The people of British Columbia are in the stranglehold of CanWest news service. There are two major dailies in Vancouver - the Sun and the Province - both CanWest properties. Victoria has the Times Colonist - again, CanWest.
If you live on Vancouver Island, it's a CanWest blanket that includes just about every community paper too such as the Alberni Valley Times and Alberni Valley Pennyworth, the Nanaimo Daily News and Nanaimo Harbour City Star, the Campbell River Courier-Islander and the Campbell River Port Hardy North Islander, the Comox Valley Echo and the Cowichan Valley Citizen plus, on the west coast, the Tofino-Uclulet Westerly.
Atop that we get Global National, Global BC and CH Vancouver Island television.
So, what's my beef? It's the oppressive extent of the concentration of media ownership and cross-ownership (tv/newspapers) out here that gives CanWest and its right wing views a near monopoly.
The media serve democracy by presenting the populace with the most diverse range of views and information. When an organization like CanWest is allowed to become so universal it strangles diversity and allows the owner's views to dominate, unchallenged.
Asper has been criticized for the iron fist with which he controls CanWest's editorials. It's time this cabal was broken up and Asper was forced to divest. No media compnay should be allowed to have more than a single newspaper or television or radio station in any given market. When there's only one voice democracy suffers.
3 comments:
Rolling,
I'm with you on the media conspiracy thang.
PMSH can't buy a break. People like Jane Tabor are saying kind words before Christmas because:
-its before Christmas
-his party is trailing badly in the polls so their job's done,
-his Enviro Minister is wounded and bleeding all over the carpet.
But generally, G&M, CBC, and CTV is 0% CPC friendly, and the only national rag that gives them a break is the Post. (Ever read The Hill Times?). And that's RUN by the Parliamentary Press Gallery, talk about hyena's!.
We may disagree on the slant, but we fully agree on the big media thang.
Remember Orwell's deliciously depressing books, Animal Farm and 1984, it's coming true except its the media that is pullling the strings of the govt, not the other way around.
A politician can't get a message to the public without the media interface and the media has become the massage, 24/7.
Tomm
Well it's still better than, the "competition," what we get in Alberta.
CanWest or Quebecor. Either right wing propaganda or a right wing tabloid.
For that very reason I refuse to purchase Victoria Times Colonist. I have yet to read one of their editorials giving kudos to something that the Libs. may have done. After the last election and reading all their editorials I decided then and there no more TC. They continue to phone me re renewal and I tell them my thoughts that they are too right wing without balance to their editorials. But they remain the same.
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