The Critical Political Economy View: Lost in Cyberspace by Dwayne Winseck

The Critical Political Economy View: Lost in Cyberspace by Dwayne Winseck

• Sees Intellectual Property Disputes as masking the larger problem: oligopoly of power and control
• Internet now dominated by big players, not an ideal perfect competition
• Convergence not new: 19th and 20th century waves and predicted in Canada since 1971
• In Canada:
• Rogers allied with Microsoft and AT&T
• CanWest: news and TV and radio
• Bell Globemedia, CTV,Expressvue, Globe and Mail and Sympatico, largest ISP

Impacts of Cross Media Ownership

• Now vertically and horizontal companies can control all aspects of message
• Should those who control the medium also control the message?

• Yes: allows economies of scale, more money reinvested in content, better assumption of risk, more choice and convenience for consumers
• No: debt means less investment in content, loss of jobs, avoidance of risk, less choice and higher prices for consumers ( Winseck, 326)