OTTAWA – While giving Canadians over a month to get their opinions down in writing about the purchase of CHUM Ltd. by CTV would seem to be plenty of time, Canada’s largest media union says it’s nowhere near enough.
The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union issued a press release today saying: "(G)iving Canadians 35 days to review the largest television deal in Canada’s history is nothing short of a charade at transparency and public accountability."
"The CRTC needs to hold full public hearings on the concentration of media ownership in this country," says Peter Murdoch, vice-president, media for CEP, in the release. "It has the mandate and the responsibility. Trying to squeeze a brief review in before major deals get signed is a regulatory shell game."
In early February, CEP wrote to the CRTC’s chairman, Konrad von Finckenstein, to ask that the CRTC hold a public hearing concerning concentration of ownership in Canada’s broadcast media. The CRTC has never held a policy hearing on concentration of ownership in broadcasting, though it has held public hearings on many other important issues, such as religion, and the portrayal of women by the broadcast media.
However, the Canadian Senate has already held lengthy public debates on the topic and submitted its findings to the federal government in June of last year. However, the government basically shelved the report.
The CRTC did not answer CEP’s letter, but, as reported by Cartt.ca, announced a public hearing on March 1, 2007 to consider BGM’s purchase of CHUM’s 33 radio stations, 12 television stations and 21 specialty television services. BGM announced this purchase in July of last year.
"Why the rush?" said Murdoch in his statement. "How does giving Canadians so little time to review a $1.3 billion deal and media concentration constitute the ‘open, transparent and accountable’ process to which Mr. von Finckenstein has said Canadians are entitled?"
