Thread by @FRPC_FRPC

1/ Cdn approach to gender portrayal & what this means for regulation of telecom & broadcasting in the public interest:
1970: Royal Commission on Status of Women recommends changes to media's portrayal of women
1979: Fed'l govt publishes "Towards Equality for Women"

2/ 1980: #CRTC creates Task Force to ensure more positive/realistic portrayal of women
1982: CRTC Task Force publishes Images of Women
Decides there may be a problem, but needs empirical evidence before it can act

3/ 1986: 1984 data from CRTC-commissioned content analysis find women underrepresented in news & stereotyped in drama; CRTC thinks there may be a problem, but holds public hearings to see what the public thinks

4/ 1988: CRTC decides that the data & hearings support conclusion there is a problem; it decides to attach private broadcasters' gender portrayal code as condition of broadcasters' licences

5/ 24 months go by, and in
1990: CRTC decides to review its gender portrayal policy; this will take another two years, but ....

6/ Good news!
1992: CRTC finds that "The CBC, the CAB and the CAF have taken a number of steps to improve the presence and portrayal of women in the broadcast media and the Commission expects them to continue their work." => problem solved!

7/ 1 Oct/19 - #CRTC: "Despite making some progress towards gender parity in the Canadian film and television production industry, research shows that women still face barriers to career advancement. The lack of gender parity in key creative positions needs to be addressed."

8/ How did #CRTC learn there was still a problem? It held a summit - open? closed? - with
Bell Media
Blue Ant Media
CBC/Radio-Canada
Corus Entertainment
WildBrain - formerly DHX
Rogers Media &
TVA Group (in French only).

9 #CRTC says it will now "engage with smaller and independent broadcasters to see how they can voluntarily contribute to the collective goal of increasing women’s access to key positions within the film and television production industry." crtc.gc.ca/eng/industr/pa…

10/ To recap,
Royal Commission identifies problem in 1970.
#CRTC takes regulatory action in 1987.
CRTC rescinds regulatory action in 1992, because industry is solving the problem.

11/ Today, just 49 years after Royal Comm'n identified a problem in its jurisdiction, CRTC hopes voluntary commitments will solve that problem.

Anyone out there still holding their breath for telecom/broadcast regulation in the public interest (in their lifetime that is)?