f-ing CRTC

What is the CRTC? Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Did you know that Radio-television is a word now? It must be - the Canadian government says so.

So, I don't often talk politics or government and I don't like to complain much because basically, I think I live in a pretty cool country with a lot of really good things and lots of moderation, which is where I live my life most of the time. But I am outraged, sick to death, mounting a revolt and pissed right off at the CRTC.

Now - in peasant terms - the CRTC is there to ensure that Canadians are protected from too much outside influence. A certain percentage of what is on our airwaves (in that magical Radio-television world) must be Canadian content. Ok. Sounds good. It has exposed me to lots of really great Canadian artists. Much of my music preferences are Canadian, not so much TV but I have to admit, its getting a lot better. As a child, though I couldn't have told you CRTC existed, I did know that without cable tv, we got to watch Mr. Dressup, Wayne and Shuster, The Beachcombers, Hockey Night in Canada and Anne Murray specials a lot. We did not get to see the magical stuff my friend who's family had !!cable tv!! did - like Scooby Doo on Saturday mornings.

I relent that there was probably a time when these regulations made sense. They protected our interests and made sure there was money there for Canadian culture to grow but in today's world...those regulations are perhaps a bit antiquated.

Because here's the governmental brilliance at work :

I can watch, on my satellite tv, a great show called The Office. There is a British version - even funnier, but I don't have access to that. I do have access to the American version and its pretty damn good. Any time I want, I just tune in my satellite and watch it to my heart's content. I can also watch (though I don't tend to) things like American Idol. Clearly American content there - we have a Canadian version but I don't watch it either. Back to the point...which was...ah yes - I can have access to just about any American television or radio with the magic of satellite.

But I cannot - CAN NOT - have access to any of those American tv programs to download them for use on my iPod. Nope. Not allowed. Might corrupt my mind. Might make me less Canadian. Might not support a Canadian actor. I also cannot access any books to download onto my iPod because - ooh, not right for my timid little moderate Canadian eyes. Nope, I'll just have to go to the library and borrow them from there. But not on my IPOD! ooh, scary.

I mean - for *#&$ sakes - the CRTC needs to be reevaluated. Because this is utterly shitty. The internet is like sitting in a room looking through a glass wall at people going through a checkout of a really big warehouse store and they are getting all these great deals but I have to just sit and look because my mother told me no.

ugh.