MEDIA PROTEST IN FRONT OF C-FAX 1070 STUDIO

C-FAX 1070
Jul 8, 2008

A MODEST-SIZED PROTEST OF A FEW DOZEN PEOPLE TARGETED THE C-FAX 1070 AND 'A'NEWS STUDIOS ON BROAD STREET TUESDAY MORNING.

THEY'RE DRAWING ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY CALL THE CORPORATE MEDIA AGENDA -- CLAIMING THE CONTENT YOU HEAR ON OUR STATION, AND ALL THE OTHERS, IS DRIVEN MAINLY BY MONETARY INTERESTS.

LOCAL ACTIVIST JACK ETKIN SAYS THE OWNERS OF C-FAX 1070 SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO MORE SCRUTINY.

"IF YOU WENT AFTER THE THOMPSON [CORPORATION, ownership group of CTV Bell-Globemedia]," ETKIN SAYS, "WHO'VE GOT A LOT TO ANSWER FOR, THE WAY YOU GO AFTER THE POLITICIANS -- IF YOU WENT AFTER THEM, THE CORPORATE BREAKS THAT THEY GET, THE TAX BREAKS -- AND THEIR CONTROL OF OUR DEMOCRACY, FOR TWO DAYS, YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE HERE ON THE THIRD DAY. EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY AT MY JOB KNOWS WHAT'S EXPECTED OF ME, AND I DO IT."

ACTIVIST MEDHI NAJARI SAYS THE ONLY PLACE TO GO FOR BALANCED COVERAGE IS THE INTERNET.

"THAT'S WHY THE SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THE NEWSPAPERS ARE DOWN, THEY'RE GOING BANKRUPT," SAYS NAJARI. "POLL AFTER POLL SHOWS THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT BELIEVING IN THE T.V. NETWORK NEWS. SO THEY'RE GOING TO THE UNTRADITIONAL MEDIA, LIKE INTERNET, TO GET THEIR NEWS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THEM."

B.C. GREEN PARTY LEADER AND ESQUIMALT COUNCILOR JANE STERK WAS THERE TO LEND HER SUPPORT TO THE DEMONSTRATION -- SHE SAYS CITIZENS ARE BEING SOLD SHORT BY THE MEDIA AS A WHOLE.

"WE'RE AT A TIME IN HISTORY WHICH IS INCREDIBLY COMPLEX," SAYS STERK. "THE ISSUES ARE INCREDIBLY COMPLEX, THEY ALL HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH AT THE SAME TIME. MY SENSE IT THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO SIMPLIFY EVERYTHING, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO LIMIT ALL OF THE NEWS THAT GETS PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC.

"AT A TIME WHEN WE NEED MORE NEWS, WE'RE GETTING LESS NEWS-WORTHY STUFF, MORE ENTERTAINMENT."

ETKIN SAYS SOME HUGE STORIES ARE BEING LEFT UN-COVERED BY THE MEDIA, CITING AS EXAMPLES THE ACTIVITIES OF CANADIAN SPECIAL FORCES IN AFGANISTAN, AS WELL AS THE SECURITY AND PROSPERITY PARTNERSHIP.

ETKIN CALLS THE LATTER STORY 'THE NEXT STEP IN THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR DEMOCRACY' -- AND SAYS IT'S A TALE THE MEDIA IS LARGELY IGNORING.

- IRELAND

I was curious to see how the BCGP would respond to one of their former leadership candidates taking a leading role in this protest. But then I saw Jane Sterk was actually supporting this. Now I know I was right in supporting Ben West for the leadership. He'd actually be trying to give the party some mainstream credibility instead of openly souring the party's relationship with local TV and radio.

Yikes. Those poor Greens with dreams.

Hmm...a political hopeful denouncing the media?  Oh yeah, that works every time.

Two tenets of broadcast news: No Carnage - No Coverages. and, Dummy It Down.

That, plus the paltry amount of time, effort and staff devoted to News and you get a corporate non-News environment.

Then, there art the sensitivities of the advertisers to considereth.

The mistake is in expecting more.

Oh Give... Me... a... Break....

Most radio stations' content is driven mainly by monetary interests .... am I missing something here? .... are these stations not in business to make a monetary profit?
I suppose we could always listen to CBC ..... ZZZZzzzz  

Media news content is driven by monetary interests? Well, a non-corporate activist is telling me this, and I'm reading it on the internet, so it must be true!

Maybe the protesters just have Al Ferraby issues. I know I do.

Quoted from 1420

Maybe the protesters just have Al Ferraby issues. I know I do.

What's wrong with Al? He's a solid announcer..