[seanwrestledude]

The number one topic CRTC haters conveniently leave out of their rants is terrestrial Radio. Imagine if the CRTC were scrapped in order to allow a "free market" how screwed up the AM/FM dial would be. You would get radio stations interfering with each other everywhere. Who would handle this dispute? I'll tell you who, NO ONE!

Lets not forget that the CRTC is responsible for more than just "shoving Canadian content" down our throats on TV. I can't imagine how much each of you would moan and whine and complain If NFL Sunday Ticket were allowed to sign an exclusive contract with a Canadian BDU much like there exclusive contract with Directv in the States.

Come on people, not everything the CRTC does is bad let's not exaggerate.

 

[downbeat]

Not quite.
The CRTC regulates strictly content on radio and television — program language, format, CanCon requirements and whatnot.
Technical matters (channel/frequency assignments, power levels, antenna location, etc.) are handled by Industry Canada.
So you could conceivably do away with the content regulator and retain the technical regulator.
—
p.s. I'm just explaining the mechanics of the situation. I've been a fence-sitter on this topic for years.

 

[PFD]

If it wasn't for the CRTC we wouldn't have had Rush...and Anne Murray.

 

[magnet]

Anne Murray existed on albums (1968) before Canadian Protection in 1971.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_content
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Murray

 

[sailmaker]

The number one topic CRTC haters conveniently leave out of their rants is terrestrial Radio. Imagine if the CRTC were scrapped in order to allow a "free market" how screwed up the AM/FM dial would be. You would get radio stations interfering with each other everywhere. Who would handle this dispute? I'll tell you who, NO ONE!

Isn't the allocation of ALL frequencies decided by a joint international committee or regulator? You will not have a Buffalo radio station broadcasting on 900 Hz and another station in St. Catherines on same frequency. DUH. I vaguely remember WBEN TV in Buffalo having to make changes shortly after or even before hitting the airwaves in 1948 (am I that old???) because of interference that would be caused to future CBLT in Toronto, not yet on the air as I recall. Mexico and USA have similar common ground committees for the same reasons. sailmaker

 

[jaxon9032]

If it wasn't for the CRTC we wouldn't have had Rush...and Anne Murray.

Although one can't prove a negative, I believe that Rush would have succeeded without the CRTC. I have attended Rush concerts in the US (not just border cities) and the fans there are dedicated. Rush achieved that success in the US without the CRTC. They achieved their sucess by being good!

That aside, I think, based on the philosophy of the members of Rush, they would be offended at the suggestion that a government agency was responsible for their success.

 

[thegiffer]

I'm assuming you're feeling provocative this morning WrestleDude

1. I'm fine with the CRTC maintaining technical standards. It's the antiquated content regulation that needs to go.

2. If Sunday Ticket was the price for being able to directly access ESPN, HBO, BBC etc, I'd gladly pay (although I think this is a false choice - I have a hard time accepting the CRTC is the only reason we have access to Sunday Ticket)

3. Rush broke because of airplay on US stations and intensive USA/Canadian touring, not because of Cancon regulations. See the recent (excellent) documentary Beyond the Lighted Stage where this is described. My view is that Cancon's main musical beneficiaries were niche acts like Five Man Electrical Band and April Wine (both of whom I think are great) that sold primarily in Canada. The internationals - Joni, Neil, Band, Rush etc - succeeded for non-regulatory reasons.

Of course, I could be wrong and that would mean that we can expect Neil Peart to write a song praising the CRTC for its help in making Rush the global success it is today.

'The Spirit of CanCon'?

 

[JamesK]

You would get radio stations interfering with each other everywhere.

That's not the CRTC's responsibility. It's Industry Canada that does that. IC also co-ordinates with the FCC, in the U.S., to avoid problems with border stations.

 

[JamesK]

If it wasn't for the CRTC we wouldn't have had Rush...and Anne Murray.

It also brought us a lot of "CANCON" crap. Also, long before the CRTC got involved, people like Sam Sniderman (Sam the Record Man) did a lot to promote Canadian talent.

