Sunday, May 9, 2021

when canada had a culture - which was even true in the 90s - this may have made some sense. but, it's really an old economy approach to a new economy problem, and that's just going to become more glaring as canada willingly loses it's identity in the face of massive levels of immigration.

what's left, when you strip away the cultural heritage that no longer exists, is just the government deciding what you should and should not watch or listen to based on trivialities regarding origin, and you're being horribly naive if you think that won't end up politicized in the end. "canadian content" is going to end up meaning something very different than you think it does, right now. 

as somebody that is interested in small, local arts scenes, i wouldn't even think to look towards large broadcasters as a means of exposure. a better approach would be policies designed to cultivate small scenes, which would include things like artist grants and universalized income.

neil young once claimed he had 57 channels and there was nothing on. the internet is not restricted like that - there's a million channels, and something is definitely on. in the end. people are going to find what they want, not be told what to consume by the state.

this is a general problem with this government - for all their claims of representing generational overturn, and all their reliance on twitter and other bourgeois forms of contemporary communication, they really don't get new media. they're doing it with their approach to print media, too - they keep trying to force old models on to new technology in ways that just don't remotely make sense. and, all they're going to do is make the broadcasters they're trying to regulate uncompetitive, or even force them to flee the country to maintain their successful models. 

no, really - this has the potential to be a bow-wrapped gift to the right in terms of the government coming in and ruining successful media outlets. is that even the point, then?

we need policies that adapt and adjust to the changing realities amongst us, which means accepting the new normal of nearly unlimited globalized consumer choice, not policies that pull from the past in a misguided attempt to try to make canada great again.