You Read So I Don't Have To?

THERE ARE really times I wish I had more time to read things on the internet.

I know.

Let me explain.

I'm still trying to get a draft out the door. But a couple of people sent me a link to this article by Antonia Zerbisias. It's interesting, because in her article, she makes an interesting linkage:

Last week, the Globe and Mail, which is in the same corporate stable as CTVglobemedia, ran an opinion piece by professor Paul Boin of the U. of Windsor's communications faculty. He argued that the CRTC, under its current chair Konrad von Finckenstein, was more intent on protecting corporate profits than consumers.

"Canada's private networks have forgotten that the public owns the channels their content is distributed on," he wrote.

Yesterday, the Globe ran an editorial shooting down Boin's arguments as well as the Broadcasting Act, which dictates that the system must "serve to safeguard, enrich and strengthen the cultural, political, social and economic fabric of Canada." The editorial called for less regulation, not more.

Fine. So how about dropping the regulatory protection of simulcasts? CTV, which just picked up the NFL, should not be blocking and tackling the U.S. feed. Right?

As if the editorial mentions that.

Whadddya know! I suggested the same thing a couple weeks ago. Now I suggested it as a tactic. I can see the reasonable-ness of allowing a substitution mechanism so that Canadian broadcasters don't get steamrolled by U.S. signals and ads... (I'm reasonably sure Antonia does too.) I was merely pointing out the hypocrisy inherent in a position where you argue against protectionism for creatives, when you're already the benefit of a much, much, much larger piece of anti-free-market protectionism.

Anyway, point is, Antonia talks about Globe editorials and the funny thing that this hypocrisy STILL isn't being covered. So good for her for getting it into dead tree media.

Her article led me to this site. Again, I just don't have the time right now to suss out if this is going to be something that works. I'm extremely cynical about the prospect of getting average Canadians to actually care enough to write the CRTC. Their money isn't really involved and the last time I checked, everybody had more to worry about than tv. That's the whole point of tv, isn't it? It's the thing you do to make yourself feel better about your worries. What a mess.

But I don't want to pooh-pooh a new effort before it gets started -- so here's the site again. I'll certainly be giving it a read when I have a chance. Even if they don't include me in their conference calls.

Kidding.

(Not kidding.)

No. Kidding.

(Click, Beep.)

Hang on, I have another mental caller.

(Um, Denis, this is your script calling. Remember me?)

Oh shit. Yeah...gimme a second. I'll wrap this up.

One more thing. ACTRA stamped their feet outside the Global party yesterday. From their press release. (I can't do anything about the ugly formatting. I think it's like that because it's a press release from actors and maybe they weren't in the moment when they formatted it. Or something.) Anyway:

CTV and Global threw themselves some parties this
week to celebrate spending hundreds of millions of Canadian dollars to stuff
Canada's primetime television with American dramas. And hundreds of Canadian
actors and other industry workers were out on the sidewalk protesting.
"These private shindigs the broadcasters threw for themselves are
disgraceful. And so was their latest junket to Hollywood to sell out their
country's broadcasting system," said Richard Hardacre, National President of
ACTRA.
ACTRA members and others rallied in front of Massey Hall this morning as
Global Television followed up CTV's party Monday. Both networks are
celebrating their foreign programming purchases. Last year, private
broadcasters spent over $470 million on foreign drama and less than
$70 million on Canadian programs.
"These shameless self-serving parties clearly demonstrate that the
networks don't care about their own country's culture and can't be trusted to
do anything with their licences other than rebroadcast someone else's work,"
said Stephen Waddell. "It's time for the CRTC to live up to its regulatory
role, since the broadcasters don't have the slightest intention to live up to
theirs," added Waddell.
Canada's private broadcasters were let off the hook when Canadian drama
content regulations were watered down by the CRTC in its disastrous 1999 TV
Policy decision. The result is Canadian network primetime schedules dominated
by U.S. shows. ACTRA demands that the CRTC reinstate drama content regulations
on the private broadcasters before Canadian culture completely fades to black.

I'm of two minds about this. I really am. The thing is -- I actually get nervous at the stridency of ACTRA's actions because, deep down, I really want the Canadian Private Networks to remain viable. Honestly, folks, the only alternative is relaxing the rules on foreign ownership and then the whole Cancon game is over.

But the nagging feeling I keep getting is that though I perfectly understand the challenges the networks face, I can't help but feel that the concern for "homegrown" material on their side of the fence really is...well... an inconvenience.

I understand the challenges they face, and I want them to make money.

But I'm not sure it goes the other way. They're just not that into me. Or any of us. And when the corporate media continues to play only the one side of the argument, it's hard not to think that maybe the fix is in. And maybe ACTRA stamping their feet is onto something. At least they're not going gentle into that good night.

Dude, I don't know. I just want to write TV.

What do y'all think of this new group? Any shot at making a difference? Or, like me, do you hear the letters C-R-T-C in a row and find your eyelids starting to droop, droop, drooooop...