Something major went down at FLOW 93.5 yesterday. I knew it was happening because of the commenters who had found my entry from earlier this year in which I openly asked if CTV could change FLOW 93.5's format.
Denise contacted me via Twitter last night, and I asked her to write something for this blog. Here's what Denise sent me via email.
So CTV has done it again! It's recent takeover of "The New Flow 93.5 fm" URBAN radio station in Toronto has RUTHLESSLY FIRED OVER 75% of the DEDICATED FLOW STAFF! Today 36 out of 50 ppl were told they were unemployed as of today!
Are we going to sit by & let this media monopoly happen so we only have 2 points of view in the media -- CTVGLOBEMEDIA/BCE & ROGERS??
Are we going to sit by & let the CRTC get away with systematically deconstructing the hip hop community in Canada by restricting its airwaves to hip hop music from all over the world INCLUDING the much touted "CANADIAN CONTENT"??
Enough of this stranglehold over OUR AIRWAVES - including the Internet & Satellite - it's time to step up and organize to stop this slow, stealth censorship mission!!!
That is exactly what this is! It looks to be a stealth move by CTV, et al to continue gobbling up Canadian media outlets (to the point where local television stations are in danger) until we, as free thinking Canadians who have bragged about the transparency of our government and objectivity of our media, are reduced to being exposed to only TWO POINTS OF VIEW -- CTV's and ROGERS'!
This is so far beyond the issue of helping to destroy Canada's teetering hip hop industry, although, you must question the timing of such a move by CTV. They chose the second day of Black History Month to summarily FIRE 36 out of 50 employees at Toronto's #1 "Urban" (meaning hip hop/rap) radio station serving a large black community demographic.
It deeply saddens me, a public relations and government relations consultant retiree, to see today's society as a bunch of sheep needing prodding by its shepherd, for in the 1960s and 1970s, people STOOD UP and DEMONSTRATED in various NON-VIOLENT ways to end such monopolies and fight against censorship.
It is a crying shame to see today's youth (who the FORMER FLOW 93.5 fm staff serviced HAPPILY EVERY SINGLE DAY OF YEAR), sit by and let this happen. Where is the passion in today's society that permeated the very air we breathed in the 60s and 70s??
Shame, shame, shame on CTV and shame, shame, shame on anyone who doesn't share this note and boycott THE NEW NEW FLOW 93.5 FM!!!
Sincerely,
Citizen Against Censorship & Media Monopolies!!
