Tue 3
“A pathetic war for public opinion is taking place between Canadian television networks and cable and satellite providers. At issue: whether the CRTC, the country’s broadcasting regulator, should allow broadcast networks to charge broadcasting distributors for the right to carry their signal, a service that was once offered free. The broadcasters say they need the revenue to protect local television. The cable and satellite providers say Canadians will simply pay more for the same service and claim consumers will now pay a “TV tax.” Each side launched lame public relations campaigns complete with commercials, Facebook pages, and faux viral videos all intended to encourage Canadians to express their support for one side or the other to the CRTC. The deadline for public comment will have passed by the time this piece is published. One hopes few heeded the call. By getting involved, Canadians will only share a sad legacy of helping make television worse than it already was.
