Canada, a term originating from the Iroquoian word "Kanata" that defines "village,” is anything but; in fact, the second largest country in the world is much diverse and divided. When it comes to anything associated with the wilderness nation, multifariousness seems to be the theme, making Canada "not an easy country to define, to govern, or to imagine” (Vipond 11).The mass media occupying it isn't any different, creating various platforms to fit a population that homes a high quantity of immigrants coming from distinct regions of the world and a significant Aboriginal presence. The language duality that includes two main spoken groups: French and English, each borrowing the language of their "nearest neighbor” (Vipond 11) geographically, has also fueled this diversiform of a media. "Almost 90 percent of Canadians live…within 150 kilometers of the American border (Vipond 10)", being in geographical proximity to such culturally prominent nation as the United States has significantly slowed down Canada's finding of its own national identity. Vipond joked in his book that the "common thread in our national culture is our never-ending search for identity” (11). On the English side of Canada, even though the mass media is widely Canadian-owned, it's is also mainly filled with American content. While in French Canada the published works "have little influence outside of Quebec. (Wikipedia)” Irving mentions that the mass media in Canada has not achieved any genuine communication between the two cultures, upholding that Canadian identity crisis. This report will discuss the media history of Canada including: printed media, radio and music, film and cinema, television, video games and the internet.
Media Landscape
Geographical factors play a role as well, and Canada being Canada it doesn't have a landscape that conforms to one identity. Stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, various geographic features are displayed providing an impressive scenery. The north portion reflects that "chilling" panorama we are accustomed to, but Canada is home to rainforests too. In Canada, there are six regions: the Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies, British Columbia, and the northern territories. The vast distances across the country was a barrier to communication, and since that comes hand in hand with mass media, the considerable gap slowed the media’s process of spreading as well. Therefore, when the Communication Revolution occurred in the mid-century, it was a huge hit, as it allowed Canada to become finally a somewhat "connected" nation. Robert Fulford recounted that "communications influence all societies, but Canada in particular takes its shape and meaning from communications systems," which is what established the history of Canada's media.
Printed Media
Journalism is not only a "textual system of modernity"(Hartley 312), but it also serves as "a dominant force in the public construction of common experience and a popular sense of what is real and important."(Schudson 13) , therefore, it plays a significant role in many countries, including Canada, as a considerable amount of its population rely on newspaper reading as a chief source for news. Dualism in culture and the heavy reliance on importation was quite bourgeois back then, as Quebec depended on France profoundly for books, trends, and ideas while simultaneously English Canada derived the same necessities from Britain. However, Canada did try its hand with publishing as by 1752 the first newspaper emerged in Nova Scotia named "Halifax Gazette." The history of printing continued, because with the help of two Philadelphia printers the bilingual "Quebec Gazette" was launched in 1764 and the "Montreal Gazette du Commerce et litteraire" in 1778. The spread of telegraph and railways across Canada as a result of the Communication Revolution, helped speed up the process allowing new opportunities for the press to emerge. ''Industrialization, urbanization, improved means of transportation and communication." (Vipond 13), which had a Dominos effect as it enabled the growth of the working class, increasing the literacy rate from 70% in the 1850's to 90% in the 1900's. The Victorian newspapers were numerous, local, contained four pages filled with content, and admittedly had a small circulation. The evolution to "modern" newspaper began with George Brown's Toronto Globe in 1844, even though it stuck with traditional content such as politics. The Globe made some modifications to the paper such as expanding its size, publishing weekly for people outside of Toronto, and making cheaper evening editions. Other renown dailies started appearing after, such as Montreal Star (1869), Toronto World (1880), Montreal La Presse (1884), Ottawa Journal (1885) , and Toronto Star (1892)
Today, privately owned companies such as Postmedia, Torstar, Hollinger, and BellGlobe Media, Quebecor/Sun Media are the major players in the newspaper field. Concentrated ownership, which is present in newspaper chains, "helps to create a great amount of freedom of expression," according to Peter Desbarats; however, many are concerned that media convergence limits scope and perspective. With the accelerated evolution of technology "many newspapers, such as The Globe and Mail and the Winnipeg Free Press, are focused on building up digital subscription bases of readers who pay monthly to access content online and who may or may not also take the printed paper." (Cox, 12) The traditional media hopes by providing digital platforms it would engage new audiences as well as make it easier for their original readers. The daily Montreal La Presse newspaper has established a tablet-based approach of broadcasting its content each day. The digital service has been so successful that La Presse has abandoned the standard printing of the daily newspaper. In fact, due to the decline of the newspaper printing market, "the printing activities will be mainly transferred to the Transcontinental Transmag plant in Montréal, which has state-of-the-art equipment"(Canada Media 3), it’s said that the plant closure will allow the printing platform to remain competitive.
