I’ve missed a couple of episodes of GroundWire. Check out their site for podcasts covering topics like: Tar Sands – Midwifery – Equity – accessibility and disability awareness – Drug addictions and children – McGill’s “Echoes of the Holocaust” – Ontario Disability Pension Plan, Autonomy of Quebec Universities – All-Woman Pharmacy’s Trans Challenge – Zellers/HBC strike – Nova Scotia Community College employees strike – CRTC’s Campus and Community Radio Policy Review – Golden Crown Hotel evictions in Vancouver

GroundWire is a twice-monthly dose of grassroots, independent journalism from the campus-community radio sector of Canada. It is a project of the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA). Visit the GroundWire website or download it through the NCRA’s Program Exchange.

THE HEADLINES:

In Montreal, migrant justice advocates are celebrating a significant victory this week in the case of Abdelkader Belaouni. Aaron Lakoff | CKUT

From Vancouver, perspectives on the disruption of the Victoria torch relay and where the resistance movement is headed. VanRad Collective

In Toronto, students have had enough of living below the poverty line. The Student Day of Action on November 5th saw crowds demanding lower tuition fees, as recession job losses target youth, part-time and racialized workers. Omme Salma Rahemtullah | CHRY

THE FEATURES:

A recent Queen’s University report indicates medical students want more training to help them treat people with intellectual disabilities. Indeed, 93 per cent feel training in intellectual disabilities should be improved. VoicePrint spoke with Dr. Philip Burge, author of the report.

November 20, 2009 marks 20 years since the U.N Convention on the Rights of the Child. Ontario youth in and from foster care got together to talk about the Convention’s goals around education and if those goals are a reality in Ontario. Jacky Harrison | CHRY, with files from the Network Community Group and the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth.

A new report, A Flawed Compass, suggests the Correctional Service of Canada is trampling on the constitutional rights of prisoners. Authors Michael Jackson and Graham Stewart, as well as former inmates and activists, warn Canada is headed down the road to more rights abuses. Dee Le Comte | CKUT

This episode was anchored by Melissa Beckford and Ian Gormly, and produced by Alissa Tutay and Jacky Tuinstra Harrison. Music by Steel.

One of the reasons I’ve been hanging out more in the physical world is that I was working on the submission of the Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC) to the CRTC Policy Review for our sector. One month and 22 pages later, here we are. And more than 100 stations, organizations, private broadcasters, governement agencies, and individuals submitted their thoughts as well. More information in the CRFC posting below.

CRFC Participates in Review of Campus and Community Radio
Friday, 16 October 2009

In July 2009, the CRTC launched a review of its Campus and Community Radio Policies. The CRFC filed its comments today outlining the funding reality of the sector and some possible solutions to help lessen its financial stresses. The CRFC is recommending a funding model for both the campus and community radio stations and the CRFC that includes funding from the federal government as well as Canada’s private broadcasters and distributors.

You can read the CRFC’s comments here as well as view other comments submitted here.

The CRTC hearing for this process will begin on January 18, 2010.

I like to keep an eye on things around Net Neutrality, but I will certainly leave it to the experts to put forth some thoughts and opinions about the recent CRTC Decision on this issue.

CRTC Sets Net Neutrality Framework But Leaves Guarantees More Complaints
Michael Geist
Wednesday October 21, 2009
The CRTC’s net neutrality (aka traffic management) decision is out and though it does not go as far as some advocates might hope, it unquestionably advances the ball forward on several important fronts. When considering the decision, it is important to remember that 12 months ago, there was virtually no ISP disclosure of traffic management practices and even an unwillingness to acknowledge that there was an issue. Today’s CRTC decision signifies that traffic management is not a free-for-all and the days of ISPs arguing that they can do whatever they please on their networks is over. That said, it also guarantees that traffic management practices such as throttling will continue and it is going to take more complaints to concretely address the issue. READ MORE

