November SOCK newsletter.

 

Keep the lights on

 

POP QUIZ
(Answer below)

1.  SOCK president Pam Astbury recently told the CRTC in Gatineau, Quebec,  that she would like Kamloops to be a pilot city for what project?

a) Restoration of CBC
b) More free over-the-air TV
c) High quality broadcast digital TV
d) All of the above

Pam speaks out



SOCK president Pam Astbury paid her own way to Gatineau, Quebec, to present her vision of the future of free over-the-air TV in Kamloops.

 

 

SOCK presentation well received.

Greg O'Brian, reporter for an online broadcast industry publication called CARTT raved about Pam's presentation to the CRTC.

"I want to talk about Pam Astbury's presentation. She is the head of the grassroots group Save Our CBC Kamloops and gave an eloquent, researched presentation yesterday on why local TV in her town is so important to the folks there and what can be done to help.

She took vacation time (she's a civil engineer) and paid her own way to Ottawa because she and others like her in Kamloops are so passionate about their community and their TV (or lack thereof).

Let me go a little Lewis Black [comedian who uses an angry rant] here when I holler: THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT! Here is someone so community-minded and thoughtful about local television, someone who flew across the country on her own dime that she should have gotten to go first, received top billing from every news outlet covering this hearing and given a standing ovation at the end.

This is a young woman whom Ivan Fecan, Leonard Asper, Nadir Mohamed, Hubert Lacroix, Jim Shaw [broadcast and cable moguls], et al should be seeking an audience with. Not the other way around.

Astbury's intentions by her appearance at the hearing are, in her words, to "see the CBC restored as an over-the-air service to those communities that have already lost it; to communicate my concern of losing our local broadcaster following the digital transition in 2011...; and remind the CRTC that the nation's public broadcaster is a critical public service which should not be left in the care of private sector distributors, regardless of market size."

Canwest, CTV, Shaw, Bell, Rogers et al, you need more friends like her among the Canadian populace. She not only desperately wants her local TV, she actually has ideas on how to go about keeping it and moving it into the future.

Anyone this committed to lead her community and thoughtfully dig into the industry, its issues and technology, simply MUST be paid attention to.

 

 

 

 
CFJC station president agrees to meet with SOCK

Rick Arnish, general manager of CFJC also made a presentation to the CRTC on behalf of small market broadcasters across Canada.

When asked by commissioner Michel Arpin if he had heard about SOCK's proposal for a 6-channel multiplexed transmitter for Kamloops, Arnish replied that he would like to meet with Astbury to discuss the proposal.  "We welcome her anytime," enthused Arnish.

However, his primarily purpose was to ask the CRTC to "Keep things the way they are" in two regards.  One is the Local Programming Improvement Fund.  The LPIF has been set up to deliver funding to small stations for production of local programming.  Not only would small broadcasters like to see the fund sustained but they want to be able to use the fund to cover the costs of conversion to digital transmitters in September of 2011.

Another thing that small broadcasters want to keep is transfer of small stations by satellite providers.  Satellites expand the viewing audience which is critical in attracting advertising revenue. Satellites also relay stations in  B.C. where mountains block transmitters.

 

 


Answer to Quiz


Choice d. The 6-channel transmitter would do everything: restore CBC plus 5 other free channels; provide superior picture quality through digital transmission; and do so at an affordable price.

Join our FaceBook Group

Join thousands of Canadians who have already asked Parliament to  restore the CBC

 

 YOUR SOCK EXECUTIVE


President: Pam Astbury Email Pam
Vice President: Hugh Jordan Email Hugh
Secretary Treasurer/ Editor: David Charbonneau Email David


Donations may be made by purchasing Alternative Gift Certificates for $20 at The Smorgasbord Deli, 225-7th Ave, Kamloops, or by sending a cheque made out to S.O.C.K. to 830 Rue Chez Nous, Kamloops, V2B 6E9. Because we are a lobby group, we can't issue receipts for tax purposes but we will acknowledge donations in subsequent  newsletters unless requested not to.

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