Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!rbutterworth
From: rbutterworth@watmath.waterloo.edu (Ray Butterworth)
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: A golden opportunity
Message-ID: <20776@watmath.waterloo.edu>
Date: 8 Sep 88 12:51:41 GMT
References: <1411@maccs.McMaster.CA>
Distribution: can
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 18

In article <1411@maccs.McMaster.CA>, gordan@maccs.McMaster.CA (gordan) writes:
> I sure hope this hasn't escaped the attention of the CRTC.  Just
> imagine, Canada could adopt the European HDTV standard instead!  With
> one bold and visionary master stroke, we could safeguard Canadian
> culture forever by making it impossible to watch American TV shows.
> And, gosh folks, wouldn't that be wonderful?

30 or 40 years ago, Canada had the same golden opportunity
to choose between the higher resolution PAL and the inferior
NTSC.  PAL would have forced us to produce Canadian programs
and would have discouraged people from watching the US stations.

I don't know if it was part of the same deal in which Canada
decided to drop its film industry provided that Hollywood films
make more mention of our country (e.g. referring to cousins in 
Montreal, and having backgrounds showing posters for Banff or
sacks of PEI potatoes).  What better way could there be to
promote the Canadian identity, and at such a low cost?