Steve Anderson's blog

The joy of unintended consequences

Submitted by Steve Anderson on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 06:17.
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Find the article on rabble.ca, VUE weekly, the Tyee, and Common Ground.

At Fresh Hot Type, the after-party for the Fresh Media Festival on October 24, local media arts group W2 provided a letterpress with which partygoers could experiment. The idea was that as the DJs spin in the background, participants could creatively express themselves by using the letterpress, ink and paper. Not satisfied with what seemed like the natural limits of the medium, participants soon began writing words and expressions on both their own and each other's bodies and acting out the words on the dance floor.

Big telecom companies like Telus like to scare policy makers by suggesting any open Internet requirements for Internet Service Providers will lead to "unintended consequences." I, however, have taken to arguing just the opposite: that letting ISPs become gatekeepers and regulators of Internet usage has both intended and unintended negative consequences for innovation, online choice and free expression. Clearly there are negative consequences to allowing an ISP to slow access to a radically democratic and innovative file-sharing service like bittorent, which is still very much in an embryonic stage of development. Most major ISPs are slowing access to bittorent and this limits our online choice of services and content, it limits individuals and companies that would innovate with this technology, and it stifles those who would have liked to express themselves through its applications.


CBC interviews Amy Goodman, the journalist grilled at a Canada border crossing

Submitted by Steve Anderson on Sat, 11/28/2009 - 11:16.

The CBC interviews Amy Goodman of DemocracyNow!, the journalist grilled about the Olympics at a Vancouver Canada border crossing last week.

Full video interview:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/player.html?clipid=1343223725

The web feature:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/11/26/bc-amy-goodma...

Edited Video Feature Story:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/player.html?clipid=1343223725

Video: Amy Goodman in Vancouver

Submitted by Steve Anderson on Fri, 11/27/2009 - 11:32.

Original post from: http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/video/2149

Indie Media's Moment

Submitted by Steve Anderson on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 10:33.

Written by: Steve Anderson and Marie Elliott

Find the Rabble.ca version, VUE Weekly version, and TheTyee version.

Despite the fact that Canwest filed for court protection against creditors on Oct. 6, 2009, several already well-paid directors, executives and other senior members of Canwest management will share $9.8 million in Key Employee Retention Plan (KERP) bonuses. In an article for rabble.ca, Gary Engler contrasts this extravagance with the fact that media workers are losing severance pay, pensions and jobs; shareholders are taking huge losses; and suppliers are receiving "a few cents on the dollar at best."

It is frustrating to know that those people who mismanaged the Canwest media empire are not bearing the brunt as much as media workers, shareholders and suppliers. However, there is now an opportunity for less wasteful media outlets to chip away at Canwest's market share. Rather than let other domestic or foreign media conglomerates step in, we should help independent media use this waste of resources as an opportunity to become the cornerstone of our media ecology rather than just the alternative to big media.

Canwest Creditor Protection

Submitted by Steve Anderson on Sat, 11/14/2009 - 08:52.

Vue Weekly version found here.


Last week's filing may mean more concentration and foreign ownership, but is also a chance for independent, community media to fill the void.


It was just over two years ago that I, along with a network of organizations and individuals, launched what would be the first of many public campaigns to keep Canada's media open and democratic. The campaign was called "Stop The Big Media Takeover," and it was focused on the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's (CRTC) media ownership hearings called "Diversity of Voices." The danger then was that despite a slew of recent big media mergers, the CRTC was posed to weaken cross ownership and basic media market concentration rules. The CRTC in the end actually strengthened the rules and agreed to have an additional hearing on community TV.

A New Vision For Community Media

Submitted by Steve Anderson on Thu, 11/12/2009 - 19:59.

Written by: Steve Anderson and Michael Lithgow

Find the Rabble.ca version, CommonGround version, VUE Weekly version, TheTyee version.

Unbeknownst to most Canadians, cable companies and local community groups have been wrestling for control over community channel assets: the community groups want space on the TV dial and production resources; the cable companies want to call the shots, control the programming, and move their community channels in the direction of commercial television. Approximately $80 million collected annually from Canadians and earmarked for community programming, is at stake.

Meanwhile, the digital revolution is transforming citizens into media producers and every home computer into a virtual television station. In such a radically altered media environment, the question remains: what will community TV be in the 21st century?

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