Posted on 07/16/2004 4:21:06 AM PDT by Clive
You've got to hand it to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission for its spectacularly lousy timing.
Yank the license of a controversial Quebec FM radio station one day, over allegedly offensive on-air commentary.
And on the next, announce that Canadians will now be able to access Al-Jazeera by cable and satellite.
If the bright lights at the CRTC thought they had problems with Quebec City's CHOI over its occasionally crude morning commentary, wait till they get deluged with complaints about Al-Jazeera, which is often accused of being openly anti-Semitic.
Even CRTC chairman Charles Dalfen acknowledged that some of Al-Jazeera's material holds Jews up to "hatred and contempt on the basis of religion." However, since Al-Jazeera met the CRTC's overall test of being a credible news service, it didn't feel justified in imposing a total ban. Instead, it will set rules requiring cable and satellite operators who carry Al-Jazeera to censor "any abusive comment" and suggested that if they don't follow the rules, then Al-Jazeera could go the way of CHOI-FM.
Good luck. Based on some of Al-Jazeera's broadcasts, some poor shlub is going to be hitting the seven-second delay button so often, he'll probably break his fingers. The whole idea may yet prove to be impractical.
The real story is that the CRTC is rapidly being rendered obsolete by technology, since Al-Jazeera is already widely available through the illegal satellite market. The bigger issue is that, since we believe in free speech in Canada (CHOI-FM excepted, apparently), Al-Jazeera should be able to broadcast here. So should Fox TV, which much of the Arab world regards with the same loathing as many Jewish organizations do Al-Jazeera.
Isn't it time we put all these views out there and let the public decide? Wouldn't it be healthy for folks here to see how the Arab world really views the West, rather than getting it second-hand, mostly through the filter of the big American networks?
Of course the reverse would be nice as well, since respect for freedom of the press -- as indicated by the outrage in Canada over the CRTC's decision to yank CHOI's license, even from people who have never heard of the station -- is far greater here than in the Arab/Muslim world, where media censorship is often the norm.
Which is precisely why Al-Jazeera should be allowed to broadcast in Canada -- because we believe in free speech within reasonable limits, such as the fact that you can't call for murdering Jews, or for that matter Muslims or Christians, on our airwaves.
Hell, even that stupid white man, Michael Moore, deserves free speech.
A young Conservative group and the National Citizens Coalition want Moore charged under the Canada Elections Act for urging Canadians to vote against Stephen Harper during our federal election. This while Moore was here for the Canadian premiere of his anti-George W. Bush propaganda film, Fahrenheit 9/11.
Apparently Moore may have violated some stupid section of our election law which prohibits anyone but a Canadian citizen or permanent resident from urging people how to vote.
Now, I know the NCC doesn't really believe in stupid laws like this, but it's still ticked with the recent stupid Supreme Court ruling which severely restricted third party advertising in federal elections -- so we understand where it's coming form. It's arguing that if we're going to have stupid laws infringing upon free speech, then let's make sure we enforce all of them equally.
You know, if all of this nonsense keeps up, Canada could easily develop a reputation for being a backward, third-world state that keeps returning the same political party to power no matter how corrupt it becomes. No, wait. We already have that. Sorry.
It is now hampered because it is now barred from publishing its horror stories after the writ has dropped and before the election, which is exactly the time when the stories ought to be told.
Michael Moore came to Canada after the writ had dropped to encourage us to vote Liberal His stated objective was to save us from becoming like the US.
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In effect, the film is actually a Canadian government propaganda device which glorifies a peaceful, law abiding, ethnically harmonious Canada which doesn't actually exist, and denigrates the US in comparison.
Most Canadians think being Liberal is being Canadian. Its a very hard habit to overcome.
The only Canadian television i get here in Michigan is the CBC. From what little I watch, I would assume that the only problems there are in Canada are a dangerous southern neighbor and natives fishing rights.
But, I'm not stupid or blind.
I'm not sure if anyone has applied for a license for FOX news, but if someone knows please fill us in. Anyway here's hoping that we can get FOX.
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