Contradictions and Hypocrisy in the CRTC Mandate

I've never been clear on the role of the CRTC, soooo, I went looking. It's right here in the CRTC website: 

"Mandate

The CRTC’s mandate is to ensure that both the broadcasting and telecommunications systems serve the Canadian public. The CRTC uses the objectives in the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act to guide its policy decisions.

Broadcasting

In broadcasting, the CRTC ensures that all Canadians have access to a wide variety of high-quality Canadian programming as well as access to employment opportunities in the broadcasting system. Programming in the Canadian broadcasting system should reflect Canadian creativity and talent, our bilingual nature, our multicultural diversity and the special place of aboriginal peoples in our society."

Telecommunications

In telecommunications, the CRTC ensures that Canadians receive reliable telephone and other telecommunications services, at affordable prices.

But the CRTC’s role in telecommunications is evolving. In many telecom markets, several consumer choices are available. This natural competition results in better prices and packages for consumers. In these cases, CRTC allows competition, not regulations, to drive the market. The CRTC regulates only where the market doesn’t meet the objectives of the Telecommunications Act.

Activities

The CRTC supervises and regulates over 2000 broadcasters, including TV, AM and FM radio and the companies that bring these services to you. We also regulate telecommunications carriers including major telephone companies. This role involves:

* issuing, renewing and amending broadcasting licences
* making decisions on mergers, acquisitions and changes of ownership in broadcasting
* approving tariffs and certain agreements for the telecommunications industry
* issuing licences for international telecommunications services, whose networks allow telephone users to make and receive calls outside Canadian borders
* encouraging competition in telecommunications markets
* responding to requests for information and concerns about broadcasting and telecommunications issues

Boy, is that ever a minefield loaded with contradictions.

First of all, we see that:

...the CRTC ensures that all Canadians have access to a wide variety of high-quality Canadian programming...

which is defined as programming that reflects such PC nonsense as:

Canadian creativity and talent, our bilingual nature, our multicultural diversity and the special place of aboriginal peoples in our society.

But nowhere does it say how it expects to force Canadians to watch such stuff, in other words, there seems to be no expectation that such programming should actually have, you know, an viable market.

It also admits:

"In many telecom markets, several consumer choices are available. This natural competition results in better prices and packages for consumers. In these cases, CRTC allows competition, not regulations, to drive the market. The CRTC regulates only where the market doesn’t meet the objectives of the Telecommunications Act."

But, not so with respect to programming, which:

"...should reflect Canadian creativity and talent, our bilingual nature, our multicultural diversity and the special place of aboriginal peoples in our society."

 In its Telecommunications role it admits

"natural competition results in better prices and packages for consumers."

So why not allow for competition in programming?  We could begin with allowing actual market share of Canadian viewers to be the driving force behind funding and regulation. If Canada's broadcasters, such as the CBC, are losing viewers by leaps and bounds, why should we be forced to pay for that which we do not watch?

I presume the telecommunications arm refers to carriers, such as cable companies. But what's the point of regulating them, if the programming they offer has little appeal to Canadians, or if we are forced to purchase piles of crap, just to get the handful of good stuff spread out throughout so many tiers at the upper end?  Something has to change here and I suspect it's the Telecommunications Act and the Broadcasting Act.  And I'm also sure that the Harper government won't touch that with a ten foot pole, since he is accused on a daily basis by the CBC and Canada's creative and artistic community of having a hidden agenda.  Ironic, ain't it. Their agenda is as plain as the nose on their faces and it sure isn't to "serve the Canadian public".