In this SoundCloud exclusive episode I share my thoughts about two of the biggest issues in Canadian broadcasting and telecommunication yet this year, the Harnessing Change Report and Fairplay Canada.

Update: The CRTC has denied Fairplay Canada's Proposal 
https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2018/2018-384.htm

Ep. 0 Harnessing Fairplay

Last month, Netflix confirmed that it is conducting AB ad testing in the UK. I sat down with Smriti Bansal (smritibansal.com), research assistant with the Global Internet TV Consortium, to discuss what this means for the future of streaming platforms.

Ep. 1 The Unbearable Sneakiness Of Netflix

After a tense negotiation period, the US, Mexico, and Canada reached a new trade agreement just before the October 1st deadline. While Canada’s Liberal government stayed firm on legacy industries, the new agreement may have serious implications for the Canadian cultural landscape. I spoke with Tamir Israel (@tamir_i), staff lawyer at CIPPIC (https://cippic.ca/), about the new North American trade agreement, USMCA.

Ep. 2 New NAFTA, No Room for Nuance

Major news networks seem to be very worried about a new application circulating the web. The advanced face-swapping software, “Deepfakes,” is often portrayed as a potential threat to national security despite its most popular application being fan fiction and porn. Maggie McDonald (@missmagmac) explains what Deepfakes are being used for and why the mainstream media have ignored it.

Read more of Maggie’s work here:
http://www.pausebutton.org/2018/08/01/faking-it-deepfake-porn-and-moral-panic/

Ep. 3 Deepfakes For Goodness Sakes

Ep. 4 The Fate Of Platforms

In late September the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a further notice of proposed rule making. Steeped in legalize and flying under the radar of mainstream media, the notice threatens vital funding for Public, Educational, & Governmental Access television across the US. I spoke with Sabrina Roach (@BrinaSEA), Board member of the Alliance for Community Media (http://www.allcommunitymedia.org/), at the end of the comment period in December to learn what to expect in 2019.

Ep. 5  Defunding Community Media

Now that Toronto is officially set to become Netflix’s next production hub, Smriti Bansal (smritibansal.com) and I ruminate on what this will mean for Canadian cultural industry and why some broadcasters are nervous.

Ep. 6 Netflix: A Streaming Empire

Phase Shift is a show about the structures, trends, and regulations that make up our communication landscape. 
Produced at CKUT 90.3 fm and made possible by CSDC, AMO, and SSHRC.

Music by Andrew Codeman