Campaign for Democratic Media Supports Heritage on CBC and Net Neutrality

Report recommendations will strengthen the CBC’s ability to serve Canadians

MARCH 4, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VANCOUVER.

The Campaign for Democratic Media (CDM) strongly supports the report from the Committee on Canadian Heritage recommending measures to strengthen the CBC including stable, multi-year funding. CDM urges the government to enact the recommendations of the report issued on Thursday.

The report entitled “CBC/Radio-Canada: Defining Distinctiveness in the Changing Media Landscape” recommends an increased commitment to Canadian programming both on and offline. Campaign for Democratic Media National Coordinator Steve Anderson applauds the report: “Not only does this report recognize the important contribution that the CBC makes to the Canadian media landscape. It also outlines ways that the CBC can improve upon its current service and utilize new digital mediums to better serve Canadians in all regions of the country.”

While an all-party committee issued the report jointly, a minority of Conservative MPs issued a dissenting report in objection. “It’s disappointing that a small number of people are choosing to undermine a report that outlines the future success of the CBC,” Anderson says. “This dissenting report is asking the CBC to fulfill its mandate without providing it with the resources necessary to do so. It is impossible for our national broadcaster to succeed without adequate funding.”

In order to ensure that all Canadians have equal access to the CBC’s online offerings, the Heritage Report also recommended the CRTC create rules guaranteeing Net Neutrality. Net Neutrality is the principle that protects Internet user’s ability to direct their our own on-line activities (Canadian ISPs currently “shape” Internet traffic against the will of Canadians). The CRTC’s American counterpart, the FCC, has already stated it will act on the issue for Americans. According to Steve Anderson, “Canada is falling behind our U.S. counterpart in providing an open, non-discriminatory network for Canadian citizens and businesses. It is time for the CRTC to stop Internet Service Providers from degrading access to Internet services and applications Canadians choose to use.” CDM has been championing net neutrality as a key issue of the Internet age. For more information, visit the CDM website at: http://democraticmedia.ca/netneutrality.

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. CDM strives to generate policies that will produce a more competitive diverse, and public service-oriented, media system with a strong non-profit and non-commercial sector.




Contact:
Steve Anderson
National Coordinator
Campaign For Democratic Media
[email protected]
Phone:(604) 837-5730