our independence and builds responsiveness to the public into our structural DNA. When you become a sustainer of OpenMedia.ca, you help ensure that citizen-centeredness is at our core.

Fundamentally, media is about our access to each other; it’s hard to say this without sounding cliché, but I can find nothing more worth saving and cultivating than that access. It is that access that will break down the barriers between us and help us solve the complex problems we face. It is that access to each other that brings out the best in humanity. Please join us today.

Steve Anderson

National Coordinator

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ACTIVE CAMPAIGNS

Until now, Canada's Internet has been an open network -- and a level playing field for free speech, innovation, and free enterprise. All that is now under threat.

A handful of companies are threatening to change the way Canada's Internet works. They want to replace the open network Canadians enjoy today with a discriminatory or "gatekeeper network" -- where they decide which content and services get the fastest access to our homes.

These companies have been caught:
- throttling or slowing Internet traffic to businesses and consumers;
- blocking access to web sites that criticized them;
- crippling consumer devices and applications.

Take Action

Thanks to Canadians' enthusiastic efforts, Al Jazeera English(AJE) has begun operations in Canada. Viewers in this country now have access to independent public journalism on TV.


But work remains. Several of the carriers are short shifting AJE by making customers pay extra for the channel, and some aren't making it available at all.


We need to ensure that AJE is easily accessible to all Canadians. Please TAKE ACTION through the buttons below...

We've been here before - this time, let's make sure government does things differently

Though you may not have been aware of it, from May 10th to July 9th of this year the government ran a public consultation on the future of the digital economy. Submissions made during this consultation will inform government strategy around access to technologies like broadband and affordable cell phone services, to the skills that are crucial to success in the digital age, and to new media content that reflects the diversity of Canada.

We've been here before, with these kinds of "public consultations". In 2005 a Telecommunications Policy Review Panel (TPRP) was appointed to make recommendations on some of the same digital policies currently under consideration. The TPRP public consultation process was clearly more inviting to industry groups than citizens: content analysis of the TPRP's submissions reveals that Aboriginal, consumer, women's and community groups represented only 15.5 per cent of total submissions, while industry groups accounted for 60.1 per cent.

The TPRP's recommendations, which fall in line with the government's current framework, are at least party responsible for Canada falling behind other OECD countries in terms of Internet access, speed, cost and openness. When the government declares it is "improving our digital advantage," we should be asking, “What advantage?” We can't let industry-centric policies continue to slow down the pace of both economic and social innovation.

The policy being developed right now will change Canada forever. The government's approach, which allows for minimal public involvement in a short consultation process, demonstrates the urgent need for a citizen-centred initiative.

According to the government's website, "it is business that must lead the charge and execute the game plan," but we'd like to see citizens and communities at the forefront of the new digital strategy.

Join us as we gather momentum behind a citizen-driven consultation!

In response to the government's consultation, OpenMedia.ca joined with groups across the country to submit a consensus submission representing the views of over 75 individuals who support an open media system. Given the government's track record, though, we know we need to be prepared to lobby hard, with your support behind us, to push for a citizen-centered strategy. We're aiming to develop our own consultation tools and truly public approach to address the questions that are important to Canadians. You can help make this possible by making a one-time gift to our Media Reform Fund, or by signing up to our mailing list to be informed of the consultation launch, and of our ongoing work towards a strategy that addresses the needs and concerns of all Canadians.

Take a moment to tell the CRTC you don't want big cable companies to have unfettered access to public funds. If cable monopolies weren't pocketing public funds we could have independent media centres in communities across the country .

SAY YES TO REAL COMMUNITY MEDIA NOW!