Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Fox News North Petition

I've been watching this online petition today, which is growing at quite an impressive rate. The goal is 100000 signatures, and it's already a third of the way there. By my calculations today, it is growing by over 1000 people per hour so far today alone. Give it a look and consider signing and/or spreading it around. Apathy is the enemy:


Canada: Stop "Fox News North"

Prime Minister Harper is trying to push American-style hate media onto our airwaves, and make us all pay for it. His plan is to create a "Fox News North" to mimic the kind of hate-filled propaganda with which Fox News has poisoned U.S. politics. The channel will be run by Harper’s former top aide and will be funded with money from our cable TV fees!

One man stands in the way of this nightmare -- the Chairman of Canada's Radio and Telecommunications Commission Konrad von Finckenstein. And now, Harper is trying to get him out of his job. Sign the petition below to send a wave of support to von Finckenstein and forward this campaign to everyone -- we'll publish full page ads in Canadian papers when we reach 100,000:


To CRTC Chair von Finckenstein and PM Harper:
As concerned Canadians who deeply oppose American-style hate media on our airwaves, we applaud the CRTC's refusal to allow a new "Fox News North" channel to be funded from our cable fees. We urge Mr. von Finckenstein to stay in his job and continue to stand up for Canada's democratic traditions, and call on Prime Minister Harper to immediately stop all pressure on the CRTC on this matter.


THE LINK.

As an aside the total is live, so you can see it move up in real time. I think something is afoot.

22 comments:

Tof KW said...

Not ofter I participate in online petitions. Signed it at just before noon with ~30500 ...at 1:30PM there are over 33600. Impressive growth for 90 minutes.

Steve V said...

Seems to be growing fast, which is very interesting.

rabbit said...

Attempting to prevent or shut down right-wing cable channels is a serious mistake. It simply confirms to conservatives -- and non-partisan people -- that liberals have no interest in freedom of speech when the views are in conflict with their own.

At any rate, if Canadian cable companies can broadcast MSNBC (one of the most left-wing news networks out there), ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News (the American version), CNN, PBS, and Al Jazeera, I don't see a lot of reasonable arguments for stopping Fox News Canada.

What will likely happen now is that conservatives will start a petition of their own in support of FNC.

Steve V said...

Who cares what it comfirms to Conservatives, they make it all up anyways? Just imported nonsense from the states, you call them on it, they have nothing but selective memory.

Look, there are lots and lots of columnists, media outlets that aren't friends of the Liberals. We all accept difference of opinion. Where I draw the line, a media outlet as an extension of a political party. Note Buckler says "we", Kory says "we need". This isn't about freedom of expression, it's about institutional propaganda. Rationalize all you want, that's the bottom line.

jad said...

Who cares what it comfirms to Conservatives, they make it all up anyways?

I guess you just confirmed what rabbit said. "that liberals have no interest in freedom of speech when the views are in conflict with their own."

Steve V said...

Jad

That's a funny quote, because you guys adhere to the selectivity everyday. Getting lectures from hypocrites. Amusing, if that.

And yes, it does confirm I have no interest in your dribble. Honestly, I've been blogging for years and I can count on my habd the truly challenging and/or sophisticated commentary from your side. I hate to admit, because frankly it scares the shit out of me that this many dimbulbs exist. Schools, not planes I say!

Must be the sunspots ;)

Gayle said...

You know, ther is an argument that can be made that when people attack the messenger and ignore the message, that in itself is a form of censorship. It is a way of saying the messenger should not be heard so people should ignore the message.

You know, like saying no one should listen to what the liberals say because they are just latte sipping intellectual snobs?

I will not sign the petition, but I think the way this network will operate is to attempt to silence the progressive voice by convincing people they are not worthy to be heard. They do that by demonizing them.

Steve V said...

Fair enough.

Steve V said...

So on topic.

rabbit said...

Liberals demonize conservatives (as in this blog here) every bit as much as conservatives demonize liberals. Here's a quote from a popular Canadian progressive blogger:

"Canada's conservatives aren't just, well, conservative. No, they are, for the most part, screeching, scientifically illiterate bigots, racists and hypocrites."

It takes a bizarre partisan blindness to think one side plays fair and the other doesn't.

Gayle, you can't try to silence conservative voices (through government action no less!) because you are afraid they might try to silence progressive voices. At least not without substantial cognitive dissonance.

Steve V said...

