Fox and Gophers (Fox can't get a broadcast license in Canuckistan, but al-Jazeera can)

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Monday, July 19, 2004

[presidio9]

When it comes to Canadian identity, Fox News Channel is apparently a threat. Al-Jazeera, on the other hand, is just another point of view enriching Canadian culture. That's the message sent last week when the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) granted the Qatar-based, anti-American al-Jazeera a Canadian license. Fox has wanted into Canada since 1999 but has so far been shut out -- except in Ottawa, at the Canadian Parliament, which requested and got a Fox feed last August.

The official justification for this double news standard is that al-Jazeera doesn't compete with any local Canadian-owned company. More than 100,000 Italian-Canadians petitioned in favor of a license for Italy's RAI International, for example, but on the same day that al-Jazeera got the green light RAI was sent packing because it would compete with Canadian-owned Telelatino.

Then there are the sensitivities of Canada's culture police. A large chunk of Canada's political establishment truly believes that, left unfettered, the Canadian market would be overrun by American culture, as if it isn't already. A few years back the CRTC told Fox it could enter Canada, as long as its 24-hour programming had 35% Canadian content. That may have implied a little too much televised gopher hunting on Baffin Island, so Fox stayed home.

What doesn't seem to matter to Ottawa's information gate-keepers are the wishes of Canadian viewers. Canada's cable industry estimates that up to one million Canadian households grab U.S. signals illegally, and the Fox network has received thousands of calls and e-mails requesting the news channel. Yet Canadians are stuck with CNN, which was grandfathered under Canadian law.

[-YYZ-]

Yeah, I was a bit cranky this morning - not enough sleep. Pretty warm up here, too.

Actually, I thought of this after I posted earlier, when the FTA between Canada and the US was negotiated, an exemption for the cultural industry was one of the things Canada fought for and got. So, we are within our rights under the FTA (and now NAFTA) to do this sort of thing, even if it is wrong-headed, which I would agree it is.

Since Fox themselves has no interest in producing a Canadian version of the programming it is debatable how much benefit they would get from the, probably at best, couple-few extra million viewers they would have up here, as most US advertisers aren't really interested in getting Canadian eyeballs. A lot of the products and services advertised on US networks are just not available in this country. Local broadcasters in the border areas, Buffalo for example, do carry some advertising from Canadian companies, though.

[ArmyBratproud]

very good question.

A stray projectile should have taken out those sat dishes a long time ago.

I hear Steve Pederson will soon be one of their anchors.

[nutmeg]

FoxFan ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my FoxFan list. *Warning: This can be a high-volume ping list at times.

[NZerFromHK]

Here in New Zealand, the US version of Fox News is broadcasted for free on Prime overnight. If anyone - presumably most Kiwis - can't stand them, fine, there is a BBC World newsfeed over at the government-owned TV1 or Deutsche Welle at the various regional TV channels. No one really cares if Fox has any NZ-specific programmes.

The Canadian Left can't have their cake and eat it too - if the US is a foreign country with different culture, then in the name of diversity they can't deny the possibility of broadcasting foreign TV comments. If Fox is considered too resembling the majority-Canada culture, then why are these Canadian leftists screaming loudly "we are culturally different from those Americans!"?

[SevenofNine]

What happen did Canada sold rights of Strange Brew to Al Jabezza in exchange of this

HEY CANUCKS don't be bunch of hoser eh

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Eli Playter]

"Their excuse that Fox competes with the locals seems like a violation of GATT and NAFTA. When is our government actually going to do something to enforce American rights under those treaties?
Good point."

Actually wrong point. NAFTA specifically excludes the cultural industries.