Canadians Engaged in CRTC Hearings

The video below is a V-log (personal video) from a Canadian citizen encouraging other Canadians to join our campaign and get engaged in the CRTC proceedings.

-if you want your Canadian media reform video featured please send it to democraticmedia@gmail.com

Below you can find a featured comments sent to the CRTC from Canadian citizens. (the first is from Saira Zuberi, featured with permission)

1."Canadians need choices in what we see on TV, hear on the radio and read in the newspaper and on the internet if this is to remain a free, democratic and open society. I wholeheartedly support a policy limiting concentrated and cross-ownership of the media in Canada.

We are already seeing less local content, less diversity of ideas, and biased and one-sided representations of minority communities. If we continue in this direction, we may as well give up our sovereignty and join our southern neighbours - media that do not do their job will, de facto, take us down that very route.

Allowing further cross-ownership of newspapers and broadcast stations, or further concentration in local and regional markets, will only worsen the problems. Voluntary codes intended to keep the various newsrooms of a single conglomerate separate are not enough, as we have seen with Quebecor's move to integrate newspaper and TV newsrooms in both the Province of Quebec and in Toronto.

Any public policy seeking to protect diversity in the media must recognize the simple fact that ownership matters.

Because this review comes after a wave of media mergers, I call for a policy that forces divestiture by media companies with concentrated holdings in a given market. I also call for the creation of and financial support for independent, community-based media in markets underserved by existing media, and for more funds to be directed to public broadcasters for the creation of Canadian programming."

~Saira Zuberi

2. "Rules to curb the concentration of media in Canada are long overdue. In Vancouver, Canwest controls both the main newspapers plus television. News items and opinions that disagree with Canwest's are simply not reported. We cannot sustain a democracy without a free press. I have written to my MP several times about this, but still nothing is done. The CRTC must act NOW, to diminish media concentration in our country."

~Olive Skene Johnson - Vancouver, B.C.

-To have your comment featured please send it to democraticmedia@gmail.com (let us know in the email that you want it featured)