OTTAWA, August 1, 2007 – The Catholic Civil Rights League today commented on the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) annual Broadcasting Policy Monitoring Report. The report found, among other trends, that television and radio are declining slightly in daily use, while the impact of new media, especially through the Internet, is growing.
The League is Canada’s only lay organization devoted to addressing anti-Catholic defamation in the media. The CRTC’s findings are very much in keeping with trends the League has observed in its media monitoring work.
“Over the past several years, we have received somewhat fewer concerns about television and radio programming, but a great many more about websites, said Joanne McGarry, the League’s executive director. “Most of these complaints involve extreme anti-religious content, sometimes mixed with sexual innuendo. Unfortunately, traditional means of addressing content problems – letters to the writer or editor, appeals to regulatory bodies- are much less effective in the online world.”
The proliferation of cable and satellite delivery, as well as Internet delivery, contributes to the reality that most of what is available to Canadians originates outside of Canada. The League has always encouraged the CRTC to strengthen its relationship with carriers, who are often the only Canadian element in what we’re watching or downloading.
Whatever the means of delivery, the media remain the chief means by which most people gather their information. The CRTC report shows the importance of religious and cultural organizations using newer media well to convey their message to today’s world.
About CCRL
Catholic Civil Rights League (www.ccrl.ca) assists in creating conditions within which Catholic teachings can be better understood, cooperates with other organizations in defending civil rights in Canada, and opposes defamation and discrimination against Catholics on the basis of their beliefs. CCRL was founded in 1985 as an independent lay organization and has chapters across Canada. The Catholic Civil Rights League is a Canadian non-profit organization entirely supported by the generosity of its members.
For further information: Joanne McGarry, Executive Director, 416-466-8244; joanne.mcgarry@ccrl.ca