Concentrating on news media

CRTC hearings give public a chance to speak out for diversity of ownership, voices.


From Straight Goods


Several major media mergers are threatening to make the Canadian media scene an even more-concentrated affair. A few examples: CTVglobemedia has inhaled CHUM (with Rogers taking the spoils), Alliance Atlantis is poised to become a part of CanWest, and Quebecor Media is poised to take over Osprey Media.

A year ago (June 2006), the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications Report on the Canadian News Media concluded that there are "areas where the concentration of ownership has reached levels that few other countries would consider acceptable." Canadians agree: well before the latest round of mergers, 56 percent of Canadians said they had less trust in the media because of media consolidation, and fewer than 1 in 5 Canadians thought news organizations were independent.

Canadians understand very clearly the effects of media consolidation on media choice. For example, CanWest will now own the IFC (Independent Film Channel). Since CanWest is known for its conservative editorial stance, this change indicates that the Independent Film Channel is now anything but Independent.

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