Leading Citizen Engagement Groups Call on Canadians to Reimagine the CBC

CBC seen as a opportunity amidst Canada’s “digital deficit”

Sunday, January 29, 2012 – OpenMedia.ca and Leadnow.ca are set to launch a national campaign to “Reimagine the CBC”. This campaign invites Canadians to come together to share their ideas about the future of the CBC, using an online discussion forum.

The campaign comes as the CBC enters a major strategic review, both internally and through outside regulators. OpenMedia.ca and Leadnow will use the ideas from Canadians to produce a crowdsourced set of recommendations for the CBC’s review process.

The beta version of the website is available at http://ReimagineCBC.ca, and will officially launch on Tuesday.

The campaign comes as a reaction to Canada falling behind on key digital metrics(speed, openness, affordability, and content), which together make up a “digital deficit”.

Compared to other countries, Canada’s Internet is slower and more restricted, both mobile and wired access to the web are more expensive, and that a large amount of our content is owned by a small number of large vertically integrated media conglomerates.

The CBC is seen as a key focal point in part because it has been found to produce a significant financial return on investment. A recent Deloitte report shows that for every dollar invested in the CBC, the economy gets four back.

For this reason, say the groups leading Reimagine CBC, it is important that we engage the creativity and ingenuity of Canadians to best take advantage of new opportunities to provide innovative content and services to Canadians.

“The CBC is in a unique position in this time of transformation,” says Jamie Biggar, co-founder of Leadnow.ca. “It is the only major media network that is independent from the big phone and cable companies who control more and more of the content we see. And since the CBC receives public funding to meet its social mandate, we have a much greater opportunity to influence it.”

“As digital technology is breaking old business models, it’s also enabling new forms of participation in our culture, economy, and governance. It’s time for Canadians to come together and use every tool we can to move from being digital laggards to digital leaders.”

Tyler Morgenstern, spokesperson at OpenMedia.ca, adds: “There is so much creativity and intelligence in Canada. We’re excited to see all the ideas, and curious to know which ones participants think are the best.”

Reimagine CBC aims to answer some of the following questions:

• How can the CBC be more interactive, accountable and community-based?
• How can the CBC play a role in ushering us into a new age of participation?
• How can the CBC become a launch pad for a new era of citizen-powered culture, innovation, creativity and collaboration?

Canadians can visit the forum in its beta version at http://ReimagineCBC.ca.

About OpenMedia.ca

OpenMedia.ca is a grassroots organization that safeguards the possibilities of the open and affordable Internet. The group work towards informed & participatory digital policy.

About LeadNow.ca

Leadnow.ca is an independent community that brings generations of Canadians together for progress through democracy.

Contact

Tyler Morgenstern
Spokesperson, OpenMedia.ca
Reimagine CBC Outreach Coordinator
778-385-8448
[email protected]

Jamie Bigger
Founder, LeadNow.ca
778-847-8205
[email protected]

Background

Private Media Ownership in Canada (Chart)
http://openmedia.ca/private-media-ownership-canada

The Economic Impact of CBC/Radio-Canada | Deloitte
http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/about/Economic-Impact-Deloitte.pdf