New Media: Threat or Opportunity? Finding a Way to Balance New Media Initiatives within the Traditional Broadcasting World

This research aggregated key elements discussed during the CRTC Public Hearing on New Media, in order to examine fundamentals for the development of sustainable business models within the new media environment. The use of a qualitative methodology allowed the progressive gathering of in-depth information. Three main data collection techniques were used to obtain the desired information. First, an observational case study focused on the new media public proceeding. Second, a thorough content analysis examined public submissions through grids in order to extract relevant data. Third, formal interviews with regulatory experts were used to access information at a more intimate level. In the context of this study five media groups were chosen for examination. This would include, private broadcasters, public broadcasters, the culture and independent producers sector, telecommunications companies and Internet Service Providers. This gave an overall view of each sector within the Canadian broadcasting system. As a result of this research, the Canadian media industries will have to make urgent changes. To begin, platform-specific content production will be vital to the overall success of the system. This would allow proper distribution, minimizing the need of reformatting the content. Accordingly, maximizing the use of content will ensure that Canadians have access to programming that reflects their realities. Most companies agreed that new online advertising funding methods were needed, that new media initiatives generated economic growth and that content ownership should be a priority for upcoming regulatory decisions