Media ownership policy lets big players get bigger

    OTTAWA, Jan. 15 /CNW Telbec/ - Today's decision by the CRTC on media
ownership "allows the big players to become bigger, and does very little if
anything to limit media concentration in Canada," says Peter Murdoch,
Vice-President, Media, of Canada's largest media union, the Communications,
Energy and Paperworkers Union.
    "While the CRTC decision seems to put up some kind of gate to stop the
concentration of media ownership, it still allows big broadcasters such as
CanWest or CTV to own even more media outlets," he says.
    "The Commission has taken the smallest step possible to limit local media
concentration, while allowing in some areas, increased concentration. The new
policy does nothing about media empires that currently have a stranglehold on
some large markets, such as Vancouver, or about what happens on a national
level.
    "That does not spell diversity to me.
    "As for the Journalistic Code of Independence, CEP has always maintained
that codes of conduct should be set by the professionals who work in the
field, not by representatives of employers.
    "Hospital administrators do not make up a code for physicians. Lawyers
make up their own code, as do teachers, and other professionals. A
journalistic code should be a matter for journalists."

For further information: Peter Murdoch, [phone]