Voters who lean toward the Conservative Party value Canadian control of broadcasting and telecommunications companies more than declared Conservative supporters.
This suggests that relaxing foreign ownership controls in broadcasting and communications may not fit with a growth strategy designed to reach out to potential supporters, but could work to solidify the Conservative Party's base.
These findings emerge from questions on the Harris/Decima telephone omnibus asked on behalf of ACTRA, Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, and Friends of Canadian Broadcasting on media and teleco ownership.
Most think Ottawa should help build a strong Canadian culture
Most Canadians (82%) feel it is very or somewhat important for the Canadian government to work to maintain and build a culture and identity distinct from the United States. While 56% of second choice Conservatives strongly agree with this sentiment, only 46% of declared Conservative supporters strongly agree. Interestingly, Conservative voters do not feel as strongly as other party voters about maintaining a Canadian identity distinct from the U.S. (46% vs. 63%).
Most view foreign ownership unfavourably
When considering foreign ownership among telephone, cable and media companies, most Canadians hold an unfavourable reaction to foreign ownership. Specifically, a majority (61%) of Canadians have an unfavourable reaction towards foreign ownership of telephone companies. Regionally, the reaction is most unfavourable in Manitoba/Saskatchewan (69%), Ontario (65%) and British Columbia (63%).
Similar to reactions of foreign ownership of telephone companies, a majority of Canadians (57%) hold an unfavourable reaction to foreign ownership of cable companies. Those living in the Prairies (67%), Ontario (61%), Alberta (58%), British Columbia (58%), and Atlantic Canada (57%) have a more unfavourable reaction than Quebecers (48%). Among voters, those who plan to vote for the NDP (66%) are significantly more likely to have an unfavourable reaction than those who plan to vote for the Conservatives (54%).
Overall, nearly three-in-five Canadians (59%) have an unfavourable reaction to the foreign ownership of media companies; this is particularly true among English speaking Canadians (60%). Regionally, those in the Prairies (65%), Ontarians (61%), and British Columbians (61%) are more likely to react negatively to the foreign ownership of media companies.
Canadian content
Nearly half (46%) of all Canadians expect that Canadian content on radio and television would decrease with the control of Canadian broadcasting and cable companies by foreign owners. This viewpoint is held strongly among English speaking Canadians (48%) and those with post-graduate degrees (42%). Regionally, more Canadians in the Prairies (54%), British Columbians (51%), and Ontarians (47%) think Canadian content would decrease if foreign companies gained control of domestic broadcasting and cable companies.
Candidates who oppose more foreign ownership are favoured by most
62% of voters who lean toward the Conservative Party are more likely to vote for a candidate who opposes allowing foreign corporations to own more of Canada's broadcasting and telephone companies, marginally higher than the 60% of declared Conservative supporters who hold this view.
Nationally, almost two-thirds (62%) of Canadians are more likely to vote for a federal candidate who opposes foreign corporations owning more of Canada's broadcasting and telephone companies. A majority of women (64%), French speaking Canadians (68%), those who are divorced or widowed (71%) and two-thirds (66%) of those living in rural areas are significantly more likely to vote for a candidate who opposes foreign ownership of the broadcasting and telephone companies in the next federal election.
Regionally, opposition of foreign ownership is significantly higher in the Prairies (69%), British Columbia (67%), Quebec (66%), Ontario, 61%), and Atlantic Canada (59%), than it is in Alberta (49%). Green party voters (73%), BQ voters (72%), and NDP voters (71%) are most likely to vote for a candidate who opposes foreign ownership.
Canadian media and telecos are too important for national security and cultural sovereignty to sell-off
The contrast between Conservative supporters versus those leaning toward the Conservative Party is also evident when Harris/Decima asked respondents to choose which statements most closely reflect their own opinion:
Some people say Canada's broadcasting and communications companies should be able to sell a majority interest to foreign companies in order to be globally competitive.
Others say that Canadian broadcasting and communications are too important for cultural and national security reasons to allow ownership and control by foreign companies.
Only 19% of second choice Conservatives agree that Canadian broadcasting and communications companies should be able to sell control to a foreign company, while one in four (26%) of current Conservative supporters agree with this view.
Overall, two-thirds of Canadians (66%) stated that Canada's broadcasting and communications companies are too important to allow foreign ownership for cultural and national reasons while the remaining 22% say Canada's broadcasting and communications companies should be able sell a majority interest to foreign companies in order to be competitive, and 12% did not comment. BQ voters (81%) and NDP voters (79%) are significantly more likely to indicate Canada's broadcasting and communication companies are too important to allow a majority foreign ownership.
Methodology
The data was gathered between November 15th to November 25th 2007 through Harris/Decima's weekly teleVox, the company's national omnibus survey. Results are based on a sample of 2,052 Canadians, and the corresponding margin of error is ±2.2%, 19 times out of 20.
For more information contact:
Jim Thompson 613-567-9592
