This piece identifies some serious issues about media ownership and the effect of trust in media in Canada. However, some of the examples used are less than convincing (the CanWest IFC connection, for example).

The average reader in Canada may know all of the media players mentioned in the piece - I don't know my CHUM from my Osprey. Sourcing appears to rely on one "landmark study" without providing any background on why it deserves this designation. No voice is given to the media organizations subject to the mergers, or the journalists who were laid off. Provides new information to me about media consolidation in Canada, but fails to show the uninformed the big picture (i.e, X number of media outlets now control X% of Canada's media). As commentary, this is okay - as a news item I find it lacking.

The importance of this story is that it parallels what is occurring in America. Ninety-nine percent of the media in this country are concentrated in the hands of five giant corporations, which control most of the news, television programming, motion pictures, radio, CDs, DVDs, cable, books, and newspapers. The management of content is not only easily accomplished; but these huge corporations have greater advantage serving government oligarchy than the American people.

4 companies control most of Canada's media. - Quebecor, CTV/Globe Media, Rogers, CanWest. Some of the local markets are the most concentrated in the world, I believe Canwest controls about 75% of Vancouver media for example. That study was used because it was the most recent and comprehensive study of journalists in years. I provided other examples to back it up. The IFC thing is significant as it is a station provides good political documentaries - Canwest who will own it, are know for being very conservative and pushing these views in their media - not unlike Rupert Murdoch. thanks for the reviews

Didn't someone once say that, "they came for the Jews and I did not stand up because I was not a Jew...." Time for us who feel like we deserve a voice to use it.