Fall Is Coming: Weekly News Update from OpenMedia.ca

Hey!

Here's Lindsey with your update:

Fall 2012 means a lot of activity in the fight for the open and affordable Internet. The next round of negotiations for the TPP's Internet trap will take place, the CRTC will hold a hearing to determine whether Big Telecom giant Bell should be allowed to acquire yet another key media asset, and Parliament in Canada will resume, possibly making way for the warrantless online spying bill. Stay tuned and stay engaged by spreading the word and taking action wherever possible! 

Onward, 

- The OpenMedia.ca Team

Recent News

Media momentum starts on Stop The Takeover campaign

We're one day into our http://StopTheTakeover.ca/ campaign and already we're gaining incredible momentum thanks to your support.

By continuing to rally our voices against Bell's Astral takeover, we're not only making ourselves heard but we're enabling other Canadians to take action.

From The Canadian Press:

Bell's proposed $3.4-billion takeover of Astral has sparked an outcry from another coalition that's asking Canadians to oppose the deal they say will bring further harmful media concentration to Canada.

The group, calling itself the Stop The Takeover Coalition, wants Canadians to sign an online petition to the CRTC and the Competition Bureau, among others, to voice their opposition to the deal that would see Bell own more than 33 per cent of the Canadian English-language audience. Read more »

Huffington Post: How Bell's takeover will worsen Canada's media concentration

We've seen how the Bell/Astral deal is bad for consumer choice before, but a new report is shedding further light on this vertical integration of Canada's communications. Currently, 81.4% of the value of Canada's TV distribution market is controlled by companies that also create content, meaning that Big Telecom companies are not only transmitting our programming – they're producing it as well.

With the CRTC's impending review of the Bell/Astral merger coming next month – the time to speak out is now. Join concerned Canadians in speaking out against Bell's monopolistic takeover at http://StopTheTakeover.ca/.

Article by Daniel Tencer for Huffington Post Canada

Canada has the most concentrated TV industry ownership of any G8 country, and the second most concentrated TV audience, says a new report that aims to measure the impact of the proposed Bell Canada-Astral Media merger.

The report from Boston-based Analysis Group reports that 81.4 per cent of the value of Canada’s TV distribution (cable and satellite) market is controlled by companies that also create content, such as broadcasters and production companies. Read more »

Canadians to CRTC: Bell Takeover of Astral is Bad for Canada

Diverse Coalition forms in response to Bell’s proposed acquisition of Astral Media

August 28, 2012 – Bell’s proposed takeover of Astral Media is bad for Canada.

That’s the message being sent by the new, broad-based coalition of groups known as the Stop the Takeover Coalition.

The Coalition consists of a diverse mix of organizations—public interest groups, consumer groups, and cultural industry stakeholders—that have joined forces, based on a set of principles, to draw public attention to the risks of Bell’s expansion. The coalition is encouraging Canadians to join the campaign by sending a messaging to decision makers at http://StopTheTakeover.ca. Read more »

Canadians launch platform to defend Internet freedom worldwide

Mobile-adaptive site launched as threats to open Internet access go global

August 23, 2012 – In response to the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) process and other threats to Internet freedom, Canadian non-profit Internet freedom organization, OpenMedia, is launching a platform to amplify the voices of the global pro-Internet community.

Working with Canadians across the country, OpenMedia led the biggest online campaign in Canadian history—Stop The Meter—along with the public outcry that has thus far stopped online spying bill C-30. OpenMedia hosted a multifaceted online campaign—incorporating social media, direct communication with MPs, viral videos, and educational graphics.

Following those accomplishments, OpenMedia joined with a diverse coalition of groups to launch the StopTheTrap.net petition in June of this year, wading for the first time into international waters. This online petition allowed citizens to push back against the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, which contains restrictive binding provisions that could criminalize everyday uses of the Internet. Over 100,000 people from around the world have already signed the petition. Read more »

Scaling up together to meet the threats to the open Internet

From the beginning the Internet has always been about us; those who use the Internet to connect with one another, to create, to express ourselves, and to make our lives just a little bit easier. We’ve been successful in standing up to lobbyists who act to restrict Internet freedom in their drive to prop up outdated governance and business models- our Stop the Meter (infographic) and Stop Online Spying campaigns are great examples of what Canadians can achieve when we work together. Read more »