by Jack Bennest » Sat Sep 13, 2008 9:51 am
It would seem from this article below canada regulates who gets the wealth in broadcasting but does not regulate the content and complaints.
Is that good or bad? The americans are more free enterprise right? So why do they regulatute and control more?
Got a complaint, don't call the CRTC!
Friday, 12 September 2008
In Canada, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is the federal agency responsible for regulating Canada's broadcasting and telecommunications systems.
Despite having complete control over which television and radio stations receive licenses and having god-like powers over how cable, satellite radio and television, and telephone companies operate, the CRTC refuses to deal with Canadian consumers who have complaints about how these organizations operate.
Radio and Television
For example, if a Canadian television viewer sees or hears something they deem offensive on the CBC, Global or CBC television network, such as the use of the F-word or perhaps a "wardrobe malfunction", they can try to lodge a complaint with the government regulator but they will be rebuffed.
It seems the CRTC would prefer to legislate from on high rather than actually dirty their hands with the details of Canadian Radio and Television.
So if a Canadian sees or hear something offensive on a Canadian Radio or television station in Canada, the CRTC will simply refer their complaint to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council for resolution.
Despite the official sounding name, The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) is not a government agency. The CBSC is an industry trade group whose funding is paid for by more than 600 private sector radio and television stations across Canada.
So not only does the CRTC not investigate complaints about what is broadcast on Canadian airwaves but it turns over the complaints to the Radio and Television stations themselves. It seems the wolves are guarding the henhouse.
Contrast that with the United States where the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) responds to consumer’s inquiries and complaints through its own Consumer & Governmental Affairs (CGB) bureau.
To show how this plays out in the real world consider the use of the F-Word. In the United States, the use of the word "fuck" on a national network show during primetime would result in the station being fined $250,000. In Canada, when the word "fuck" was used on-air during a Junior Hockey broadcast watched by millions of kids, the CBSC required TSN to simply issue an on-air apology. The station was not fined and no employees were sanctioned and/or fined.
More recently in a segment on Gilles Proulx's Le journal du midi broadcast on CHMP-FM in Montreal, the host repeatedly used the epithet "Fuck you", and referred to Montreal firefighters as "terrorists." Despite complaints from firefighters, the CRTC refused to get involve and turned the issue over the CBSC. The result was the station, which contributes to the operation of CBSC, suffered no financial penalty, the on-air personality suffered no financial penalty and neither the station nor the on-air personality was required to formally apologize to the firefighters.
Telecommunications
Not surprisingly, Canadians who have a beef with their local telephone or wireless company are also ignored by the federal agency responsible for regulating Canada's broadcasting and telecommunications systems.
If Canadian consumers have a complaint about customer terms and commitments, the unauthorized transfer of their service (a practice known as slamming), or such things as system access feeds or network fees, the CRTC will refer you to the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS).
Once again, despite the official sounding name, the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) is not a government agency, rather it’s a corporation funded by the following companies:
Bell Aliant Regional Communications LP
Bell Canada
Cityfone
Cogeco Cable Canada Inc.
Distributel Communications
Eastlink
MTS Allstream Inc.
NorthwesTel Inc.
Northern Tel
Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc.
Rogers Communications Inc.
Saskatchewan Telecommunications
Télébec
Telus Communications Company
Videotron Ltd.
Virgin Mobile Canada
Vonage Canada Corporation
In other words, the organization overseeing complaints against the telecommunications industry are the telephone companies themselves.