Broadcasting in the era of plenty: the case for national public television in Canada

Public service broadcasting (PSB) plays a unique role in media landscapes across the world. This thesis argues that, while the broadcasting landscape in Canada has changed as new technologies have developed and the overall environment in which PSB operates has evolved, there is still a role for it to play in the country. With a focus on national public television in Canada, a timeline of the evolution of PSB in the country as it appears in official policy documents is provided. After establishing a timeline of development, this thesis discusses national public television in the 21st century through an analysis of interventions submitted to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) 2013 licence renewals. It is demonstrated through a content analysis of the nearly 6,000 English-language interventions submitted, that Canadians support the continued existence of the CBC. Suggestions for future research are also discussed.