Role of Media in Society

MSTU 1000
Humber College
Professor: Steven May
Contact: steven.may@humber.ca

Week 7: The Development of the

Canadian Media Landscape

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 McChesney, R.W. (1999). Graham Spry and the future of public broadcasting.

Canadian Journal of Communications.

p. 1: “(M)any argue that public broadcasting is no longer necessary…these

arguments are wrong, and are based upon an inaccurate view of how and why
public broadcasting developed as it did”.
p.1: “(P)ublic broadcasting) as a key aspect of a democratic society”.
p. 3: “Democracy is by definition that system of Government responsible and
controlled by public opinion. Radio broadcasting is palpably the most potent and
significant agent for the formation of public opinion”. - Graham Spry in 1932.
p.3: “Spry’s ethusiasm for public service broadcasting was as much or more a
consequence of this democratic socialism thatn it was the result of his Canadian
nationalism. His primary concern, arguably was that a commercial broadcasting
system disenfranchised the public and empowered big business, regardless of
nationality”

p. 7: “The degradation and demise of journalism in the hands of the corporate

media giants does not reflect any sort of conspiracy; it is the logical result of the
commercial market”.
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 Netflix appearance
Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications
Commission (CRTC) Let’s Talk TV Hearing
September 19, 2014

Source: canada.com
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