Examines the reasons behind the Canadian government’s intervention in the country’s broadcasting industry and the extent of the intervention.
In recent years we have witnessed a considerable amount of change, which has had an impact on the role of regulators in the broadcasting industry. Included in this is the development of the global marketplace as well as the rise of new forms of technology and media, such as the Internet, which can make regulation difficult if not impossible. This, of course, has raised the question of whether or not there is any role for regulation in this new and evolving environment. The purpose of this paper will be to examine these issues in light of this specific case of government regulation. This analysis will include an outline of the reasons why the government has intervened, the form of intervention, the results of intervention, as well as whether or not an alternative policy might be preferable.