Bloggers break blackout after CBC gaffe (FR mentioned)

Canada.com ^ | 1/24/06 | Carly Weeks

[conservative in nyc]

What publication ban?

A media blackout that makes it illegal to publish early election results wasn't enough to stop the CBC from broadcasting results for all the world to hear more than two hours before all polls were closed.

Anyone who tuned into the Radio Canada International's radio feed Monday night got a sneak peek at election results from Atlantic Canada. It didn't take long for bloggers, who were busy trolling the Internet as they waited for the ban to be lifted, to figure out that it was possible to get an early play-by-play of the election results.

"It appears the CBC is breaking it's own election ban," wrote a blogger called Londoner at www.smalldeadanimals.com.

By 7:30 p.m. ET a full two hours before it was legal to publish results the CBC declared four Liberals had been re-elected and three Conservatives were in the lead.

The hosts interviewed a jubilant Liberal Gerry Byrne, who was re-elected in the Newfoundland riding of Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte.

"I'm feeling great, I've got the energy of a great group of volunteers," Byrne declared at about 7:40 p.m. ET. "I'm tired but I'm pumped."

The broadcast feed stopped suddenly just before 8 p.m. ET.

While the CBC broadcast likely brought a smile to the defenders of free speech, Elections Canada may not share their glee. That's because it's against the law to publish any results before all polls are closed across the country.

Regardless of how many Canadians saw election results before polls were closed, bloggers made one thing clear on election night: publication blackouts don't work in the online age.

The majority of Canada's political bloggers took a break from their usual activities and decided against breaking the blackout Monday night. So many were astonished to realize the CBC seemed to be inadvertently breaking the law by broadcasting early results through its Radio Canada International website.

"I think it's great that we're hearing this on the CBC," wrote a blogger called hanover at www.thesurlybeaver.ca.

Many bloggers posted early election results in the "comments" section of the popular Small Dead Animals blog.

Others used geography to their advantage to post early election results for people across Canada. A Canadian in Britain posted live results before the blackout period was over at www.thesurlybeaver.ca. U.S.-based bloggers at www.freerepublic.com and www.captainsquartersblog.com also posted live results.

Throughout the lengthy campaign, Canadian bloggers succeeded in breaking stories and uncovering scandals that would have otherwise remained brushed under the carpet. For instance, senior federal Liberal organizer Mike Klander quit the party executive after comparing Asian-Canadian NDP candidate Olivia Chow to a Chinese chow chow dog on his blog.

Only days earlier, the Liberal riding association president in Oakville, Ont., was forced to quit after sending an off-colour e-mail telling a new card-carrying Conservative to "take your NRA, gun-loving ass back to the U.S. where you belong."

[conservative in nyc]

If you make a stupid law, people will find ways around the stupid law. If Elections Canada wants to make sure election results don't get released until the polls are closed throughout Canada, they can simply not release election results until the polls are closed throughout Canada, and bar anyone at a polling place when the polls close from releasing the results - lock them in the polling place for 3 hours with no telephones, if necessary. A simple solution to something that's no longer a real problem, since only Atlantic Canada's polls close early enough to affect the election out west and those provinces are so small and quirky that it's hard to extrapolate from their results.

And I love how RCI (a.k.a. the international radio arm of the Canadian government) could break the stupid law by streaming the Atlantic Canada results) on the Internet (and to anyone who owns a short-wave radio) while Elections Canada has charged a Canadian blogger with the equivalent of a misdemeanor for publishing election results. Gotta love the irony.

Hopefully, the newly-elected Conservative government changes the law.

[conservative in nyc]

Ping.

[dead]

A Canadian in Britain posted live results before the blackout period was over at www.thesurlybeaver.ca.

I figured my old college girlfriend would have snatched up that domain name.

[nutmeg]

read later

[SolidSupplySide]

If you make a stupid law, people will find ways around the stupid law.

I think this is true for any law. Does any law have 100% compliance?

[goldstategop]

The Canadian Pajamahadeen ruled!

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[groanup]

"take your NRA, gun-loving ass back to the U.S. where you belong."

He forgot knuckle-dragging.

[GW and Twins Pawpaw]

He's one of the elite, caring people, don't you know...

[frankjr]

"I figured my old college girlfriend would have SNATCHED UP that domain name."

LOL...Pun intended?

[conservative in nyc]

I think this is true for any law. Does any law have 100% compliance?

I don't think there is any way to legally murder somebody. But it's fairly easy for people not in Canada to get around a Canadian election results publication ban when the international radio arm of the Canadian government (I'm not sure if RCI is technically an independent company owned by the government, but that shouldn't matter) is broadcasting election results to shortwave radios worldwide and on the Internet.

Canadian laws are usually just pieces of paper in the rest of the world. And even if they're not, I don't think the Canadian Army will be invading the U.S. to arrest a Maine-based blogger for publishing election results aired on New Brunswick television or radio. Paul Martin and the Liberals have so run down the Canadian Armed Forces that they probably don't have the capability to do it anyway. Besides, this 1930s law is like a 55-mile per hour speed limit on a Montana interstate highway. With the advent of the Internet, it's just made to be broken. It should be repealed.

[fanfan]

Canada Ping!

Please FReepmail me to get on or off this Canada ping list.

[dirtboy]

www.thesurlybeaver.ca.

My ex-wife had one of those.

[calljack]

I think this is true for any law. Does any law have 100% compliance?

The law of gravity is rarely broken.

[WaterDragon]

Very, very cool! LOL!

[BigSkyFreeper]

Small Dead Animals is a great conservative Canadian blog.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Does any law have 100% compliance?

The law of gravity. At least within our atmosphere.

[joesbucks]

But wait a minute. Weren't we pi**ed when election results were given in FLA and voters in the Central Time Zone hadn't voted. People cried they turned around and didn't vote because the results were given prior to poll closing.

When we win, we're thrilled that an old media law was circumvented. When we lose, then it's the medias fault.

[BigSkyFreeper]

If you make a stupid law, people will find ways around the stupid law. If Elections Canada wants to make sure election results don't get released until the polls are closed throughout Canada, they can simply not release election results until the polls are closed throughout Canada, and bar anyone at a polling place when the polls close from releasing the results - lock them in the polling place for 3 hours with no telephones, if necessary. A simple solution to something that's no longer a real problem, since only Atlantic Canada's polls close early enough to affect the election out west and those provinces are so small and quirky that it's hard to extrapolate from their results.

Given how the results were out west as opposed to the results in Atlantic Canada, I think the whole issue is moot.

[BigSkyFreeper]

But wait a minute. Weren't we pi**ed when election results were given in FLA and voters in the Central Time Zone hadn't voted. People cried they turned around and didn't vote because the results were given prior to poll closing.

I was pi**ed people went home at 7:15 when those people knew their polls closed at 8:00.

Like Rush said, "screw the media, go vote."

[joesbucks]

Like Rush said, "screw the media, go vote."

But Rush was also all over the media for breaking the embargo. Now what's the difference if it's CBS or Free Republic?