CRTC must show backbone on Shaw takeover of Canwest

OTTAWA – The New Democrats are challenging the CRTC to stand up for the public interest when reviewing the proposed takeover of Canwest- Global by cable giant Shaw Communications. The spectre of Canada’s second largest television broadcaster being swallowed up by one of Canada’s largest cable giants cannot be allowed to go ahead with a simple rubber stamp.

NDP Cultural spokesman Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay) says the merger presents a dangerous new threshold in media concentration.

“The CRTC can talk all they want about the importance of diverse voices on Canada’s media landscape but the record will show they’ve done nothing but rubber stamp corporate takeovers.”

Angus points out that Shaw already controls 30 –40 radio stations, 25 specialty stations, 5 television stations as well as cable distribution and nearly all the cable in western Canada.

“Not only is Shaw going to own the pipes in western Canada, they will control everything going into the pipes. And since Shaw is picking up these assets under a bankruptcy fire sale, it’s hard to believe that the CRTC will mandate Shaw to put any real money back into the system in the way of new programming commitments.”

Angus says not only has the CRTC allowed unsustainable levels of media concentration, it have shown no willingness to hold broadcasters and cable giants to their commitments to maintain local and Canadian programming.

“Given the CRTC’s track record we have to ask: what benefit will Canadians get from this takeover? What enforceable commitments will the CRTC extract from the Shaw empire and what concrete steps will they take to maintain even an appearance of diversity in this increasingly mono-cropped media landscape?”