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January 19,
2005
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications
Commission (CRTC), announced today that it will move forward with a plan
to jam radio signals entering Canada from commercial radio stations
originating inside the United States.
The $125 million project is expected to take 3 years to
complete.
The Commission has contracted a Cuban technology company to
provide and install 38 radio frequency jamming stations in every province.
At this time, the CRTC is focused on blocking signals from
American AM broadcasters, due to the long range transmission ability of
stations utilizing the AM band.
"The use of electronic devices to defeat this effort shall
be subject to penalties outlined in the criminal code of Canada," said
commission chair Charles Dalfen.
The CRTC came under heavy criticism for a recent decision
that made receiving satellite signals from US providers illegal. The CRTC
says it has no plans to jam satellite signals from US providers, at this
time, due to the high cost involved and limited access, however, Mr.
Dalfen indicated the relatively low cost of protecting Canadians from
'propaganda' originating from the US on the AM band is "feasible and
needed".
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one official from
the CRTC told the Globe and Mail that blocking satellite signals from US
providers may become a reality in the future.
The Globe and Mail quoted their source as saying, "If the
federal government of Canada enters into an agreement with the US on the
North American Missile Defense System, (commonly referred to as star
wars), the CRTC will push to have these defense satellites piggy-back a
device that can block commercial US TV satellite signals from entering
Canada."
In related news, the CRTC refused to renew the broadcasting
license of CHOI-FM, a French-language commercial radio station in Quebec.
The commission based their decision on offensive comments made by the
hosts over the station's airwaves.
Incredibly, the CRTC also granted permission for Canadian
cable and satellite TV providers to broadcast Al Jazeera, an
Arabic-language news and public affairs service.
"We have a duty to protect Canadians from broadcasters who
promote hate, and provide offensive content. Our recent decision to deny a
license to a Quebec radio station and to block US AM radio
broadcasters, demonstrates our commitment to properly regulate the
information Canadians are exposed to, said Charles Dalfen in a
statement.
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