Net Neutrality Developments
Marie Elliott, SaveOurNet.ca
According to Michael Geist, the Canadian government should take some initiative and aid the complete enforcement of net neutrality in Canada. Now that a policy has been created regarding net neutrality, the government needs to make sure that ISPs are following this framework correctly. Geist mainly places this task in the hands of Industry Minister Tony Clement. Geist thinks that Clement should become more engaged in the issue. Fortunately, Clement has stated he is “watching those [Internet Service] providers very closely and [does] not want to see a situation where consumers are put at risk in terms of their access to the Internet.” READ MORE

Net Neutrality in Canada Still a Work in Progress
Michael Geist
Monday October 26, 2009
The release last week of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s report on Internet traffic management – known as the net neutrality decision – attracted national attention. Canadians, Internet service providers, and politicians debated whether the regulator had struck the right balance in addressing how ISPs manage Internet traffic. While some headlines seemed to suggest that the CRTC has given Canada’s ISPs the green light to do as they please, my weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) argues the reality is that the decision establishes several notable requirements and restrictions, but leaves the door open for further action from the government. READ MORE

CRTC dropped the ball on net neutrality: Charlie Angus
Decision leaves consumers and users out in the cold
(From a news release dated Thursday, October 22, 2009)
OTTAWA – Yesterday’s CRTC decision on Internet traffic-management practices is a blow to the future of digital innovation in Canada, said New Democrat Digital Affairs Critic Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay). The decision allows Bell and other giant Internet service providers (ISPs) to throttle the internet traffic of competitors or end users if they see fit. This interference will be bad news for small third-party competitors and leaves consumers subject to digital snooping and interference from cable giants. Angus said the CRTC has once again failed to stand up for the public interest. “Basically the CRTC has left the wolves in charge of the henhouse. ISP giants have been given the green light to shape traffic on the internet in favour of their corporate interests,” he said. “This decision is a huge blow to the future competitiveness of the internet.” READ MORE

Did the CRTC just crap the bed on Canada’s net neutrality decision?
Wirelessnorth.ca
The answers so far are no, yes and maybe. Depending who you ask. Brush up on the announcement and initial reactions here: Peter Nowak has excellent coverage today of the CRTC call (long time coming) on net neutrality in Canada. Michael Geist and Ars Technica offer some balanced opinion. What everyone seems to agree on is that CRTC’s framework is reasonable, and is highly progressive relative to where the debate was just a year or more ago. We’ve argued in the past for economic solutions to ISP capacity which is what the CRTC is also stressing. READ MORE

The Open Internet: It’s for everyone
Marie Elliott, SaveOurNet.ca
Free Form created a video about keeping the Internet free and open, and how this will benefit people everywhere. Check it out!

Net Neutrality FAQ: What’s in it for You
Tim Greene, Network World
PCWorld
The FCC has approved a notice of proposed rule making on the subject of net neutrality, and here are a few questions and answers to help shine a light on what that means. (See “FCC takes first step toward net neutrality rules“) What exactly did the FCC do? The FCC agreed to consider what regulations, if any, to impose on ISPs about the applications and services that they allow, ban or rate limit. The process calls for formally proposing rules and holding public hearings on them. A vote about the rules themselves will take place sometime next year. READ MORE

Well, it certainly has been a while since I’ve posted anything online, even on Twitter. I manage to post a few photos and see a few Live News Feeds on Facebook. But these days I’ve been living much more in the physical world without much connection to the virtual one.

But I have been saving a few things top post. One of them is this great article from CharityVillage. I’ve just posted the first couple of paragraphs below, but I highly recommend that you check out the full article.

Fundraising Q & A
By Cynthia J. Armour, CFRE
October 26, 2009

The question:
I want to ensure our grant proposal to a foundation makes it through the initial screening process and gets real consideration. How do I make that happen?

Cynthia’s Response:

Great question! Last month we spoke about getting the “corporate ear”…let’s now examine charitable foundations, the only source of funds that are mandated to disperse money. All others (individuals, businesses, service clubs, churches, etc.) are supporting charities voluntarily. Some of these donors actually choose to set up a foundation to ensure their support remains relatively balanced, despite hiccups in the economy. However, given last year’s significant market crash, even those foundations are suffering; many have had to seriously re-evaluate their donations budget.

