The political economy of communication looks at the Neoliberal market-oriented Canadian television

Abstract

This thesis applies the political economy of communication, Giddens' (1984) theory of agency, and Lukes' (1974) conception of power to the Canadian Broadcasting infrastructure in order to understand how Neoliberal market policies impacts the production and distribution of Canadian television content. This research involves two types of analyses, structural and institutional, to study the Canadian Broadcasting Act, Canadian Content Regulations, Canadian Television Policy and the ownership structure of CanWest Global Communications Corporation, an example of a Canadian media conglomerate. The thesis concludes that the Neoliberal approach is adopted to attract Canadian audiences to Canadian content in a growing competitive and changing global media environment. It limits content diversity by creating a concentrated media infrastructure that favours the production of Canadian entertainment over news and information. This creates a heavily entertained culture but one that is less informed and viewed strictly within the confines of Neoliberal market Hegemony.