Not all conservatives are like that, but to steal a JSM line, if you're an illiterate bigot, racist or hypocrite, chances are you're a conservative. I believe that is fact, proved on a daily basis.

I will say one thing, the online conservative is a bit more of a fringe crackpot, than in society as a whole. This online crowd, the base manifestation, what a collection of utter TOOLS. It's like this weird mutual delusion society, just continue reaffirming to keep the light out.

Steve V said...

Over 40000 now.

Gayle said...

"Liberals demonize conservatives (as in this blog here) every bit as much as conservatives demonize liberals."

I am not aware I said otherwise. I do dispute the "every bit as much" part though.

"you can't try to silence conservative voices (through government action no less!) because you are afraid they might try to silence progressive voices."

I wonder if you even bothered to read my post. Maybe look at it again and note that I said I would NOT sign the petition.

My dispute with FNN is with the Prime Minister apparently abusing his authority in order to give it preferred status. We have the CRTC for a reason. Let them do their job. The politicians should stay out.

That said, people should not complain about censorship when they are also actively engaged in it. That goes for Prime Minister Harper as much as it goes for you.

Tof KW said...

rabbit said...
"Attempting to prevent or shut down right-wing cable channels is a serious mistake"

Who's exactly talking about shutting FoxNewsNorth down? If Kory wants to run a rightwingnut version of Pravda, let him. Unless I'm reading it wrong (and I'm not) the petition is to prevent Harper's interference in the CRTC, and to keep KoryTV from drilling into our wallets via cable subscriptions.

Correct me if I'm wrong but are conservatives not against special interests broadcasting using public funding (and no the CBC is not a special interest) ...or how about a prime minister directly granting TV & radio licenses?

Brad Dillman said...

I'm for limiting the PM's influence in this matter, leaving it to the CRTC. I'm against disallowing the channel entirely.

I'm hoping (but not confident) that such a channel wouldn't work as well here as the U.S.

rabbit said...

"Who's exactly talking about shutting FoxNewsNorth down?"

The petition, actually. It says...

"we applaud the CRTC's refusal to allow a new Fox News North channel to be funded from our cable fees"

"Funded from our cable fees" simply means "available on cable".

Gene Rayburn said...

For Rabbit, anything that disagrees with Harper is a liberal scheme. Did you think Rabbit that maybe people could organize themselves?

I know you guys cant do it in conbot land without party help but the rest of us aren't so tightly bound and controlled by the party apparatchik.

Crazy idea huh rabbit. Citizens expressing themselves without a party. How insane! How dare they! Wait, they're free to do so. Freedom, that must suck for you that others have it eh Rabbit.

rabbit said...

Gene:

When your done with your personal attacks...

Freedom is precisely the issue here. Freedom for Canadians to view whatever cable shows they're willing to pay for, without government deciding what is best for Canadians.

Tof KW said...

Rabbit, you need to re-read that:

"we applaud the CRTC's refusal to allow a new Fox News North channel to be funded from our cable fees"

The petition applauds the CRTC for not bending under pressure on their own moratorium about granting anymore 'must carry' licenses.

I have no problem with SUNNews going to air ...I have real problems in it being paid for via basic cable subscriptions & raising my cable bill.

Understand????

rabbit said...

T & KW:

I don't believe it's settled whether the Fox News North would go on the basic cable plan. Anyway if that's the issue then the petition is not clear. They've left things vague, and I suspect intentionally so.

But in regards to that, Canadians have been paying far, far more for CBC over the years, and conservatives have complained bitterly that it does a poor job of presenting conservative viewpoints (which even the CBC on occasion admits, although it's much better than it used to be).

Is this the battle that progressives want to fight? Because when it comes to broadcasting of different political viewpoints, the conservatives could muster an excellent case that they get the short end of the stick in Canada.

Steve V said...

Let's separate conservatives from the right wing loons. Last week, a celebrity poll was down, which showed equal amounts of Liberal and Conservative voters picked Peter Mansbridge. A testament to the fact most mainstream people don't see this supposed bias that the fringe right does. Does CBC represent the Ezra Levant crowd. No, and thank christ. It's like a little cult that thinks we all have to give it equal time.

Holly Stick said...

A lot happened yesterday; Teneycke overreached himself:

http://www.cbc.ca/politics/insidepolitics/2010/09/avaazorg-vs-sun-tv-vs-unwitting-hill-journalists-and-now-you-know-the-rest-of-the-story-maybe.html