OTTAWA, July 8, 2002 (LSN.ca) – A national public opinion survey of 1000 Canadians, sponsored by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers of Canada, and conducted by Strategic Communications Inc., indicates that a majority (74%) of Canadians believe there is too much media concentration in Canada. The poll released Friday also indicates that media owners exercise too much control over the content of news and opinion in Canada’s newspapers, radio and television stations (49% too much, 28% right amount, 9% too little control), and that the problem of media concentration warrants action by the federal government (66%). In the wake of the firing of publisher Russ Mills, after an Ottawa Citizen editorial called for Jean Chretien’s resignation, a majority of adult respondents from across Canada believe the firing was the result of the fact that the Asper family, owners of CanWest Global and the Ottawa Citizen, are friends and supporters of the Prime Minister (51% vs 15% disagreed). “Canadians are saying that media owners are too powerful and that it’s time to put limits on how much influence money can buy in our media,” said CEP President Brian Payne. “The media empires in this country have gone beyond business and are playing a political role. Canadians think that is wrong, and harmful to freedom of expression.” Media watchers have noted however, that while bias by from media conglomerates is substantial, the worst bias in Canadian media has been exhibited for many years by the country’s national, taxpayer-funded, and left-wing ideological broadcaster – the CBC.
See the survey results: https://www.cep.ca/media/files/pollresults_e.pdf
See Pro-life coalition describes CBC prejudice https://www.lifesitenews.com/interim/1999/july/12prolife.html