SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

CMNS 333-4

BROADCAST POLICY AND REGULATION IN THE GLOBAL CONTEXT

Prerequisites:

CMNS 230, 253 and 261.

This course will focus on the practical, real world developments in the Canadian broadcast industry and the relationship of those developments to the historic (and present day) social, cultural and political objectives of Canadian broadcast policy. The key contrasts impacting broadcast policy such as: the balance between central Canada and the regions; public ownership vs. private sector; culture vs. entertainment; shareholder interest vs. public interest; and consolidation vs. diversity of voices will be explored by assessment of the present day industry structure and the legal and regulatory tools being utilized (or not!). The challenge of economics of distribution vs. economics of content in the Canadian and North American context will be reviewed as will the Canadian situation in the global context.

A mock CRTC policy hearing will be staged and teams will be required to represent a position based on the strategic public interest, consumer and business policy issues raised. This course focuses on developing public policy analytic skills by examining the social, cultural, political, legal economic issues surrounding broadcast policy and new technologies in the evolving global context.


Textbook:

There is no textbook. A list of course readings will be distributed in first class.


Grading:

First written assignment 25%
Seminar participation 10%
Team presentation 40%
Final written assignment 25%


Lecture Outline:

1. Canadian Regulatory Framework (Part I)
2. Canadian Regulatory Framework (Part II)
3. Technology and Convergence
4. The Business of Broadcasting
5. Economic Policy
6. Cultural Policy
7. Content Providers
8. Social Policy Issues
9. The Public Hearing (Part I)
10. The Public Hearing (Part II)
11. Issues coming out of the Public Hearing
12. The New Media
13. The Future of Regulation

The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices with respect to both levels and distribution of grades. In addition, the School will follow Policy T10.02 with respect to "Intellectual Honesty," and "Academic Discipline" (see the current Calendar, General Regulations Section).