| Jayx1 |
Someone should tell the socialists not to ram it down our throats!!
| quote: |
TORONTO (Reuters) - A coalition of Canadian arts groups and unions asked the federal cabinet on Monday to reverse a regulator's decision that allows the two biggest U.S. satellite-radio companies to launch their services in Canada.
The coalition, whose members represent songwriters, record producers and performers, wants the cabinet to either set aside the decision or send it back Canada's broadcast regulator to reconsider.
It said allowing the services in would "derogate from the attainment of the objectives" of the country's broadcasting policy.
The regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, approved applications on June 16 by three groups, including two allied with U.S. satellite-radio companies, to launch their services in Canada.
Canadian Satellite Radio, controlled by former Toronto Raptor basketball team co-owner John Bitove, is partnered with Washington-based XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., the No. 1 U.S. subscription-based satellite radio operator.
New York-based Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., the No. 2 U.S. player, has teamed up with Canada's closely held Standard Broadcasting Inc. and publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
Officials said they decided to let the services into Canada partly because many Canadians were already illegally tapping into U.S. satellite radio and this was likely to continue in the future.
A key issue in the debate is the Canadian content requirement, strongly supported by cultural nationalists, which already applies to traditional radio broadcasters.
In approving the satellite services, the regulator said at least 10 percent of the channels offered to Canadians must be produced in Canada.
That was not enough to satisfy the coalition, whose members include the Canadian Independent Record Production Association, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, National Campus & Community Radio Association, Songwriters Association of Canada, and the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada.
The group also includes unions such as the Alliance of Canadian Cinema Television and Radio Artists, the Communications, Energy & Paperworkers Union of Canada, the Directors Guild of Canada and the Writers' Guild of Canada.
An open letter by the coalition to the cabinet did not include details of how much Canadian content it thinks satellite radio should provide. |
i especially take issue with this statement
| quote: | | Officials said they decided to let the services into Canada partly because many Canadians were already illegally tapping into U.S. satellite radio and this was likely to continue in the future. |
That should wake people up. Canadians who go out of their way to subscribe to a service (which means they are NOT stealing) are criminals because they are making their own decision on what they wish to listen to. If that's not totalitarian i dont know what is.
We honestly do NOT live in a free country. We are just fooled into thinking that we do. |
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