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Press Releases: Liberals drop culture ball yet againPosted on Thursday, September 15 @ 15:00:00 CDT by capebretoner
"Canadian artists look to the federal government for support and are hardly comforted by corporate assurances from US retailers", said Harris. "Yet again, our artists have been let down by their government".
(Montreal, 12 September 2005) - The Liberal government's decision last week to uphold a Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) ruling granting licenses to two satellite radio networks is the latest erosion of Canada's cultural identity in the face of American pressure, said Green Party of Canada leader Jim Harris today.
"Despite widespread opposition to the CRTC decision, the government has chosen instead to side with US interests including companies like mega retailer Best Buy, rather than protecting Canada's cultural industry and our artists", said Harris.
Harris was referring to recent full page newspaper ads taken out by Best Buy and its sister company Future Shop calling on the federal cabinet to uphold the CRTC decision. The ads ran in papers across the country. The ads which could best be described as a thinly veiled lobbying campaign, called on the federal government to "allow the CRTC decision to stand". They were signed on behalf of the company's "10,000 associates in Canada".
"Regrettably, these ads were self-serving in the extreme as Best Buy had already signed an agreement in August to distribute XM Satellite Radio through all its Best Buy and Future Shop retail electronics stores across Canada", said Harris. The Green Party leader noted that the ads did not draw specific attention to the company's commercial sales agreement.
"Canadian artists look to the federal government for support and are hardly comforted by corporate assurances from US retailers", said Harris. "Yet again, our artists have been let down by their government".
Canadian Satellite Radio Inc. (CSR) and Sirius Canada Inc. were awarded licenses to operate up to 100 commercial-free music channels, with the only restriction that eight channels be produced in Canada and only 25 per cent of that content in French.
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