Majority oppose public support for Canadian content: CRTC survey

A majority of participants in an online survey commissioned by the CRTC oppose public support for Canadian content, while nearly half say the CRTC should play no role in regulating Canadian content.The CRTC New Media Broadcasting econsultation Report was conducted by Nanos Research between May 15 and June 15 this year to provide a forum for the new media constituency to express their views on the future of new media in Canada, in preparation for a public hearing in 2009.Participants were asked to respond to four topics that dealt with defining new media broadcasting, support for the creation and promotion of Canadian new media, barriers to accessing new media broadcasting and other issues. The CRTC is not bound by the findings of the report but the opinions expressed could form part of decision making on the direction of new media in Canada.Fifty participants responded to the question dealing with creation and promotion of Canadian new media broadcasting, with various opinions. Twenty-one of the participants said the CRTC should not regulate Canadian content, while 18 suggested that without public support, good quality content would not survive. Seventeen of the participants also responded that there was too much media regulation and 16 agreed that regulating new media limits free speech.On the issue of net neutrality, nearly half of respondents said this is something important that needs to be maintained and ISPs should not be allowed to throttle bandwidth. Twenty-four of the 67 participants on this topic said ISPs should keep from throttling bandwidth, while 18 agreed that ISPs and traditional media companies are vying to control the Internet for profit motives."The Internet is a wonderful tool-but only if it is allowed to remain open, and free of any restrictions imposed by a company, or government, acting in between the web and the user trying to use it," wrote one of the participants.Regarding barriers to accessing new media, 48 of the 51 participants on this question indicated that hurdles do exist. Thirty-two of the participants believe there is "too much control and censorship of new media in Canada by creators of traditional media and Internet Service Providers."There were 2,642 unique site visitors to the consultation website, in which 139 registered participants posted 278 comments on each of the four topics and rated comments from other respondents. Site visits averaged 111 lasting an average of four minutes. Respondents to the survey came from 223 cities and towns in Canada. Participants from the big cities of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Calgary featured prominently. Not surprisingly, respondents from Ottawa - home to many communications lobbyists, lawyers and regulators - led the pack with 855 visits, followed by participants from Toronto who made 305 visits to the site. Montreal, 210, Vancouver, 194 and Calgary, 146, brought up the rear.

Majority oppose public support for Canadian content: CRTC survey

News | 09/15/2008 7:45 pm EDT

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