Friends of the CBC: Update

Just an update, I've said that my next project will involve tax relief for artists and content creators and that still holds. This one doesn't really count as next because the Friends of the CBC is something I started a long time ago on Myspace and more recently on Facebook.

This is more of a rededication of the idea. Complete with it's own subdomain and a intro that reads:

As a Canadian you own a national television network, two national radio networks, one of the deepest and most visited web sites in the country, one of the worlds most respected news agencies, a couple of cable channels and half of a satellite radio provider. Whether you like them or not you are paying for them.
If you want a Canadian national public broadcaster – to promote Canadian ideals, values and talent and to facilitate our ‘national town hall meeting’ – to inform, enlighten, discuss, debate and entertain then it is your responsibility to make sure the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation remains strong, well funded and independent. It is also your responsibility to make sure that your national public broadcaster is performing the way you want it to.
Like a shareholder in a corporation you have to stay vigilant and make sure that the company is acting in the best interest of the shareholders, that they are providing a valuable service, and meeting the expectations of customers and shareholders and that they are doing all of this in a socially responsible manner.
By becoming actively involved in the CBC, keeping up to date on the politics surrounding it, speaking up for it when it is threatened (from within or without) you will help ensure a strong, high quality, independent and indispensable Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for generations to come.
Please pick your method: Whether it is Facebook, Myspace, or the Google Group and join the Friends of the CBC.

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Hidden Cameras - Guelph part II proportional representation

At the Hidden Cameras merch table, amoung the cds and t-shirts were brochures for the Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform. During the show the Camera's Maggie MacDonald called this the 'quietest referendum in history'. She pointed out that in 2003 the Liberals managed to score 72% of the seats in the Ontario legislature while getting only 46% of the vote. (Note that the headline of the page that links to says 'Liberal Landslide' - when it wasn't even a majority of the vote) The Citizens Assembly recommendation is meant to fix that and you will get to vote on it in October.

So, what exactly are they proposing? You can read all about it on their website but I'll try to summarize:

If this system is adopted, when you go to vote you will get one ballot but will check two boxes. One for the candidate of your choice (as always) and one for the party of your choice.

Before the election each party will nominate a province wide list of candidates in the order it wants them elected. Before the election parties must submit their lists and "details on how they developed them" to Elections Ontario. These lists will then be published widely so that you can read the lists before you vote.

90 MPPs would then be elected in local ridings (the same way they are now) and 39 members would be elected based on party vote. The number of seats each party received would be based on the percentage of the total provincial vote by party. So, you could vote (for example) for a liberal candidate locally, but the NDP by party - if the NDP received 20% of the vote on the party side of the ballot they would then recieve 20% (8) of the 39 party vote seats. Starting at the top of the Candidates list mentioned above the first 8 people on the list who were not elected in their ridings would be given seats.

It seems to me that this creates a far more fair and balanced system and works to bring 46% 'landslides' back down to earth. So, on October 10 get out and vote your conscience on this (in this case your conscience says yes). And in the event that this is, in fact, the 'quietest referendum in history' - I'm putting a link to it on the sidebar until October!

MediaReform.ca

I've taken a couple of stabs at creating a bulletin board on this site - for the most part they have been underused (except by porn spammers who seem to find them useful). So, rather than try that again I'm simply going to endorse and use this one (please see shiny new link in right hand column).



I stumbled across MediaReform.ca on Facebook and it seems to be something I can happily endorse.

MediaReform.ca is an open, diverse and nonpartisan website where members from across the country can examine and discuss the issues that matter to them from a Canadian perspective. We exist because we know that Canadians care about their media, and we believe that coming together to talk about it is the first step to creating real change.

I certainly believe that Canadians have lost site of the fact that we own the Media - mainstream and otherwise. We own the airwaves - including satellite, broadcast and other wireless frequencies, and lease them to companies who are supposed to 'serve the public interest'. We may not outright own the cable and telephone lines, but they were heavily, heavily publicly subsidized and could certainly be nationalized with cause. On top of that we heavily subsidize broadcasters - the CBC obviously, but private broadcasters also received hundreds of millions in subsidies and we heavily subsidize production (including foreign production that takes place in Canada.)

So, again, we own the media in Canada outright and if it is not doing what it is supposed to - "serving the public interest" then we must step in and enforce our authority. That, however, is my opinion - please visit MediaReform.ca and add your .02 as well.

What Is Net Neutrality?

From Michael Geist and The Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking (CRACIN) the new From What Is Net Neutrality just launched.

If you don't know what Net Neutrality means, it is the single most important issue facing the internet and ultimately the most important issue with regard to the future of media (Canadian and otherwise). The million channel universe is here, but what happens with Net Neutrality will determine whether viewers/listeners/surfers decide what is successful, or whether those with the most money can simply buy their way to the top. You should definitely give the new site a look.

If you already know what net neutrality is, bookmark it so that you can help explain it to others.