Online Petition Calls For The Death Of The CRTC…. ABOUT TIME!
From the “why the hell didn’t someone think of this sooner” department, comes the news that a online petition has been started to demand that the CRTC be dissolved:
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) was created for the purpose of ensuring broadcasting and telecommunications systems serve the Canadian public and ensure that Canadians have a wide variety of options to create and view works of media or communicate across the country and the entire world.
We, the undersigned, believe that the CRTC has become a burden on the Canadian public and are failing to perform their duties in the interest of the Canadian public and that of a fair and unbiased telecom policy.
In the last 3 years, we have seen the CRTC give undue preference in the interest of commercial entities and their preference for traditional business models over competing models that would create competition and help ensure that new business models can be created to entice and prosper original Canadian productions.
Given some of the recent decisions that the CRTC has made, such as their tax Local Television Improvement Fee, and giving Bell Canada the ability to do usage based billing on their wholesale DSL customers, it’s hard to argue for keeping them around.
As I write this there are 1419 signatures on this petition and according to this CBC story, the goal is to get to at least 10,000. According to the creator of this petition, this is what needs to happen:
[Mike] Lerner told CBC News the government needs to replace the current regulator with a body that is staffed by people who are in touch with the new technology and competition models being introduced by the internet.
“You need some people who have experience with telecom but you also need some people who understand the new types of competition. They just don’t have any experience in that field,” he says.
I couldn’t agree more. Plus the fact that the CRTC is staffed with ex-telco execs who rubber stamp everything that Bell Canada wants likely doesn’t help matters much either.
So if you’re Canadian, sign this petition. It’s the only way that Canada will get out of the technological backwater that it finds itself in when it comes to Internet access. Plus while you’re at it, you should do the following as well:
- Find your local MP and tell them why the CRTC sucks.
- Then go to the Heritage Minister (The CRTC reports to this ministry) and the Industry Minister (The CRTC also reports here) and tell them why the CRTC sucks
- Tell your friends about this petition via blogs, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, e-mail, smoke signal.
It’s time for some change. Real change. Change we can believe in. It’s time for the CRTC to go and be replaced with something a lot more forward thinking and arms length from the telecommunications industry.
November 2, 2010 at 6:16 am
Bell’s Consumer complaints , abuses and their increase was so predictable
http://thenonconformer.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/consumer-complaints-abuses-and-their-increase-was-so-predictable/
January 7, 2011 at 2:22 am
I agree that the CRTC needs to be disbanded, but I want it replaced with freedom of choice, not another governmentbody telling me how much Canadian content I must endure. Stay the f*ck out of my life and let me listen to what I want to listen to.
The lecherous Canadian ärtist”s”even managed to get their slimy claws into my pocketbook – twice! – when I was subjected to their welfare fees when I bought satellite radio for my car and truck so I would be able to listen to good music rather than Theoryofanickeldefault 24/7. The CRTC is communism. F*ck them.
February 2, 2011 at 11:48 am
When will Canadians finally get a clue and realize that we do not live in a free country. The CRTC embodies everything that a centralized government stands for. THEY decide what we can and can’t watch on T.V., listen to on the radio, see on the internet and so on. While the issue about internet usage is only one more of the many abuses of freedom it is only a small part of the larger picture. Canadians need to actively campaign and demand the disbandment of the CRTC. If Canadians want to support Canadian material than Canadians better start producing quality materials to support. All the CRTC accomplishes is allowing Canadian producers to get away with producing mediocre productions because they are subsidized by Canadian taxpayers who don’t even want to watch the crap they are producing. When a quality product comes along the market will communicate that through viewers and listeners. Corner Gas is a great example of a quality production that was a sensational hit and that now many of my friends and family in the U.S. are even watching. LET FREEDOM REIGN!! DOWN WITH THE CRTC!!
February 6, 2011 at 11:39 pm
The CRTC is definately in the pockets of the big internet providers. They are all too willing to allow them to charge us through the nose for internet usage. If the CRTC where really looking out for Canadian consumers best interests, they would alllow more internet providers into Canada and stop shoving shitty Canadian progamming down our throats.
June 3, 2013 at 8:04 am
the CRTC should not exist! I would like to know how many people like the CRTC and want to be controlled by this body of regulators? I for one do not think it is good policy to have controls over our telecommunications and media. If the CRTC thinks we they are giving us good value then why not let some alterative providers compete in the Canadian market