Posted on 07/17/2004 5:31:17 AM PDT by Clive
It speaks volumes about the CRTC.
Okaying Al-Jazeera coming into Canada, but forbidding Fox News, tells you all you need to know about the CRTC.
Does that make sense? Of course not, but that's the CRTC -- Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission -- which has about as much relevance to today's electronic society as the horse and buggy has to the automobile.
Except horses are gentle, passive creatures while the CRTC is useless, unnecessary and offensive. By all means, let Al-Jazeera be seen and heard by Canadians -- even in its most slanted and hateful form. People are able to decide for themselves.
But also let Fox News in, let the O'Reilly Factor be seen and heard, let Canadians decide whether they want to watch America's popular TV news and talk show. Let Italy's RAI International be seen -- also banned because the CRTC doesn't want foreign competition against existing Canadian programs like TeleLatino, despite a petition from over 100,000 Italian-Canadians for RAI.
Most outrageous is the CRTC cancelling the licence of Quebec City's CHOI-FM, basically because it's vulgar, raunchy and in bad taste. CHOI regularly snipes at an opposition radio host who was found guilty of paying for sex with a 17-year-old prostitute.
CHOI upsets local politicians, despite its enormous popularity (the National Post says 9,417 "interventions" to the CRTC supported the station, while 38 opposed it.) CHOI has been around since 1985, but now is disciplined in a fashion mindful of George Orwell's novel, 1984.
HBO, ESPN and Fox News are not sleazy, dishonest or offensive -- except to the politically lib-left. Yet they are blacklisted by the CRTC, which is an institution that has lived beyond its time.
Ever hypocritical, the CRTC has made it so that few cable networks are likely to bid for Al-Jazeera. The cable companies are responsible for what they air, so when Al-Jazeera says hateful things about Israel (for example) these must be censored or the distributor is in trouble. That, too, is a cop-out, to ensure that cable companies won't rush to carry Al-Jazeera because, to do so, will be too risky.
The decision to approve the application to bring Al-Jazeera to Canada may be a good thing if it hastens the end of the CRTC.
If nothing else, it underlines the CRTC's hypocrisy and cunning, by pandering on one hand to militant lib-left elements, while on the other hand shifting content responsibility to cable companies. (Why won't it do that for Fox News?)
No media outlet relishes being sued by Jewish organizations protesting hate material they might inadvertently air. And we all know Jewish groups will be quick with a writ against Al-Jazeera.
For most Canadian TV viewers, not having access to Fox News is the biggest loss, and most grievous argument against the CRTC. Fox has a reputation of being conservative, which it may be, but it is also fair by conventional journalistic standards.
CNN is allowed into Canada, and is distinctly (and admittedly) slanted towards the Democrats. Why would the CRTC deny Fox News access, and thereby make the CRTC a pawn of CNN?
Few suggest that Fox News is excessively pro-American any more than CNN is excessively anti-American. What both are is "American," and having access to both gives viewers a better chance to make up their own minds and determine "truth."
Why would the CRTC object to that? But they do. The CRTC tolerates rival Canadian networks -- the CBC, CTV and Global -- one of which (CBC) is financed by the state, which Global especially finds offensive and unfair. Which it is, but that's Canada.
The fuss over Al-Jazeera is unlikely to diminish. A greater blight is the continued existence of the CRTC, which demeans Canadians and condemns us to cultural mediocrity.
So in channel allocations, the score is CNN 2, Fox 0.
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I do not see the real reason why we need al-Jazeera. We already have CBC.
Do you guys in the US get al-Jazeera?
Canadian ex-pats need to set up a Radio Free Canada broadcast station in North Dakota that will beam alternative views into Canuckistan. Canadians are captives of an Orwellian state. If the repression continues I'd be in favor of the Boy Scouts invading Canada and freeing the citizens.
Americans can subscribe to the Arab sat packages, AFAIK. From reading the blogs, I gather there are people in the US who receive and monitor AJ. I saw something a few months back about an English language alJazeera, but I know nothing more about that.
Will Moore really be prosecuted in Canada for violating election laws? If so, what is the penalty? Is this being discussed or even aired up there?
Take a look here,
http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2//viewtopic.php?topic=26853&forum=57
No we do not get AL Jezzera. I cannot beleive the Canadian gov't would allow the Arab station on, The country is full of radical Arabs. Does the Canadian gov't have a death wish ???????
Last month, while staying at a motel I was channel-flipping and came across it. It was all Arab to me but I did notice that they were making some use of a Washington Post story. Undoubtedly, the Post story served their interests.
You're obviously Canadian. So am I. I've long considered myself apolitical but this past election I voted for the first time (Stephen Harper). What I'm saying is that I'm new to the world of political activism. I'm incensed by the CRTC decision, but I'm not sure what I can do about it. Any ideas?
What we can is demand CRTC give us Fox News at 1877 249 2782
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