Who gets to tell Canada's story?

Who will shape Canada's media future? And is our democracy and sovereignty at risk? Welcome to CanConversations, a new podcast from Friends of Canadian Media and The Walrus Lab, hosted by FOCM Executive Director Raj Shoan. In our first episode, we discuss the state of Canadian media, its history, and its future. Joined by communications lawyer, Peter Miller and Executive Director of The Walrus, Jennifer Hollett, we explore how Canada has historically protected its broadcasting systems and ownership. In the last two decades, with the rise of the Internet and American companies dominating media, Canadians have less control over the content they see and where it comes from. With the decline of local news, the difficulty of enforcing traditional regulation on the Internet, and the threats Canada faces from Donald Trump, it's time for a renewed conversation about Canadian independence and cultural sovereignty. **About Jennifer Hollett** Jennifer Hollett is the Executive Director of The Walrus, the former head of news and government for Twitter in Canada, and a former MuchMusic VJ. She won a Canadian Online Publishing Award for her work hosting CBC’s G20 Street Level blog during the G20 Summit in Toronto, and was recognized by Amnesty International Canada with a 2009 Media Award for her CBC radio reporting from Israel and Palestine. She has appeared frequently as a commentator on CTV, CBC, and Newstalk 1010. **About Peter Miller** Peter Miller is a communications and broadcast lawyer with over 30 years of experience in media and telecommunications, public policy, planning, and development. He serves as an advisor to Friends of Canadian Media. **Resources** CRTC and media regulations The Online News Act Local Independent Television Stations (LITS) Group's effort to challenge The Online News Act Protecting Canada’s cultural sovereignty Friends of Canadian Media The Walrus Lab **Three reasons you should listen to this episode** 1\. Learn about threats to the Canadian media ecosystem and why it's more important than ever to support Canadian media. 2\. Discover the history of Canadian broadcasting systems, including simultaneous substitution and advertising tax deductibility, and how these regulations are not applied to US internet companies, such as Netflix, Meta, and Google. 3\. Hear about how much media policy matters, and how it plays a role in everyday life, even if you don't realize it **Episode highlights** 1:10 **Why Canadian Media matters to democracy** Peter and Jennifer highlight how, in the last decade, the importance of a healthy media ecosystem has become connected to the issue of Canadian democracy. They detail the significance of Canadians having complete sovereignty over our media and the often invisible policy needed to ensure that is the case. 14:36 **What can be done to protect Canadian media** Peter shares the history of Canadian broadcasting standards, including simultaneous substitution and advertising tax deductibility, which encouraged Canadian businesses to advertise on Canadian broadcasters. He highlights how, in the last two decades, these measures have been challenged by the internet, and rights protections, like those of the broadcasting system, do not exist in the internet space. 22:27 **Donald Trump and threats to Canadian media** The guests discuss how the U.S. threatens Canadian media and how Canadians are banding together to support our media sovereignty, including public broadcasting, print media, and digital media. **Thanks for listening to CanConversations, a podcast from Friends of Canadian Media in collaboration with The Walrus Lab.** Everything we do at Friends of Canada Media is supported by people who believe in strong journalism, public broadcasting, and stories that reflect who we are as Canadians. And we do it without government funding, political ties, or corporate support. **If that matters to you too, you can support us at friends.ca.** If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share with a friend! Thank you for listening. * * * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.