Your View - New Brunswick

When one family {THE IRVING`S] control all the media in this province,there is a problem.A BIG PROBLEM,we have no voice,it`s past time for a change.Demoracy,not in my city or province. I DO NOT BUY ANY IRVING PAPER

Unlike everyone here, I don't care that Irving owns all the newspapers. I seriously doubt that the Irvings censor all the material before every issue is run. Pick up a paper, and you see stories that are pro-Irving and those that against them - stories, editorials, and letters top the editor. To claim that "democracy is in danger" is alarmist, paranoid, and an overstatement. Also, I don't care that the Irving group of companies squash the competition - business is business. I run a small business, and maybe one day I'll be so big that I can put a competitor out of business, and I don't want anyone telling me that I can't.

I think it is too late for New Brunswickers. We allowed governments to let it happen. I can only get worse. Soon New Brunswick will be a "ONE" company province.

If the press is owned by one party, news can be controlled, manipulated and edited to
serve any purpose: political, financial or any other purpose. At that point, democracy is in danger. Proper authorities should order the owner ot the monopoly to sell some of its newspapers.

The Irving owned papers can be accessed online for a fee. Many, many larger local papers in many, many OTHER cities may be fully accessed online without paying any fee. Why pay to insult your own intelligence? No alternative is not the same as no choice. Save a tree and choose to not support the Irving media.

St Andrews, NB operates CHCT-TV and so far has had a 14 year home on cable 10. On September 21, 2007 we made a presentation at the CRTC “Diversity of Voices” hearing, held to review what impact media concentration has had on Canadian communities.

CHCT-TV volunteers produce a variety of local programs, and advertising for local businesses. Local broadcasters [CBC, Global and CTV] can not guarantee local viewing of their ads because of cable and satellite time shifting choices.

Local broadcasts in NB barely exist if you consider that most originate from outside NB. This is what big media has brought to our province. Quite embarrassing really, when you consider WAGM-TV, a small station in Presque Isle, serves western NB with four local newscasts per day.

As of August, 2006, Rogers was granted the go-ahead to serve NB with six slightly different versions of the same programming. This is not local community programming. [When was the last time you watched regular high school sports in Saint John or Moncton?]

CHCT-TV is limited to a 12 kilometre broadcast, is non-profit, and is a community run organization while Rogers has been qualified to import programming from places like Saint John into St. Andrews and call it community television.

As of October 22, 2007 Rogers stated to the CRTC that they wish to “Specifically: expand the definition of local access programming; permit greater flexibility regarding promotions on the community channel; and eliminate requirements for the mandatory carriage of community-based programming undertakings.”

This means that they do not wish to provide local community TV, they want more self promotion, and if anyone else tries to start a local TV station they do not want to be obligated carry it. Since day one, if someone wanted to operate and sell cable TV in this country they had to provide public service programming and carry all local channels, not just sit back and collect money!

Of course, why wd/u bother to ask? I think this is pretty much common knowledge; at least in NA.

Finally we as the general public may get a voice in the news. I am tired of the IRVINGS only publishing what they want. I have requested different stories be told but they never show up

Any monopoly isn't healthy. And the fact that Irving owns 98% of the print media in New Brunswick should be a concern to citizens. Only one opinion, one view -- do we want to be treated like sheep? The fact that an independent newspaper was brave enough to stand up to the conglomerate is commendable. It's time to wake up not allow ourselves to be spoonfed what one print media corporation wants us to read. Expand your views and horizons. We live in a global society. It's time to stop living in a bubble.

You mean no one has noticed hows it's should be called Nova Scotia Television? Too much on New Brunswick? Get Real. They should call their station NSTV.

DEMOCRACY IS IN DANGER WHEN THE MEDIAS OF ANY SOCIETY HAS LIMITED SOURCES OF EXPRESSING THEIR POLITICAL VIEWS. IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ANY SOCIETY TO HAVE FREEDOMS OF EXPRESSIONS, INQUIRE, HOLD POLITICAL ELITES ACCOUNTABLE, BUT IF THE SOCIETY IS LIMITED WITH MEDIA, THEN THEIR DEMOCRACY IS IN PERIL. THERE HAS BEEN NO GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO THIS IN THE PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK AND IT TOOK AN INDIVIDUAL TO OPEN A BUSINESS THAT WOULD COMPETE WITH THE MAJOR MEDIA IN THE PROVINCE. THE PUBLIC RESPONSE TO THIS EVENT HOPEFULLY WILL GET THE LIBERAL GOVERNMENT OF THE PROVINCE UNDER SHAWN GRAHAM TO ESTABLISH A COMMISSION, NOT ONLY FOR NEWSPAPERS BUT ALL TYPES OF MEDIA. PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY IS COMING ALIVE IN THE PROVINCE AND PREMIER GRAHAM SHOULD HEED THIS MOVEMENT. WHERE IS OUR INVISIBLE FEDERAL MEMBER BRIAN MURPHY ON THIS ISSUE. WHAT IS HIS VIEWS? WILL HE PROTECT OUR FREEDOMS? I AM WAITING FOR HIS ;TO MAKE HIS VIEWS ON THIS ALONG WITH HIS OTHER PROVINCIAL PARTNER, SHAWN GRAHAM. (JOSEPH BONNEVIE MONCTON NB)

Media concentration is no different in Nova Scotia (transcontinental), Quebec (Quebeccor).

Yes, I think the Irving already has too much control of everything...This is a free country and with freedom of speech and press...So enough is enough....

Not only do they own most of the english newspaper, but own a few french one from Grand Falls and Edmundston area

Of course there is to much midia concentration, anyone who believes that one family can own all the papers in the province and still get the truth has their head stuck where the sun don't shine.