Minister brushes off warnings on media
Oda downplays Senate report
on ownership
ANTONIA ZERBISIAS
MEDIA COLUMNIST
Thanks but no thanks.
That's the short version of Heritage Minister Bev Oda's response yesterday to a Senate committee's report on media concentration.
Last June, after three years of study, the Senate's transport and communications committee found that "the concentration of ownership has reached levels that few other countries would consider acceptable."
Indeed, neither the U.S. nor the U.K. has the level of media cross-ownership found in Canada.
Among its recommendations, the report said that:
mechanisms should be created for public oversight when a certain threshold of media concentration is reached with a merger;
media organizations should regularly publish their ownership structure, and
the CBC should get "stable and long-term funding" in order to become ad-free.
But Oda brushed most recommendations aside.
"The government recognizes that convergence has become an essential business strategy for media organizations to stay competitive in a highly competitive and diverse marketplace," she concluded in her response to Senate committee chair Lise Bacon.
Noting that a bipartisan committee produced the report, committee member Senator Jim Munson said: "I am very disappointed that they would have this attitude. We feel (the report) gives some creative ideas on how we should monitor massive media concentration and sets some parameters for checks and counterchecks because we feel that the fewer voices that are out there, the less the public is served."
"Big media is in the driver's seat of big politics," said Peter Murdoch, vice-president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada.
"When a Senate committee investigates, takes the time, listens to citizens, listens to all the players, and then makes recommendations which big media may be concerned about, it's clear who the government is listening to.
"It's not just outrageous or appalling. It's scary."
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3 comments:
Charles,
It's interesting to read all of the postings on your site. Some people love it, and some seem to hate it.
What I find most interesting are the negative comments. Why read something you don't like, and why would some make you out to be the Anti-Christ if they don't like your site ?
Point is, whether they like your site or hate it, the fact of the matter is this, there are a lot of people, and various media organizations who have web sites who would love to have the amount of Daily Visitors and readers you have.
All they have to do at any point in time is visit your stats counter and click the line who is on.
Be proud and glad you are Independent and not controlled by front office management and company politics, or Government Polticians.
Sure certain people can keep you from accessing the Provincial Legislature as they have done.
But smile my friend, those who did that cannot control " What Charles Leblanc wants to blog or write about "
Do I agree with all of your opinions and articles you write or blog, Of Course not. The same I'm sure you wouldn't agree with myself on a lot of issues.
I do respect the Fact, that you have the Gut's to stand up and state what you think and feel " Publicly " not only on this blog site, but in person as well.
It doesn't matter if you or anybody else is a Journalist or not. You have one of the most read online web sites going. That's what really scares people the most Charles.
To quote an old phrase, The Pen is mightier than the sword. There is power behind this Blog. The power could also be called The Fear Of Exposure.
I was once told by somebody, there are 3 types of people in this world.
1. Those who make things happen.
2. Those who watch what happens.
3. Those who don't have a clue as to what's Happening.
What really makes me laugh, are the people who post smart ass comments either about yourself, and your web site, and don't have the Sand to leave their real Names and would be left speechless if you didn't have the " ANONYMOUS " Option to hide behind, being the Timid Little Cowards they are.
Let the above Cowards take their Verbal shots if they want to. That's all their capable of doing Charles.
You must be doing something right to have gotten the World Wide Media Attention that you received regarding your past court case.
There will be those who will no doubt attack me for what I have printed here. Boy does that ever upset me, I'll have to take 2 or 3 nerve pills tonight when I go to bed worrying about those Freaks Of Nature. I'll have to book a shrink as well.
Don't lower yourself to those who attack you or your web site. By not doing so will only infuriate your critics all the more, and cause them to go nut's [ lol ]
Debate with them yes, but don't lower yourself to their weak and cowardly standards and tactics.
Stay strong & proud and Independent, and count the number of ANONYMOUS POSTINGS.
Amazing how she can contradict herself so quickly by saying convergence is essential yet immediately follow it up by calling the marketplace highly competitive and diverse.
Being anonymous isn't 'cowardly', after all, anybody can make up a name. However, its no surprise, just imagine the huge numbers of people that don't like what charles is doing-Irvings, bureaucrats, politicians, and government workers. So its actually quite a surprise to see how few anti Charles posts there are.
Bev Oda is simply a political idiot put into that job because she has no brains and will tow the party line. Their idea of 'diverse' is that you can get CBC besides Irving. That's hardly the point when it comes to media monopolies. However, you can see just how much both liberal and coservative parties actually care about canadians-not at all.
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