In 1988, I was recruited to Trent University as the foundation fundraiser. Trent was building its environmental sciences facility, automating the library, expanding the Native studies program, and engaging donors to invest in an exciting future. Google’s inventors were probably still in high school! The best information available was the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy’s (now, Imagine Canada) Directory to Foundations. This guide still exists and remains a reference that summarizes (in searchable form) the T3010s that registered charities have to submit to Canada Revenue Agency within six months of their fiscal year end.

Check out the rest of the article here.

GroundWire is a twice-monthly dose of grassroots, independent journalism from the campus-community radio sector of Canada. It is a project of the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA). This edition of GroundWire was supported by a grant from the Community Radio Fund of Canada and produced by volunteers in the studios of CJLY in Nelson, BC. Visit the GroundWire website or download it through the NCRA’s Program Exchange.

The HEADLINES:

• Omme Salma Rahemtullah (CHRY Toronto) speaks with Stephen Moses, a striking employee and the Bargaining Unit Chairperson of Canadian Auto Workers 1000, about the Zellers/HBC strike in Scarborough, Ontario
• Catherine Fisher (CJLY Nelson) talks with Alexis Allen, President of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union about the September 22 strike vote by Nova Scotia Community College employees.

This edition includes two STATION REPORTS:

• Vivian Park (CJSF Burnaby) asks NCRA Vice President External Stephanie Kepman a few questions about the CRTC’s upcoming Campus and Community Radio Policy Review.
• The 2010 National Campus and Community Radio Conference will be held on Gabriola Island, BC. Kelly Price (CKGI Gabriola) chats with Gabriola Radio Society Board Member Kathy Ramsay about how the conference is shaping up. She also speaks with GRS Board President Ken Zakreski about Rogers Media’s application to the CRTC for the last available frequency in the region.

The FEATURES:

• The Vanrad Collective talk with Paulina Walton, who, along with other residents of the Golden Crown Hotel, has recently been served an eviction notice. Kim Kerr, executive director of the  Downtown Eastside Residents Association suggests this eviction has much to do with the upcoming 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.
• Amber Hieb (CHLY Nanaimo) speaks with Paul Manly, a Nanaimo-based independent filmmaker about the SPP, and North American integration. Manly’s new film is ‘You, Me and The Spp: Trading Democracy for Corporate Rule’.

The MUSIC:

• The September 25th Edition of GroundWire features music by Kathleen Yearwood, The Sinuses, Rabnett 5, and Tamara.

Important issue here, folks. Thanks to a recent CRTC decision, we could see fewer choices of Internet service providers, higher prices, and slower speeds.

Check out Competitivebroadband.com. You can:

• Join the movement
• Read the background on the issue as well as the Top 10 reasons the decision should be reversed
• Write a letter (your own or template is provided) to the Industry Minister, Prime Minister, Opposition Leader, and your MP (search provided)

SaveOurNet.ca also wrote about this in their post Businesses Stand Up for Broadband Competition.

Here’s a few highlights from Competitivebroadband.com.

A recent decision by the CRTC has the potential to cause major disruption in the internet service marketplace. Fortunately, the decision can be reversed by the federal cabinet, if voices like yours are heard. Here’s the issue in a nutshell.

… Once these networks were built, and the telephone companies were very well established, the federal government put in rules to help create healthy competition. One of these rules was to require Bell and Telus to allow competitors to connect to their networks, at prices that were regulated by the CRTC …

… The CRTC’s recent decision would destroy this framework. It would allow companies like Bell and Telus to set whatever prices they choose for competitor access to their networks …

… If this decision stands, we can all expect massive price increases designed to choke off competition. One way or another, we foresee higher prices, lower service standards, and little if any innovation …

Thanks to @nonprofitorgs for tweeting this video link. Great stats that make you think and Fatboy Slim went well with my morning coffee.

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