<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" http-equiv="Content-Type">
<meta name="GENERATOR" content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.23588">
<style></style>
</head>
<body text="#000000" bgcolor="#ffffff">
<br>
Hello all. Below is a petition CACTUS wants to get into the House of
Commons under the new rules (see below). But before you look at it,
allow me to offer a brief prelude.<br>
<br>
I went to the community media conference that was held in early
December and funded through a SSHRC grant (Carleton journalism
department) for community participation and organized mainly by CACTUS
(Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations). I
considered carefully the lengthy discussions on this list re:
community media before I went to this conference. So thanks for
helping me keep on the right track. <br>
<br>
It was a good conference and well attended. I met 2 CRTC directors
there -- Peter Menzies, Vice-chair and Raj Shoan from Ontario who were
not speaking, but listening. Commissioners, at the moment, are eager
to get out and listen to the community. This is quite a new development.<br>
<br>
However, as a group of community media organizations, CAP sites (as
community media organizations) had NO presence in this conference --
although they should have. I still think that community access sites
(CAP) have a stronger presence in Canadian communities than community
cable. There was a large contingent from the on-line gaming community
as new representatives of community media. Had there been a desire to
do so, TC could have assisted in the 2-year process that led up to this
conference. There were people funded from across the country to attend.
There had already been a substantial survey of community media
organizations/users. Would be nice to know if anyone here heard about
this and participated. A similiar survey of CAP sites was done under
the CRACIN project a few years ago. But the opportunity for sharing
our extensive studies and experience was already past. Perhaps I
shouldn't gripe -- I was invited to chair a panel -- but it was late in
the day -- well after I had already registered, indicating my intention
to attend. <br>
<br>
Safe to say this community has either fallen off the map totally, or
are seen as competition. I didn't participate in the policy part of
this process as was my intention. This it was just coming from a
completely different place, more of a traditional media place (despite
the gamers) and it was too late in the process to really make a
difference. I could not find a comfortable fit. <br>
<br>
CACTUS has its own agenda (not to be confused with the conference
agenda which included other groups). CACTUS is proposing around 200
major media
sharing centers be set up around the country to meet community media
needs -- a far too centralized model for my liking. <br>
<br>
Nevertheless, the petition below mostly just raises the issue that
there are funds at the CRTC for community media. The basic "ask" in
this petition might still fit within the CAP frame: THEREFORE we call
upon Parliament to i) re-affirm the role of community media and the
need for regulatory and financial support to ensure a diversified and
robust Canadian media system and ii) specifically to direct the $130
million collected by cable companies to a Community-Access Media Fund
to enable not-for-profit community media organizations to deliver
multi-platform digital media skills training and distribution of
community-generated media.<br>
<br>
All CAP sites are not-for-profit community media organizations after
all. So, what do you think -- would this be a petition you could sign
on behalf of your community media organization.<br>
<br>
CAP sites should really start flexing some muscle to let people out
there know
that community access sites, in their various forms and styles are
alive and well. The process at the CRTC is long and arduous. Getting
access to any fund will take years. Maybe start a petition to get
community access sites directly on the federal agenda. Could it get 500
signatures?<br>
<br>
Marita<br>
<br>
-------- Original Message --------
<table class="moz-email-headers-table" border="0" cellpadding="0"
cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">Subject: </th>
<td>Advisory: Petition to Members of Parliament for Community
Access Media Fund</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">Date: </th>
<td>Wed, 16 Dec 2015 09:39:58 -0500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">From: </th>
<td>Cathy Edwards <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:cathy@timescape.ca"><cathy@timescape.ca></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">To: </th>
<td>Cathy Edwards <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:cathy@timescape.ca"><cathy@timescape.ca></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">CC: </th>
<td>Kirsten Kozolanka <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:Kirsten.Kozolanka@carleton.ca"><Kirsten.Kozolanka@carleton.ca></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
<br>
<meta content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" http-equiv="Content-Type">
<meta name="GENERATOR" content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.23588">
<style></style>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Dear ComMedia 2015 attendee,</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">(une version francaise de ce courriel
suivra sous peu... en traduction)</font></div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail_default"><font face="Arial" size="2">For those of you
who attended the Nov. 24th day-long policy forum and attended the
presentation made by CACTUS regarding a proposal to establish a
Community-Access Media Fund to provide stable operational funding for
community media, you may be interested to support the petition by
CACTUS member Sid Tan of Vancouver, below. (Sid presented at the
conference in the Multiplatform Distribution panel.)</font></div>
<div class="gmail_default"> </div>
<div class="gmail_default"><font face="Arial" size="2">A new piece of
legislation went into effect last week whereby any e-petition that
garners at least 500 electronic signatures and is backed by an MP will
be presented on the floor of the House of Commons. Sid's intent is
that this petition be presented during January, prior to the CRTC's
review of community and local television. (Under previous legislation,
citizens had to collect at least 500 hard-copy petitions.)</font></div>
<div class="gmail_default"> </div>
<div class="gmail_default"><font face="Arial" size="2">As the policy
forum participants seemed universally to support the concept and need
for such a fund, we thought you might like to know about the petition
and to have the opportunity to 'cast your vote'. Clifford Lincoln's
advice to CACTUS on Nov. 24th was that the solution to the financial
challenges facing community media lie with politicians, and that the
CRTC will not act in isolation.</font></div>
<div class="gmail_default"> </div>
<div class="gmail_default"><font face="times new roman, serif"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.change.org/p/members-of-parliament-create-a-community-media-access-fund-for-diversified-robust-canadian-media">https://www.change.org/p/members-of-parliament-create-a-community-media-access-fund-for-diversified-robust-canadian-media</a></font><br
clear="all">
</div>
<div class="gmail_default"><font face="Arial" size="2">Kind regards and
best wishes for the holiday season. It is a season of hope and renewal!</font></div>
<div class="gmail_default"> </div>
<div class="gmail_default"><font face="Arial" size="2">(BTW, we have
obtained copies of videos of the conference panels, which will be
posted soon we hope. They are in the process of being compressed for
the web. Please also send us your presentation if you have not already
done so. We have received many requests for them... in particular to
assist individuals preparing for the upcoming CRTC hearing.)</font></div>
<div class="gmail_default"> </div>
<div class="gmail_default"><font face="Arial" size="2">Cathy Edwards</font></div>
<div class="gmail_default"><font face="Arial" size="2">Conference
Co-ordinator</font></div>
<div class="gmail_default"><font face="Arial" size="2">ComMedia 2015</font></div>
</div>
<br>
<br>
<hr
style="border: medium none ; color: rgb(144, 144, 144); background-color: rgb(176, 176, 176); height: 1px; width: 99%;">
<table style="border: medium none ; border-collapse: collapse;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: medium none ; padding: 0px 15px 0px 8px;"> <a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="https://www.avast.com/antivirus"> <img
moz-do-not-send="true"
src="http://static.avast.com/emails/avast-mail-stamp.png" border="0"> </a>
</td>
<td>
<p
style="color: rgb(61, 77, 90); font-family: "Calibri","Verdana","Arial","Helvetica"; font-size: 12pt;">
This email is free from viruses and malware because <a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="https://www.avast.com/antivirus">avast!
Antivirus</a> protection is active. </p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
<br>
</body>
</html>