OTTAWA – The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union has asked the new CRTC chairman, Konrad von Finckentstein, to launch hearings into the Canadian media landscape.
CEP says it represents approximately 25,000 members in the media, and that ownership concentration has reached exceptionally high levels requiring a public analysis.
"Thirty years ago the Commission was going to look into the issue, but that hearing was cancelled. Nothing has been done since," said Peter Murdoch, vice-president media, in the press release. "As a result, today we have significantly higher concentration of ownership. And given approximately $4 billion worth of transactions waiting in the wings for the CRTC’s approval (CTV/CHUM and CanWest-Goldman Sachs/Alliance Atlantis), the timing couldn’t be more appropriate."
The union is asking the CRTC to look specifically into issues of ownership and control, measurable effects of cross ownership and ownership concentration, composition of the media marketplace, and the CRTC’s licensing policy.
CEP does not believe such a hearing should be combined with upcoming licensing hearings (such as the CBC’s and the planned policy reviews of specialty services and broadcast distribution undertakings).
"It is critical that the CRTC get an opportunity to hear the public’s views about ownership before major decisions are made. The airwaves are owned by the citizens of Canada. It is important their voice be heard on the core issue to ensure democracy and diversity in the programs that are supposed to ‘inform, enlighten and entertain’ us," added Murdoch.
