Try though they might people seem unable to make culture, Canadian content, public broadcasting or copyright an issue in this campaign. Friends of Canadian Broadcasting has started a "Defend Our Airwaves" campaign.
"If we don't own our airwaves, we don't own our culture. Already, foreign interests can own 47% of Canadian broadcasters. Powerful vested interests in Canada want the right to sell out completely. Please visit FRIENDS' web action centre to send a message to candidates in your riding on this important issue, right now."
As far as I know though, they have received no official response from anyone.
Our Public Airwaves started their "Campaign for a New CBC" well in advance of the election, but it would appear that they have little or no traction with it.
Even with the much talked about CBC lockout this year, the public and certainly the politicians seem to have largely let the issues it raised move off the back burner and into the hidden and rarely examined area behind the stove.
Even one of the supposed 'heroes' of the lockout, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage Sam Bulte, seems to have let the ball drop as soon as the lockout was over and now appears to be racing in the wrong direction.
While this story has received a ton of coverage in the blogosphere, and even a little in the main stream media, it has not had enough of an impact that Bulte feels the need to mention it on her web site.
Regardless of how you feel about Liberal vs. Conservative vs. NDP vs. Green - for trying to sell Canadian Culture to the highest bidder, (if you are in the High Park/Parkdale area) Bulte does not deserve to be re-elected.
It is sad that even after the events of 2005 that no one - neither the general public nor the politicians seem interested in Canadian culture or public broadcasting.
The good news I suppose is that some are extremely interested. Yesterday, in the pbca yahoo group I posted the following outline for the future of PublicBroadcasting.ca
PublicBroadcasting.ca should be a 'public broadcaster' operating solely on the internet, featuring blogs, podcasts and vidcasts - whether hosted on publicbroadcasting.ca itself or remotely.
Beyond that, it should be (in no particular order of importance):
1) Canadian - A place for Canadians with something to say to say it.A site for, by and about Canada and Canadians.
2) Independent - the hope is to set it up as a not-for-profit co-operative, with revenue coming from voluntary donations and perhaps some carefully filtered google ads - no 'sponsors' and no government funding so that the site is not beholden to anyone but it's contributors. Hopefully, eventually, we could pay people something,but it would be geared more to students, retired people and volunteers.
3) Open - Contributors would be their only editors, there would be no censorship with the exception of hate speech and outright and deliberate lies.
4) Real - Canadian life the way it actually is, not the way it's
depicted on television, but true stories and real thoughts without any whitewash, air brushing or editing.
5) Political - An advocate for and promoter of public broadcasting,independent artists and free speech.
6) Inclusive - The site should include people from all regions, of all viewpoints on a wide variety of topics (no political slant of it's own, all viewpoints represented).
7) Democratic - each of the contributors to publicbroadcasting.ca would be a "shareholder" with each having an equal say in how it was run - with the understanding that the basic structure cannot be changed - it cannot become commercial, cannot be bought or sold but must remain an independent voice for all Canadians.
8) Interactive - even those who do not contribute to the site, should have the ability to openly comment on the content and as long as that commentary does not include hate speech, outright and deliberate lies, spam, derogatory language etc. it should not be censored any more than the content itself.
I would urge anyone interested in these issues, or who sees possibilities in this to join us, to comment here, or to email me and give me your thoughts - even if you have no intention of participating, your views are important. It is not going to be a rapid process, nor is it going to be easy but at this stage I feel it's important to insure a last refuge for pure, independent Canadian content.
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