Political aspects of communications and information resources in Canada

Abstract

“At present, the majority of radio] programs heard are from sources outside of Canada. It has been emphasized to us that the continued reception of these has a tendency to mold the minds of the young people in the home to ideals and opinions that are not Canadian. In a country of the vast geographical dimensions of Canada, braodcasting will undoubtedly become a great force in fostering national spirit and in interpreting national citizenship.”¹

This statement, written fifty years ago, could just as well have been written today. But, while the basic issue has remained unchanged over time, the uses to which information and communications can be put have steadily grown. The scope of the issue has also therefore increased.

Included under the heading of communications and information today are such diverse but interconnected matters as broadcasting both by TV and radio, the newspaper, magazine, and book publishing industries, the film industry, advertising, computers and all computer communications, telephone and telecommunications, communications satellites, remote sensing, and, to a point, industrial know‐how and research and development.

In this paper, I shall examine how communications and information affect such issues as Canadian unity, Canadian cultural identity, and Canadian economic viability. I shall concentrate on how Canadian governments have seen this issue, and, to a lesser degree, will show where the views of individuals and other interest groups may differ from government policy.