 

[gretzky]

If it wasn't for the CRTC we wouldn't have had Rush...and Anne Murray.

are you serious when you say that ?
Rush itself wouldn't had need the canadian market as they are known worldwide
if Rush would have just done it in canada they would have split long time ago
it's like saying the CRTC is responsible for their success ... .b.s meter is high here

 

[stampeder]

Isn't the allocation of ALL frequencies decided by a joint international committee or regulator?

No. By international treaty all states control broadcasting occurring within their borders. There are a variety of international standards applied, of course, but the state's regulator holds the control. Thus, the radio and TV spectrum varies in different parts of the world, as does the actual broadcast standard(s) used in radio and TV bands.

As has already been clarified, the CRTC is a licensing body, while the job of managing Canada's spectrum belongs to Industry Canada, which works closely with the U.S.'s FCC in border areas.

 

[trask]

I'm assuming you're feeling provocative this morning WrestleDude

1. I'm fine with the CRTC maintaining technical standards. It's the antiquated content regulation that needs to go.

2. If Sunday Ticket was the price for being able to directly access ESPN, HBO, BBC etc, I'd gladly pay (although I think this is a false choice - I have a hard time accepting the CRTC is the only reason we have access to Sunday Ticket)

3. Rush broke because of airplay on US stations and intensive USA/Canadian touring, not because of Cancon regulations. See the recent (excellent) documentary Beyond the Lighted Stage where this is described. My view is that Cancon's main musical beneficiaries were niche acts like Five Man Electrical Band and April Wine (both of whom I think are great) that sold primarily in Canada. The internationals - Joni, Neil, Band, Rush etc - succeeded for non-regulatory reasons.

Of course, I could be wrong and that would mean that we can expect Neil Peart to write a song praising the CRTC for its help in making Rush the global success it is today.

'The Spirit of CanCon'?

Excellent post and I agree completely. The CRTC's relevance has long passed and needs to go.

 

[PFD]

Anne Murray existed on albums (1968) before Canadian Protection in 1971.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_content
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Murray

Yeah, but we didn't have to listen to her before that.

 

[seanwrestledude]

I apologize for my incorrect opinion based on my own mis-information of the CRTC regarding radio. My assumption was that CRTC handled both content and technical issues with regards to Television and Radio. However I still stand behind my opinion in regards to channel distribution and exclusivity.

I have read many people on American forums complaining about the lack of availability of Sunday Ticket to people unable to get Directv for various reasons. Imagine this conversation: sorry Mr. "PQ is important" but you will have to switch to Bell because we signed an exclusive contract with them so you will just have to put up with Bell TV's watered down 720p HD-lite service in order to watch your NFL games. Thank god this scenario is never going to play out as long as the CRTC exists.

 

[classicsat]

Isn't the allocation of ALL frequencies decided by a joint international committee or regulator?

Just a commitee, and they basically allot what uses specific segments of spectrum can be used for, not assign frequencies and adjuticate technical matters with/amongst individual spectrum users. That is up to the regulatory angencies of the countries involved.

 

[MarcP]

However I still stand behind my opinion in regards to channel distribution and exclusivity.

You don't need the CRTC to establish that kind of rule. In fact, it's very inefficient to have a whole body just to enforce one rule.

 

[MIghtyFinn]

You can blame the CRTC for a lot of the bad issues we are currently facing with the monopolies slowly buying up control of smaller operations that effect the smaller communities like the recent layoffs in Sudbury Ontario of local jobs of tech support on the IT side, office staff and the lay off of staff from the so called local community channel. They want our dollars but dont want to contribute to our local econemys.

 

[JamesK]

Just a commitee, and they basically allot what uses specific segments of spectrum can be used for

There's the ITU, which co-ordinates radio spectrum use, among other things, around the world. The world is divided into 3 regions (we're in region 2) and the various radio services are co-ordinated within a region. Some, such as satellite frequencies are co-ordinated on a world wide basis.