Canadians to CRTC: Bell takeover of Astral is bad for Canada

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.

Some of the groups leading the coalition include grassroots citizen-engagment group OpenMedia.ca (the group behind the largest online campaign in Canadian history) and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC). They are joined by the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), Canada Without Poverty and the CWP Advocacy Network, the Canadian Media Guild (which represents over 6,000 media workers, including those from CBC, Reuters, the Canadian Press, and Shaw Media), the Consumers' Association of Canada, the Council of Canadians (Canada's largest citizens' group), the Council of Senior Citizens' Organizations of British Columbia (COSCO), and Québec-based consumer groups Option consommateurs and Union des consommateurs.

OpenMedia.ca Executive Director Steve Anderson explains the Coalition's aim: "The CRTC now has no excuse. It's abundantly clear that Bell's proposed monopolistic takeover is bad for Canada, and Canadians know it."

In March, Bell announced that it would seek to acquire Astral Media, and thus control a share of the broadcasting market in Canada that would be more than twice that of its largest competitor. This would create an unprecedented level of media concentration in this country, and lower Canada's status from having one of the least competitive media systems in the industrialized world, to having the least competitive one (details below).

This could spell trouble for independent businesses seeking to compete, but more importantly, it could be the beginning of the end of real choice for Canadians.

Owning more media content creates an incentive for Bell to maximize profits by pushing content that it owns or restricting access to other content it can't monetize -- and it gives Bell control over the media content citizens consume, and delivery of daily communications.

"If Bell is allowed to control Astral's content, Bell will to force higher prices and less choice on their customers and their competitor’s customers," says Janet Lo, PIAC Counsel. "If this takeover is allowed, prices and content will be offered only on Bell's terms, and suppressing competition harms consumers."

"With that type of size and concentration, consumers will face higher prices, less choices, less diversity of voices, and less quality," said Robert Cazelais, Executive Director of Option consommateurs.

Anderson adds: "Canadians learning more and getting engaged are the strongest chance we have at pushing back against Bell's takeover. We strongly encourage Canadians to make their voices heard at StopTheTakeover.ca."

Original Article
Source: rabble.ca
Author: Stop the Takeover Coalition