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Satellite dishes are also illegal in Canada... just like in the Islamic Republic of IranSatellite dishes aren't banned in Canada. Only satellite content controlled by the government is permitted. You can't tune into the U.S. satellite services becasue that would violate the Canadian content laws. The coverage of criminal trials cannot be done until after the trial is over. ALso, the goverment censors news stories on election day untill all polls are closed. Canada is the incubator for the Thought Police and where government beurocrats know what's best for you to learn and that does not include anything pro-American.

Oh, please, don't you guys ever get tired of spouting off about things you know nothing about?

We get lots of US channels on cable and sattelite here. There are some that aren't allowed, however, because they would compete with Canada's versions of those. (not saying I agree with this thinking, btw) Also, you can't legally get US sattelite services because they won't knowingly sell them here. The reason for this is that broadcasters buy the rights to broadcast programming in certain markets, and the US broadcasters aren't paying for the rights to broadcast in Canada. Canadian broadcasters are paying for the rights to broadcast that programming in Canada.

Now, the Canadian gov't is cracking down on the distributors of grey market dishes in Canada, and will confiscate them from those who own them if they find them. Of course, most of them are also being used with illegal "cracked" HU cards and such to allow piracy of signals not paid for. This is mostly a sop to the Canadian dish networks, but they are also cracking down on those who distribute equipment for piracy of Canadian sattelite signals.

Yes, our laws require that there is no reporting of election results in western regions where the polls close later than those in the east, for somewhat obvious reasons. They do not censor news stories not related to election results. And yes, our gov't enforces publication bans (when there is one, which is not in all trials) on reporting of trials in Canada.

To sum up, yes we do do some things differently here, and our government does try to defend Canadian culture as they see it. I don't agree with Canadian content requirements personally, although they did help to foster Canadian performers in the past, but the situation is hardly as draconian or all-encompassing as you make it out.