[Blue_Nose]

Dayseed Dayseed:

I propose a meritocracy of sorts for radio and television broadcasting.....

I like your idea... enough support to compete with the obscene funding the shows from the states have, but let 'em loose after a set period of time. If the show is good ratings-wise, like Corner Gas or TPB, it should be able to hold its own.

While supporting nice little Canadian shows that may provide some niche-entertainment is a pleasent thought, if people don't watch it, why spend so much effort? Are they supporting Canadian culture if no one likes it?

[Dayseed]

One convert!

And Hwacker,

To regress on the idea of Liberal/Conservative thing. I don't subscribe to either party's platform. Merely agreeing with a party on an issue does not make me a follower of that party. It's an issue by issue thing.

I may argue for the abolishment of the CRTC, but I would argue for the return of a Crown monopoly on Canadian air travel. That leaves your theory in disarray.

[Blue_Nose]

Dayseed Dayseed:

One convert!

I just want more shows like Corner Gas, and less like Pit Pony.....

[Pimpbrewski]

Dayseed Dayseed:

To regress on the idea of Liberal/Conservative thing. I don't subscribe to either party's platform. Merely agreeing with a party on an issue does not make me a follower of that party. It's an issue by issue thing.

That's a nice way to put it

[Scape]

Two converts,

I like that idea Dayseed. It gives Canadian shows a chance in their own country that's all I am asking for.

[hwacker]

http://www.rightpoint.org/cbc6.html



http://www.rightpoint.org/cbc.html

[Dayseed]

Godz,

As a side note to the main discussion:

Canada would profit from returning to the CD Howe inspired model of the early days of TCA. Canada's population isn't distributed evenly across the country and is mainly found in urban clusters along the American border. Also, the population of Canada isn't large enough to support a wide variety of air-carriers and the fixed costs that go with them.

CD Howe envisioned TCA (which will also refer to Air Canada up until Mulroney deregulated it) to have fiscal backing from the government as a Crown corporation such that it would be able to generate a profit from intranational flights on profitable routes (i.e. Toronto to Calgary) and use said profits to subsidize air travel on intranational routes with less demand (say, Regina to Yellowknife). Howe believed that by allowing American air-carriers into Canada, they would focus on the profitable routes and ignore smaller domestic routes which were less profitable and/or would require an operating loss.

Since the American air-carriers have substantially deep pockets and resources, they would be able to undercut Canadian air-carriers on the profitable routes and win in open competition. Then Canada would be at the mercy of the American air-carriers; meaning higher ticket prices on intranational flights and a dearth of smaller routes. Howe's plan was to let competition run freely on international flights in and out of the country, but keep TCA running the show within the borders.

He was right.

Consequently, Howe effectively made TCA which operated in the best interests of Canada for years up until 1987 (I believe) when Mulroney opened up routes within Canada to Canadian competition. As a result of Canadian air-carriers attacking each other as Howe predicted the Americans would fight, price wars, operating losses and other such things resulted in carriers like Canadian Airlines going bankrupt in the late '90s, and the JetsGo disaster this year. Even Air Canada has filed for bankruptcy protection, allowing it time to restructure.

I argue that by giving Air Canada its monopoly back, it will be able to profit from sole use of the heavily demanded routes (most likely at higher ticket prices to finance its debts quicker) until it becomes profitable, allowing it to return to the operating model that served it well in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. This would be reflected in adequate amounts of air-travel at reduced cost for lesser flown routes and market prices for travel on major routes.

But, I would abolish the CRTC in a heartbeat.