>if our "cultural industries" are so fragile that they can't compete with other artists across the border, then that is their own fault and it indicates that ha

>if our "cultural industries" are so fragile that they can't compete with other artists across the border, then that is their own fault and it indicates that haven't earned the right to my attention. It would be great if the cream would always rise to the top but that's just not how it works. The entertainment industry is marketing driven. More money means more marketing and being US based means more reach. Entertainment industry consolidation among massive US conglomerates becomes a self perpetuating cycle. Once they are big enough, those corporations start lobbying the government to make rules in their favour (ie copyright extension) that affect people globally. I'm not advocating full protectionism, or anything close to it, but lets be realistic. It's not a level playing field out there. >where our traditional media broadcast (tv and radio) are a mix of local and American I'm not sure if this is an argument for, or against. Those local TV and radio stations are huge beneficiaries of certain protectionist measures. And the fact you don't feel "dominated" by US culture could also be seen as a sign the existing measures are working. (I realize that Canadian media is also dominated by a few big corps, and that deserves its own discussion but the general idea of helping local cultural industries compete with US ones is sound IMHO)