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Dear Secretary General 1. As I no longer live in Toronto, I have not seen this station, however I have read their information and their concerns, and I would like to address the situation from my perspective. I was born in Toronto, lived in Port Credit and later taught in Toronto, so while I now live on the West Coast, I am familiar with a lot of the areas this station serves and agree wholeheartedly with their philosophy in regard to the importance of building community and hands-on democracy. This is important everywhere, but ever so critical in those growing areas where people rarely get a chance to be part of the process. 2. I have been for a long time a faithful listener of CBC Radio and a watcher of superior Canadian-made television drama and documentaries. As resources were taken away from our only national broadcaster, I watched local programs diminish and American swill increase on CBC TV. We are more and more subjected to a 'global' soup that is stirred by corporate interests that would prefer we all be drones in the workplace and be uncritical, bland-minded watchers and listeners of mediocre media that exists wholly to sell American junk to Canadian consumers. Well, quite frankly, I applaud this station's connection and commitment to the community and citizens, as opposed to consumers, it serves. I like it's view that progress is built upon "harmony and open debate" rather than the present faulty view of progress that appears more and more to be built on greed and global deals enacted in secrecy. I would love to have a station in my area that made a point of encouraging local debate and critical and creative thinking. Why on earth would the CRTC not respond favourably to a small, successful Canadian business that the community supports? Is it that the CRTC is no longer interested in good and fair broadcasting, but only in promoting the interests of the media giants - or do you have a choice? 3. I urge you to support this station, to support free speech and democracy which should allow the emergence of a variety of media outlets. I urge you to recommend favourably on behalf of this valuable broadcasting station. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Patricia Cocksedge 'End of Document' |