WIINIPEG – The different levels of government and Canada’s private broadcasters need to work closely together on certain public policy issues, Manitoba Premier Gary Doer told delegates to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters annual convention in his opening day keynote address yesterday.
Citing third-party political advertising and emergency preparedness ar primary targets, Doer (right) wants public policy on the two matters to properly reflect freedom of speech issues as well as political concerns and those of the broadcasting community.
Recent policy pushes at the federal level are calling for limits on the amounts of monay unions and corporations can donate directly to political parties – and the Conservatives are on record saying they would eventually ban such donations.
But how will such rules apply to TV and radio advertising from third parties like unions and other organizations?
As long as the message isn’t a “direct partisan endorsation,” said Doer, he supports freedom of expression and ensuring that any new rules surrounding political funding will not affect third party advertising and the money that flows to broadcasters from such groups.
“Broadcasters have to work with governments on this issue,” he added. “I want to ensure it flourishes without being back-door political contributions.”
As for emergency preparedness, when it comes to either natural disasters or disease – and with the federal government’s virology lab in Winnipeg as the scientific command centre for any Canadian pandemic – Doer reminded broadcasters that Canadians will look to them for much of their information and cautioned them that those viewers will want to be reassured and not be made afraid.
This is where the governments come in, he added, where it is incumbent upon those in charge to separate the political message from the process so that people are informed and reassured and none of the information in such a time of crisis is packaged for political reasons.
