Fox News North can't launch because regulation against lying in the news won't be repealed

[Al B. Sure!]

Really, Asher? One man's truth is another man's lie.

[Asher]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/crtc-ditches-bid-to-allow-fake-news/article1921489/

CRTC ditches bid to allow fake news
Gloria Galloway
Globe and Mail Update
Posted on Friday, February 25, 2011 4:43PM EST


CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein is seen on a TV screen the regulator's hearings in Gatineau, Que., on Nov. 12, 2009. - CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein is seen on a TV screen the regulator's hearings in Gatineau, Que., on Nov. 12, 2009. | The Canadian Press
CRTC ditches bid to allow fake news
Gloria Galloway
Globe and Mail Update
Posted on Friday, February 25, 2011 4:43PM EST
614 comments

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Canada's broadcasting regulator has abandoned its attempt to change a regulation that prohibits the dissemination of false or misleading news.

The decision from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission followed a meeting last week of Parliament’s joint committee for the scrutiny of regulations, which ended its 10-year bid to get the regulation to comply with the law.

The committee was concerned that the regulation violated a 1992 Supreme Court ruling in the case of Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel, which found that the Charter of Rights provision protecting freedom of expression meant a person could not be charged for spreading false information.

After ignoring the committee's letters for years, CRTC finally relented and said in December it would consider changing the regulation to apply only in cases when broadcasters know the information they are sharing is untrue and when it “endangers or is likely to endanger the lives, health or safety of the public.”

But the CRTC's call for public input on the proposal resulted in a tidal wave of angry responses from Canadians who said they feared such a move would open the door to Fox TV-style news and reduce their ability to determine what is true and what is false.

In the face of the outcry, the regulations committee, which is composed of both MPs and senators, met last Thursday and decided it would no longer pursue the matter with the CRTC. Some of the MPs on that committee, including Liberal chairman Andrew Kania, were not in politics when the issue was first discussed and said they did not agree with the decision of the committee 10 years ago to press the CRTC for the change.

“I would suggest perhaps as an option that we write back to the CRTC; we thank them for the proposed amendments but we also let them know that this version of the committee does not see the Zundel decision as an impediment to the continued operations of the current regulations, and invite them to consider whether they still wish to make changes in light of that comment,” Mr. Kania told his fellow committee members.

The committee agreed.

The CRTC had not received any correspondence from the committee by Thursday of this week. But, having been made aware of the decision, CRTC Chairman Konrad Von Finckenstein told reporters late last week that the commission never wanted to change the regulation in the first place.

The CRTC had run out of stalling devices after being pressured by the committee for 10 years, Mr. Von Finckenstein said, and now that the committee has relented the commission will withdraw the attempt to rewrite the regulation.

[Asher]

Really, Asher? One man's truth is another man's lie.

It's not talking about opinions, Albie. It's talking about lying.

Fox's trademarks. Using footage of one event and claiming it's another to act like there was more support for their chosen candidate. Putting "Democrat" under the name of every misbehaving Republican congressman/senator. Things that are factual lies.

It's not to prosecute people that say **** like "This recession was the worst ever". It's only been used against people like holocaust deniers. And the deniers are allowed to have their opinions -- they're just allowed to present their beliefs as fact on broadcast news.

[Wezil]

I'm sorry but the Globe article (or links from Huffington) do not confirm this:

Fox News will not be moving into Canada after all!

the launch of a new right wing network, "Sun TV News" which Canadians call "Fox News North."]

If you want to argue the content won't be the same that would be a different argument.

[Asher]

Oh, that part! Yeah, there's no official source on that one way or the other. That's why the article was classic -- much of it was obviously slanted rhetoric and probably filled with lies.

[Hauldren Collider]

Asher, you're an idiot. The entire point of freedom of speech is that you're allowed to say it regardless of what it is. That's what freedom MEANS, you insane ****ing moron.

[Wezil]

The sort of bias one would expect on a channel like say.....Fox?

I hate Harper as much as the next guy but that article was incredibly misleading on many fronts.

[DaShi]

But you can't claim to be a news organization and then tell a bunch of deliberate lies.

[Wezil]

Sun TV doesn't bother me. Just one more channel to not watch.

[MRT144]

Censorship

This only emphasizes how full of **** you are when you talk about your blessed Canada being freer than America.

U MAD BRO?

[Hauldren Collider]

@Dashi:

It doesn't matter what you claim to be, no one can tell you you can't say it if you have freedom of speech. Telling lies isn't illegal. This is actually a crucial element of free speech. The government is not allowed to decide something is a lie.

(NB: Libel and slander are civil law, not criminal, and have relatively strict interpretations)

[Asher]

Asher, you're an idiot. The entire point of freedom of speech is that you're allowed to say it regardless of what it is. That's what freedom MEANS, you insane ****ing moron.

You're allowed to say what you want. The US has the same kind of restrictions in other ways. I'm pretty sure you don't allow your public school teachers to teach holocaust denial, among other things?

There are restrictions. Teachers can't teach lies as truths to students, nor can broadcast journalist tell lies as truths to citizens. There's no true freedom for the citizenry if you are not aware of the truths. You may as well be defending Pravda or the Chinese press.

The reason why this is different is because the news is viewed, in Canada, as a factual authority. It's not a place where people can tell lies to try to recruit people for their cause. I think it's horrendously terrible that this is the current state of the US media (MSNBC & Fox News are both guilty). It polarizes politics and confuses everyone.

[Berzerker]

is it still legal to BS in commercial ads?

[notyoueither]

That article is classic as well

Yeah...

[Hauldren Collider]

You're allowed to say what you want. The US has the same kind of restrictions in other ways. I'm pretty sure you don't allow your public school teachers to teach holocaust denial, among other things?

There are restrictions. Teachers can't teach lies as truths to students, nor can broadcast journalist tell lies as truths to citizens. There's no true freedom for the citizenry if you are not aware of the truths. You may as well be defending Pravda or the Chinese press.

/me is riding the roflcopter

You don't see the difference between terms of employment and free speech? How stupid are you capable of being?

Broadcast journalists can say whatever the **** they want. Teachers can only teach what they are allowed to teach because they aren't being paid to teach whatever they want, they have to do their jobs. Just like the garbage man isn't allowed to deliver mail instead of taking away the trash.