Stop "Fox News North" - Avaaz.org 21M Global Campaign Network

[Danger]

Stop "Fox North"!

This is a copy of an e-mail that a friend sent to me. It is legitimate, and he is a very politically astute man, so I doubt that there's any funny business about it. I've already signed.
Don't be alarmed that you have to register to sign; you can unsubscribe yourself any time thereafter. I don't know whether or not you have to be a Canadian citizen for your vote to count, but the organization is international.
The gall of Murdoch's minions in trying to force this crap down our throats is infuriating.
The issue might violate Forum guidelines concerning political content, but I'll leave it up to them to decide.


In days, the CRTC could decide whether Canadians should be forced to pay for Sun News or 'Fox News North'. Both Avaaz and Sun News have been asked to appear at the hearing, and Sun News has built a petition of 53,000 over months. We have just a few days to blow it out of the water.

After Harper and his top spin doctor Kory Teneycke met secretly with Rupert Murdoch, Teneycke was involved in modelling Sun News after Murdoch's Fox News, the political propaganda network that has poisoned U.S. politics. It's Canadian crony-media -- run by a political crony, pushing a political agenda, and now seeking to be funded by a government handout, asking the CRTC to force it onto our basic cable packages.

Sun News have been pushing their petition non-stop for months. If we can double it in a few days, it will send a powerful signal to the CRTC about where Canadians stand -- click below to sign and share this email with everyone who cares about Canadian democracy:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_fox_news_north_2013_crtc_2/?tNrHreb

The CRTC is the government agency that implements and enforces Canada's broadcasting laws. Among other things, it has the power to require all Canadian cable providers to carry certain channels. But it rarely does this because it would prefer to let consumers choose what channels they want. Canadians aren't choosing to pay for Sun News, and it's losing millions of dollars. So Sun is asking the CRTC to order all cable providers to carry Sun News and pass the cost on to us -- even if we don't want it!

In 2010, tens of thousands of us banded together and helped stop "Fox News North" from getting a similar deal -- even contributing to Harper's aide, Kory Teneycke, resigning as head of the network! But then, the network sneakily hired him back and now they are launching a similar application, hoping we won't speak up while they try and recoup their $17 million in losses from our pockets!

Fox News fuels hate. While constantly claiming to be “fair and balanced,” it has allowed hysterical anchors like Glenn Beck to compare President Obama to "Hitler." Bill O’Reilly, another anchor, has threatened to boycott Canada, and Anne Coulter has said on its network that Canada is lucky the US allows it to "exist on the same continent.” The network has cunningly fuelled the tea party movement in the US, a mobilisation of the fringe right with members who threaten violence upon its opponents and wear guns to political rallies.

This is a fight for the soul of Canadian democracy. Our media is not perfect, but a ‘news’ network that slavishly serves a political agenda through mass manipulation and fear threatens the fabric of our democratic society. And while such a network has the right to offer its views, it doesn't have a right to demand we subsidize it.

Canadians don't like watching "Fox News North", which is why they are losing millions and need a sweet government deal to survive. But we can stop the CRTC from taking money from our pockets to pay for right-wing news. Click below to stand with Avaaz's representative at the live hearing and help us build a big enough call to hammer home our best legal arguments:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_fox_news_north_2013_crtc_2/?tNrHreb

"Fox News North" threatens to make the country we love look more like the U.S. Thankfully, the CRTC and their public process stands in the way -- let's use this chance to be heard and stop Sun News's grab for our dollars for good.

With hope,

Jeremy, Ari, Emma, Ricken, Mélanie, Laryn and the entire Avaaz team

SOURCES

Sun News Must-Carry Application: CRTC Sounds Skeptical About News Network's Bid (Huffington Post)
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/04/23/sun-news-crtc-hearings_n_3141932.html

Sun News On Basic Cable? CRTC Opens Hearings As Channel's Losses Widen (Huffington Post)
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/04/23/sun-news-basic-cable-crtc_n_3133898.html

Hating the Jew, hating the ‘gypsy’ (National Post)
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com...farber-et-al-hating-the-jew-hating-the-gypsy/

As losses mount, Sun turns to CRTC (Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/as-losses-mount-sun-turns-to-crtc/article7597155/

Sun News Network viewership lags on first anniversary, controversies continue (Canadian Press)
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/04/18/sun-news-network-turns-first-anniversary_n_1433521.html

Sun Media breaches Code of Ethics (Canadian Broadcast Standards Council - CBSC)
http://www.cbsc.ca/english/decisions/2012/120613.php

Investigation into alleged racist comments against blacks (CBSC)
http://www.cbsc.ca/english/decisions/2012/120620.php

Warning: This column contains scary Sun News scenes unsuitable for some readers (Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts...s-unsuitable-for-some-readers/article5215962/




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I haven't been able to discern exactly when this vote is going to be held; I hope this isn't too late.

 

[SteamKing]

I think if your friend really wanted to attack the problem, he would call for the abolition of the CRTC. Although your friend doesn't think much of the U.S., at least we don't have to pay a license fee to the government, like they do in the UK, for the privilege of receiving propaganda from state-run media (also known as the Beeb).

In the US, if you don't like Fox News, turn the channel. If you don't like MSNBCNN, vote with your remote!

 

[Danger]

SteamKing, did you even read at least a part of that before responding?
To start with, I'm in Canada, not the UK. We don't have a TV license here. The equivalent thereof is exactly what Fox is trying to have mandated to their benefit. We don't watch their network because it sucks, so they want the CRTC (which is essentially the same as your FCC) to force us to pay for it even if we don't want to receive it.
Also, my friend forwarded that e-mail to me from the organization; he didn't write it.

 

[Danger]

Another way to look at this is having the government force you to pay for natural gas, even though your home is entirely electric. They run a line into your house, which you never hook up to, but you still have to pay for the (privilege ) imposition of it being there.

 

[encorp]

Thanks Danger, I had known about this but wasn't sure where/when/how to take cooperative action. Thank your friend also. All the best.

 

[StevieTNZ]

Being forced to pay a fee for a channel you'll never watch - that's called stealing. From you. You also have rights, don't let the Govt. bully you.

 

[Danger]

Too right, Stevie. By the bye, one of my favourite shows that I don't mind paying for comes from your lot. "The Almighty Johnsons" rocks!