AHSS*1060 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Canadian Business, National Energy Program, Canadian Content
Mass Communication - AHSS 1060
Chapter 7: The Formation of Public Policy
The Fowler Commission, 1956–1957
-Recommended by the Massey-Lévesque Commission to examine television
broadcasting
-Called to report on seven areas: CBC television policy, providing adequate
programming for public and private television, financing, and the licensing and
control of private television and radio
-Is there a need for the state regulation of broadcasting in Canada?
-Fowler’s conclusions:
➔A limited number of available radio and television frequencies necessitate
allocation and a state licensing system.
➔Broadcasting is too powerful to be given over to independent governance.
➔Restraining commercial forces and retaining a commitment to public
interests is necessary.
➔State-regulation is the only way to maintain Canadian content.
-Fowler acknowledged that Canadian broadcasting had to be representative.
-Recognized weaknesses:
➔Anger of private broadcasters
➔Centralization of CBC in Montreal and Toronto
➔Regional differences being absorbed into national whole
-Recommended a Board of Broadcast Governors to represent Canada’s regions
-Central role of the commission was dealing with increasingly challenging financial
issues; television increased broadcasting costs, but costs were worth it to keep
nationalist mandate
-maintained Aird’s and Massey-Lévesque’s stance against commercialization and
Americanization
The Applebaum-Hébert Committee, 1981–1982
-Mandated to continue the work of Massey-Lévesque
-Scope to include “all the main programmes of the Federal Government”
-Shift in thinking from the previous three Commission reports;
➔Concerned for cultural producers’ independence from state influence and
control
➔Believed that cultural producers should not be too reliant on state funding
➔Lacked the strong stance on national unity, although still committed to
Canadian heritage
➔Saw regionalism and multiculturalism as a strength, not a weakness
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Document Summary
Recommended by the massey-l vesque commission to examine television broadcasting. Called to report on seven areas: cbc television policy, providing adequate programming for public and private television, financing, and the licensing and control of private television and radio. A limited number of available radio and television frequencies necessitate allocation and a state licensing system. Broadcasting is too powerful to be given over to independent governance. Restraining commercial forces and retaining a commitment to public interests is necessary. State-regulation is the only way to maintain canadian content. Fowler acknowledged that canadian broadcasting had to be representative. Centralization of cbc in montreal and toronto. Regional differences being absorbed into national whole. Recommended a board of broadcast governors to represent canada"s regions. Central role of the commission was dealing with increasingly challenging financial issues; television increased broadcasting costs, but costs were worth it to keep nationalist mandate. Maintained aird"s and massey-l vesque"s stance against commercialization and.
