[Wamvan] "How to Petition the CRTC against Sun News' "Mandatory Carriage"

[Jarrah]

Got this from a friend involved in Feminist Edmonton. A good step-by-step
guide to registering your opposition to SUN news getting "mandatory
carriage" and subsequent public funding.

In case anyone has managed to stay totally insulated from the perpetual
#headdesk that is SUN,  here's a response I did to one of their pieces:

http://www.gender-focus.com/2011/06/23/sunnews-says-be-a-man/

And here's a piece at Rabble about their CRTC application:

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/djclimenhaga/2013/01/no-market-hate-and-right-wing-drivel-sun-news-comes-cap-hand-pub

Anyway here's the info if you want to file your opposition:
---

"How to Petition the CRTC against Sun News' "Mandatory Carriage"


DEADLINE: Feb 20, 2013

The Sun News Network is applying to the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television &
Communications Commission)* to be granted a "mandatory carriage" license
that would make it mandatory for basic cable providers to include their
channel (in other words, if you use basic cable you would NOT have an
option to NOT get Sun News, and they would be paid a fee for every
household that carries basic cable). From my understanding, this means
Canadian taxpayers would be funding Sun News to the tune of approx. $18
million per year.

If you OPPOSE the CRTC granting Sun News a "mandatory carriage" license,
and Canadian taxpayers funding their questionable programming, you must
submit your opposition to the CRTC by Feb. 20, 2013. You can do this online
in about 5 minutes.

The CRTC's online submission process is a bit confusing, so I'm trying to
make it easier for individual folks to do so by breaking it down into more
digestible bits. Assuming you would be submitting as an individual
consumer, and not on behalf of an organization or other person, follow this
procedure:

1. Go to the CRTC's online submission page "Participate in a Consultation"
at:
https://services.crtc.gc.ca/pub/Intervention/Submission-Soumission.aspx?lang=e&EN=2013-19&ET=N#SE0

2. Click "I Agree" > Next

3. Click "Option 1" > Next

4. On the "Choose Applicant/Licensee" page, scroll way down to (and click
on) "2012-0687-1: Sun News General Partnership" > Next

5. On the "Submit a Comment" page, first choose "Opposition", then
type/paste your comments** in the "Enter Comment" field (and attach any
files you think are relevant, e.g. PDF of an article that highlights Sun
News' racism, etc., which is optional) > Next

6. Click on "Do not want to appear" (at the April 23 hearings), and confirm
"I agree" > Next

7. Click "NO" re: designated representative > Fill out the
"Intervener/Respondent Information" (your name/address/email) > you must
ALSO click on the bottom checkbox that says "I will be sending a copy of my
comments to the applicant", in order to continue the submission process
(this is mandatory, and probably the CRTC equivalent of legal "discovery")
> Next

8. Confirm whether everything you entered is correct, and whether or not
you want a copy of your submission by email > SUBMIT

9. You are done with the CRTC's form, but note you are ALSO expected to
send a note of opposition directly to Sun News for the CRTC to consider it
a legitimate submission. Submit your opposition to Sun News being granted
"mandatory carriage" by writing to them directly* at:

TVA Group Inc. and Sun Media Corporation
c/o Québecor
1600 Maisonneuve Boulevard East
Montréal, Quebec
H2L 4P2 Canada
~ OR VIA ~
Fax: 514-380-4664
Email: reglementaires at quebecor.com

*Be sure to include "RE: Opposition to Mandatory Carriage RE: 2012-0687-1:
Sun News General Partnership" in the subject line and in the document
itself. SAVE A COPY for your records, as the CRTC may require proof of your
submission for it to be valid.

========

If you would prefer to not use the online submission process, you can
instead submit your comments to the CRTC* by snail-mail or fax:

By mail: CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2
By fax: 819-994-0218

*Be sure to include "RE: Opposition to Mandatory Carriage RE: 2012-0687-1:
Sun News General Partnership"

========

**Example letter (recommended you edit/write your own):

The Sun News Network broadcasts sexist, racist and other
hateful/inflammatory programming that does not reflect my family's values.
It's fine if their private supporters want to purchase their channel under
their current license, but the fact that they are seeking "mandatory
carriage" in order to fund their type of "yellow-journalism" just proves
that most Canadians do NOT care for their programming. We do not think
Canadian tax dollars should fund or make it easier for their biased
coverage to enter our homes, whether in the form of basic cable coverage,
or in any other format. We request you DENY them "mandatory carriage".
Thank you for your consideration.

========

There are also 2 online petitions. Though I doubt the CRTC is obligated to
consider them, it can't hurt to sign them anyway:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/848/434/892/help-deny-sun-news-medias-application-for-mandatory-coverage/

http://www.change.org/petitions/canadian-radio-television-and-telecommunications-commission-do-not-approve-mandatory-carriage-for-sunnews-network-2

========

*For more CRTC background info about the April 23 hearings scroll way down
here, to "2012-0687-1
Sun News General Partnership":
https://services.crtc.gc.ca/pub/instances-proceedings/Default-Defaut.aspx?Lang=Eng&YA=2013&S=O&PA=b&PT=nc&PST=a#2013-19

... and then scroll down here, to #10 "TVA Group Inc. and Sun Media
Corporation, partners in a general partnership carrying on business as Sun
News General Partnership" (when you click on that link it takes you to
where Sun News' address, etc., is):
http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2013/2013-19.htm#10

========



-- 
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Jarrah Hodge
@jarrahpenguin
http://gender-focus.com
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