IIC Canada 2013: Federal government opting for consumer rhetoric over sound public interest policy

OTTAWA - The federal government’s vague plans for lower wireless prices, and pick and pay TV channel packaging seem to be ploys to curry consumer favour and not in the public interests, overall, argued members of a panel at the International Institute of Communications Canada’s annual conference in Ottawa on Tuesday.Rather, the federal Conservatives are focused on scoring political points and on short-term outcomes without considering the potential long-term ramifications of their actions on the broader Canadian public.Richard French, a professor in international and public affairs at the University of Ottawa and former vice-chair of telecommunications at the CRTC, noted...