Guest Michael Lithgow joins us this week to talk about the current hearings going on at the CRTC on the future of community television.
Michael is the co-founder of CACTUS (the Canadian association of community television users and stations), a research associate at OpenMedia.ca, and a long-time community television advocate and organizer. He is currently a PhD student at Carleton University in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
The CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) has opened a public hearing on the future of community television. On the one side is CACTUS, arguing for a new model that would give the mandated 2% of cable revenues back to 'real' communities ($130 Million last year alone). On the other side are the cable companies, who currently produce the the vast majority of all community TV in Canada. They're claiming that nothing is wrong with the current system and that no changes to the way they produce and broadcast community media are necessary.
The Commission hereby initiates a public proceeding to review its policies for community television.
April 26, Opening day at the CRTC hearings on CPAC – check through the site for all the archives of the hearings by date.