Les Nirenberg, 35 Fairview Ave., Toronto, Ont. M6P3A3Phone: 416-767-7590Re: Star Ray TV, Jan Pachul Ladies and gentlemen of the CRTC, 1. I am entering this intervention in the hope that you will reconsider your vendetta against Jan Pachul and his Star Ray TV Community low powered TV station in Toronto. 2. I've been a TV producer, director, writer and performer for more than 35 years. It has always been my belief that the CRTC was created to defend and further the notion that the airwaves of this country belong to Canadians. When the first news came to us about the 500 {or is it 1000 or more?} channel universe, I supported the decision by the CRTC to create our own Canadian speciality channel universe. Had this decision been left to the cable companies we would have had within a short time, a zillion channels coming in from Texas to Timbuktoo -- anywhere but from our own country. But over time, this noble idea has become compromised and even corrupted. Example: one of the handful of Canada's TV conglomerates makes an application for a licence for a channel devoted to senior citizens. What we end up with is a station consisting mainly of US TV reruns. Any attempt at Canadian content is trashed. To make a long story short licences have been granted holus bollus to a priveleged few, and their promises of performance are the biggest jokes in the industry. What's worse, these promises have been totally ignored by your agency. The licences to print money have been, and continue to be awarded. 3. I am submitting this intervention because I feel, through your creation of a 500 channel universe controlled by a handful of well-heeled conglomerates, and by eliminating truly competitive situations, by not allowing the creation of small shoe-string operations that might eventually grow and prosper and give work to producers, directors, writers and performers, by ignoring the promises of performance of the big broadcasters, you are doing a serious disservice to the people of Canada. You have seen to it that the airwaves of this country are no longer the property of the People, but of the priveleged few. 4. But it's not too late. You can make amends and help create an atmosphere in the broadcast industry that is fair and equitable. GRANT A LICENCE TO STARAY TV AND JAN PACHUL FOR A COMMERCIALLY VIABLE STATION!! GRANT LICENSES TO OTHER SMALL OPERATORS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH COMMUNITY SERVICE AGENDAS (and promises to support Canadian talent) LIKE STAR RAY TV. BREAK UP THE CONGLOMERATES, EXPECIALLY THOSE THAT FILL UP ALL THEIR CHANNELS WITH THE SAME MATERIAL. (Take as an example the Mike Bullard show. This is not a bad show, but after I've seen it twenty times in one week on the comedy channel and CTV I'm just about ready to heave.) REEXAMINE YOUR OWN MANDATE AND INTRODUCE FAIRNESS IN THE GRANTING OF LICENSES. BRING BACK SOLID COMPETITION IN THE BUSINESS, PAY ATTENTION TO PROMISE OF PERFORMANCE AND HOLD THEM TO IT. FORCE THE BIG GUYS TO DIVEST THEMSELVES OF SOME OF THEIR CHANNELS (Especially the cable operators. Their licence to print money is big enough -- they should not be allowed to be broadcasters as well.). FINALLY, TAKE YOUR OILY FINGERS OUT OF NEWSPAPER JOURNALISM. This is just an obvious power play in order to widen the jurisdiction of the CRTC. 5. Unlike many people who think the CRTC has outlived its purpose, I feel, more than ever we need the CRTC. But we need a CRTC that's different than it has been in recent years, one that's fair to everyone, that will nurture and keep the industry alive, that will, (should I say it?) be LESS BUREAUCRATIC and more CREATIVE and, most of all, look to the future. There are hundreds of kids coming into the industry every year. At the rate were going, they will only be able to work for the handful of big guys who own everything. They need a better break than that. Respectfully, Les Nirenberg |