Sault MPP continues the fight to save local news by Elaine Della-Mattia
Source : The Sault Star
Nov 10, 2001
by Elaine Della-Mattia
Sault MPP Tony Martin is launching the second phase of his fight to save the MCTV.
The CRTC ruled earlier this week that technically and legally, CTV can make the planned changes to its regional programming but notes that it "expects CTV to fulfill the spirit as well as the letter, its commitments to provide local programming to the public in the communities it serves."
Martin said that the public campaign, which resulted in hundreds of letters being received by the CRTC, must continue and the community must keep up its efforts to pressure the CRTC to ensure the CTV does the right thing.
"CTV has got to get with the program here," Martin said at a press conference Friday in his constituency Friday in his constituency office. "This company is making money."
Martin said that media is the heart and soul of the community and Sault Ste. Marie can't afford to lose this campaign.
A second public meeting to discuss strategies, including a potential boycott of MCTV, will be held at the Civic Centre on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Russ Ramsay Room.
The meeting will host [Toronto]-based Ian Morrison, of the Friends of [Canadian] Broadcasting. He is to discuss successful actions taken by other communities that faced similar fights to save their television stations.
Tori Cook, president of CUPE Local 3540, which represents unionized workers at the Sault MCTV station said she's pleased with the support of the community.
"It's the entire community saying that this is not acceptable," she said, agreeing with Martin that public pressure must continue.
Martin has also written a letter to Heritage Minister Sheila Copps requesting a policy review of the matter and the recent CRTC ruling.
Martin and Sault Mayor John Rowswell are both seeking intervenor status at the CRTC hearings on Dec. 3 in Hamilton, Ont. to consider CTV licence renewals of stations in southern Ontario.
Rowswell, in his two-page letter to the CRTC, says "the commission needs to take into account how CTV fulfills not only the letter, but also the spirit of its commitments made to both local communities and the CRTC about local programming in the communities of Northern Ontario and how that experience relates to any other licence applications for renewal."
The letter also states that in Sault Ste. Marie, CTV licence renewal efforts led the community and CRTC to expect a certain level of service but after the licence was granted, "the applicant scaled back service and turned a blind eye to earlier assurances to the CRTC that it was committed to the ongoing growth and improvement of the service offered to its local TV stations."
