Campaign for Democratic Media launches “Stop the Throttler” campaign

Campaign for Democratic Media launches “Stop the Throttler” campaign

For immediate Release

Vancouver, April 3, 2008

Canadians urged to help stop Bell and Rogers from controlling access to the Net

Vancouver, April 2, 2008: The Campaign for Democratic Media (CDM) is urging Canadians to take part in its latest media campaign to “Stop the Throttler”. The campaign, launched today, is directed at internet service providers such as Bell Media and Rogers Communication who selectively limit internet service to some subscribers.



Bell Media came under intense consumer and media scrutiny last week when web users found their Internet service suddenly slower than normal.



“Big Telecom Corporations should not dictate what Canadians access on the Internet,” says Campaign for Democratic Media National Coordinator Steve Anderson. “These internet service providers are discriminating against Internet content and services, without any public accountability. The government needs to take action to guarantee equal access to the Internet for all.”



The issue also affects the CBC’s mandate to serve Canadians using the most “appropriate and efficient means.” The CBC announced last week that it intends to distribute the show “Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister” on the internet using BitTorrent. BitTorrent’s file sharing program is one of the applications that is targeted for reduced service by companies like Bell and Rogers. “The internet has become an important medium for the CBC to meet its mandate of providing information and programming to Canadians,” Anderson says. “But its ability to effectively reach all Canadians is being limited by Internet throttling. Without government intervention, internet users will have less choice in the online media they can access, including from their own public broadcaster”.



People across Canada are encouraged to get involved in the campaign and demand government action on the issue. For more information, visit the CDM website at: http://stopthethrottler.ca/.




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Campaign for Democratic Media is a national, non-profit, non-partisan media reform network working to increase informed public participation in Canadian media policy formation. Participants of this emerging network include civil society organizations, consumer organizations, labour groups, media advocacy groups, academics, and Canadians from across the country.




Contact:

Steve Anderson

National Coordinator

Campaign For Democratic Media

[email protected]

Phone:(604) 837-5730