CRTC hears from opponents of media concentration

Critics of media concentration spoke to the CRTC on Wednesday as hearings examining the diversity of voices in Canadian media continued in Gatineau, Que.

The Canadian Conference on the Arts, the Canadian Media Guild, two associations of Quebec journalists and Canadian Film and Television Production Association were among thosewhoappeared before the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission.

Private broadcasters such as Astral and CTV Globemediaspent the past two days telling the CRTCthe broadcast environment should be deregulated. Wednesday's presenters had a different take.

The CMG, which represents more than 6,000 Canadian media workers, including those at the CBC, is urging limits on both national and local cross-ownership of the media.

Boost local programming

In its presentation to the CRTC, the union called for "conditions of licence for all conventional TV broadcasters to air at least 60 minutes of local programming, including at least 30 minutes of local news from 6 p.m. to midnight at least six days a week."

The journalists' associations there's been a slide in thenumber of reporters and the quality of journalism because of cross-ownership.

"Fewer people are working harder to produce and repurpose the same content for a variety of formats," said CMG president Lise Lareau.

"This has a real impact on journalism. It means that, in many cases, fewer people are out there on each story asking the hard questions, doing the background research, and digging beyond the press release or the sound bite from the scrum."

But chairman Konrad von Finckenstein expressed doubt about whether it was the CRTC's job to ensure independence of newsrooms.

"We're very reluctant to interfere in any way with journalistic independence," von Finckenstein said.

"To what extent do we get into the business of journalists, and I'm not convinced our jobs is to tell journalists not [to] collaborate, or work together."

The CFTPA, representing the film industry, said it is not opposed to consolidation in broadcasting, as long as Canadian programming is giving priority on TV screens.

"There is a real danger that consolidation of ownership can result in diminished opportunities for Canadian programs," said Ira Levy, of Breakthrough Films and Television.

CFTPA president Guy Mayson said independent producers are at a disadvantage negotiating with a limited number of powerful, vertically integrated companies.

He called on the CRTC to ensure broadcastersprovide adequate financing for productions.

Consolidation coming regardless of CRTC: Quebecor VP

On Tuesday, Quebecor vice-president of corporate affairs Luc Lavoie told the CRTC that the federal regulators' attempts to control ownership of media outlets were out-of-date and useless.

Media consolidation will go ahead whether the CRTC likes it or not, he said.

Diversityin the media is not threatened, but has increased as new players come into the market, he said.

"Other voices are being created as we speak and they are growing very fast," Lavoie said.

"What was YouTube a few years a year ago? Nothing. What was Facebook a year ago? Nothing. What was Google five years ago? Nothing.

"We're such a tiny little player that the problem in Canada is the risk is that we will be swamped from elsewhere. What we have to worry about is, are we equipped as a member of the G8 to face the swamp, the wave that is coming from those gigantic companies like [Rupert Murdoch's] NewsCorp., coming from elsewhere?"

Astral, which is awaiting CRTC approval on its $1.08-billion acquisition of Standard Radio Inc., said the CRTC already has the tools to ensure diversity with its right to set the terms of broadcast licences.

"I sincerely feel the commission has all the tools required to prevent this kind of apocalyptic situation from occurring," said Astral chairman Andre Bureau said.

"If someone wants to buy Astral Media, you can decide whether this will occur or not."

The CRTC should intervene as little as possible in ownership issues, Bureau said.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission called for public hearings on the issue of "diversity of voices" last March after a series of consolidations, including CTV's acquisition of CHUM Ltd. and CanWest's proposed takeover of Alliance Atlantis Communications.