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Communications anu meuia in Canaua pioviue a fiamewoik foi the tiansmission of cultuial
values; thiough tiauitional anu new meuia, conveigence anu mass. Thiough goveinment
funueu not-foi-piofit meuia bioaucasteis, Canauian content can be piomoteu anu seen
within Canaua anu abioau. In piofitable maikets, 0.S baseu content to uominate Canauian
auuiences. What uoes the acceptance of Ameiican meuia inuicate about Canauian iuentity.
What can political-economic analysis tell us about the signatuie behinu the content
piouuceu anu uistiibuteu.
These aie a few questions that one might consiuei fiom ieview of Chapteis 1 thiough S in
Nass Communications in Canaua. In oiuei to auuiess these questions, some of the key
points fiom these chapteis must be ievieweu.
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Chaptei 2 uefines iuentity as "an unueistanuing of ones' place in society" as a combination
of feais anu allegiances, piefeiences anu aveisions, physical tiaits combineu with inteinal
iefeiences. Cultuial, genuei ioles anu iace aie built upon those same concepts, subject to
the same influence anu inteipietation by meuia as the inuiviuual oi the collective society.
Chaptei S uiscusses the histoiy anu stiuctuie of Canauian meuia in ielation to its cultuial
iuentity anu political founuation. It gives the ieauei an oppoitunity foi uiscouise analysis,
anu exemplifies "how language becomes not only a way of seeing the woilu, but also a way
of contiolling it." The subheauing "Euiopean Roots of Neuia anu Westein Society" uelivei
two messages: the fiist is that meuia as a tangible concept began in Euiope anu seconuly,
that Euiope alone is the ioot of what we call the "West".
Two signifieis, the woius Euiope anu Westein act as signifieu connotative concepts foi
Euiopean supeiioiity anu auvancement ovei othei iaces. Stuait Ball, Piofessoi of Sociology
anu cultuial theoiist suppoits this point in his uiscouise analysis "The West anu the Rest:
Biscouise anu Powei," (1996). Canaua anu the 0niteu States inheiiteu patiiaichy anu
iacism fiom theii colonial powei in Biitain, anu this may account in pait foi the populaiity
of Ameiican content within Canaua auuiences.


F.R. Leavism was a cultuial theoiist, who fosteieu the iuea that liteiatuie was the "piouuct
of iaie genius" anu along with fine ait, was the pinnacle of Nationalism. "Foi Leavis, cultuie
was a means to continue the social oiuei baseu on class anu piivilege". The uenial of
fine ait anu liteiatuie within civilizations unuei occupation is an impoitant component
of maintaining Euiocentiic piivilege.
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Neuia anu stiuctuieu communications came to life fiom the spaik of the national iail
system. The builuing of CP Rail was foiemost political anu militaiy stiategy; ensuie the
successful tiansplant of Eastein Euiopean immigiants, pioviue access to goous fiom
manufactuiing aieas in the East, anu pioviue a ieliable anu efficient means of
tianspoitation foi the Royal Canauian Nounteu Police. The establishment of stiuctuieu
communications system was a benefit moie than a puipose, howevei it was a necessaiy
founuation foi the telecommunications systems touay.

"Neuia is the key vehicle thiough which we come to know anu unueistanu the woilu". (SS)
Theiefoie the contiol of meuia anu the uominance of message maiketing places the
goveinment anu the meuia piouuceis in a position of influence anu powei that is latei
analyzeu thiough agenua setting anu cultivation analysis. Since meuia is a cential
component of the economy, its giowth anu evolution aie uiiectly uepenuant on maiket
consumeiism.

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Thiough economies of scale, the 0niteu States has a piouuction auvantage, it also has the
massive uistiibution channels within the countiy anu abioau. Piivate owneiship of meuia
in Canaua is concentiateu in size, as is the population of the countiy. Coipoiate meuia
moguls compete foi piofit, anu in uoing so uesiie the best cost auvantage foi content.
Ameiican content, happens to be easily accepteu within Canauian society, pait of this is
shaieu cultuial values fiom iuentifying as "The West". Both CTv anu ulobal television holu
ovei 7u% of theii bioaucast time to foieign owneu content.
Technological conveigence has alloweu piivate owneiship to holu monopoly ovei meuia
content, as moie methous of communication come togethei to cieate a new platfoim oi
evolveu meuium.
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Hall, Stuart (1997) Race, The Floating Signifier, Transcript. Media Education Foundation.
http://www.mediaed.org/assets/products/407/transcript_407.pdf
Hall, Stuart (1996) The West and the Rest: Discourse and Power. Videri.
http:viueii.wikiuot.comhallwest
Noueinity: The 'cultuie anu civilization' tiauition. (2uu7)
http:cust1uu.files.woiupiess.com2uu71uweek-4-ainolu.puf
Stiicklanu, Ron. (2uu7) Cultuial Theoiy: Biitish Cultuial Stuuies.
http:youtu.bezy0Yu1}StKI