MOBILESYRUP: In response, David Clement, North American affairs manager for Consumer Choice Center, released a statement blasting the CRTC over its latest decisions.
“The CRTC’s reversal is a significant blow to consumer choice. Canadians deserve to decide the content they want to consume, not be told by government what they have to watch,” said Clement.
“Simply put, Canadian content should be able to stand on its own two feet, without a mandate from government. If there is consumer demand for Canadian content, then companies will respond accordingly. The reversal on loosening Canadian content rules ultimately means that the government is telling consumers what they want to watch, and forcing companies to act on that false assumption.”
Clement even went so far as to question the CRTC’s role in the Canadian telecom industry over the changes. “Adding more red tape and more regulation to an already bloated industry won’t help consumers, and is incredibly paternalistic,” said Clement. “This consistent paternalistic meddling raises questions as to whether or not the CRTC should even exist as a telecom regulator.”
