Reading Time: 3 minutes Leave reporting to independent innovators who build the public trust honestly. Any government subsidy surely undermines that trust
Author: Peter Menzies
Peter Menzies spent three decades as a working journalist and newspaper executive, most notably with the Calgary Herald where he served as its editorial page editor, editor in chief and, finally, publisher.
Following his newspaper career, he spent close to 10 years as a member of the Canadian Radio-television Commission, initially in a part-time capacity followed by four years as regional commissioner for Alberta and the Northwest Territories and then four more as Vice-Chair of Telecommunications.
In the past, he has consulted on educational and media projects with the Fraser Institute and wrote frequently on media matters and the impact of the Internet on society during his time as a Senior Fellow with the think tank Cardus. Following the conclusion of his time with the CRTC, he resumed writing regular commentary for Troy Media through which his work has been published in the Victoria Times-Colonist, Winnipeg Free Press, Hamilton Spectator, Halifax Chronicle Herald and many others. He also writes on media and communications issues regularly for Convivium Magazine, The Globe & Mail, National Post and Toronto Star and advises tech companies.
CRTC wants to tax Internet users to subsidize content creators
Reading Time: 3 minutes What does and doesn’t stream over the Internet is none of the CRTC’s business
The Super Bowl ads get punted in Canada – again
Reading Time: 3 minutes Donald Trump may take the credit, but you can blame CTV/Bell Media and the CRTC
CRTC scales back its Internet ambitions for remote areas
Reading Time: 3 minutes The commission has released the eligibility criteria for accessing $750 million to expand Internet service to remote areas
Social media is fully weaponized, open discourse be damned
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Eden-like public square was swiftly overrun by a cacophonic rabble dedicated to crushing ideas to which they’re opposed
The subsidy table is set, and actors and writers will dine
Reading Time: 3 minutes The CRTC has backed away from a 21st-century funding model for the creation of Canadian content. We’ll all be poorer as a result
Can we preserve Canadian newspapers in the digital age?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Not if those publications must compete with the CBC, which operates with the generous help of taxpayers’ money
Tax the Internet in the name of Canadian culture?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Canadian production is booming. It hardly needs more official intervention – and funding – to continue to grow
Rolling the gender boulder up the broadcast hill ignores bigger issues
Reading Time: 3 minutes The CRTC should be far more concerned about the role of women within the telecommunications industry than in TV
The CRTC remains shrouded in mystery
Reading Time: 3 minutes Open up about decisions made on the communications tools people use, the content they consume and the price they pay for it