The first magazines in Canada were Nova Scotia Magazine, Comprehensive Review of Literature, and Politics and News. Among the distinctions between magazines and newspapers were it's less frequency and separate paper covers, but the periodicals were mainly distinguished by "the brevity of their existence" and its "derivative nature.” Canadians, upper-middle-class elites to be specific as the material was expensive and had exclusive literature, read mainly British imported magazines. By 1890 cheap mass-marketed national magazines such as Saturday Evening Post and Ladies Home Journal emerged in the states and the Canadians quickly inherited the American Harper's and Scribner's causing their circulations to soar. "American weekly magazines had a Canadian circulation of 60,000 by 1907 – more than all the major Canadian magazines combined" (Vipond 23). By mid-1920, US magazines outsold the Canadian's with the ratio 8:1. The Canadian publishers faced an uphill struggling to have the ball at their court against America's mass publications. MPAC launched a campaign to impose a tariff to reduce the US periodicals in Canada; they argued that :"American magazines advertised not only American manufactured goods but the American way of life. If Canada lacked its own magazine, it lacked a vital agency of national communication."
After the tariff protection that took place in 1930-1935, it achieved immense publications, now that an umbrella has shielded Canada the domestic business could soar. Mass magazines such as Macleans, Chatelaine, and Saturday Night has skyrocketed and has continued to till today.
Music and Radio
Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, The Weeknd, Michael Bublé, Drake, and Celine Dion, all of these great musicians, originate from Canada, but what is the origin of Canadian music? The sound of the twenties was smooth Jazz and upbeat songs such as "Crazy Blues" by Mamie Smith and "Toot Toot Tootsie" by Al Jolson. Before the invention of the Gramophone, many Canadians relied on live music publicized by sheet music to enjoy a good tune. By 1918, the Compo Company, Canada's first recording company, in Lachine, Quebec built the first Pressing Plant. The Company was meant to serve American talents and record sellers such as Okeh record; therefore, Canadian musicians turned to radio to spread their sound, and with the spread of radio came the spread of Jazz.
The first radio station was CINW in Montreal, 1920, it was established by a railway; " the national radio was a product of CNR, a state agency."(Wikipedia). "Canadian radio began with the first licenses for private commercial radio stations in 1922. " (CBC website) The Canadian radio included cultural content and tourism promotion to exclude US programming. However, by the late 1920s, many Canadian radio listeners were tuning their dials to American stations anyway, which led to the Aird Commission of 1928 that recommends the creation of Crown Corporation to operate national radio broadcasting to ensure high quality and user fees or adverting to support radio; this led to 1932 the creation of CRBC. With the effort to decrease American influence and Canadian Edward Rogers creation of battery-less radio, radio broadcasting became mainstream. "Radio rapidly evolved from being a novelty to a household necessity" (Vipond 38), in 1950 almost all Canadians owned a radio in their homes. Trends influencing the Radio industry today are Digital Radio (CBC), Internet Radio (3wk.com), Satellite Radio (Sirius Radio), and iPods or portable devices (iTunes).
Film & Cinema
The city of Montreal held Canada first public movie exhibition in 1896 which screened one minute films.
The vaudeville theaters after a short period of time provided short movies that included one or two intimate clips.
1902, movie theaters where built and the nickelodeon theaters showing up to one hour long movies from different categories.
In that period “film exchanges “were created since it was important to change the films displayed from time to time in order to attract more customers.
By 1920, Canada had 830 commercials cinemas.
Cinemas didn’t become a real medium in Canada until the 1930s which was as well the period of the Great Depression in which the number of cinema visitors increased and the Canadian saw on average twelve movies in a year.
Unfortunately, the Canadian cinemas golden age come to an end by the arrival of television in 1952.
And when it comes to the production of movies, most movies that were screened in Canada before the first World War came from the U.S , Britain and France because the Canadian movie production industry at that time was hampered because of financial reasons and the lack of audience, who were poor, until many production companies opened their doors, like the Ontario Motion Picture Bureau, The Canadian government Motion Picture Bureau, and the National Film Board of Canada, and Canadian movies were produced (1914-1922).
Unfortunately, the Canadian movie industry couldn’t compete other movie industries in the market due to its closeness to America.
During the previous decade, the movie industry was highly achieve with 128 movie produced each year. It has been dedicated that Ontario has the largest number of films production in it while British Colombia and Quebec follows.
The most Canada’s successful cinema entrepreneurs were Jules and Jay Allen.
Notable Canadians who were behind the success of Canadian Cinema:
1) James Freer who produced the very first Canadian films in 1897.
2) Ernest Shipman the best successful producer
3) Jules & Jay Allen: Cinema entrepreneurs
Notable Canadian Actors and Actresses:
* Scott Barstow
* Raymond Burr
* Hume Cronyn
* Lorne Greene
* Mary Pickford
Canadian films:
_ “Pacific and Atlantic Mail Trains “.
_ Six Binders at work in a Hundred Arce Wheatfield “.
Television:
The Canadian National Exhibition first introduced television to Canada in 1938. Canadians didn’t purchase until the end of the 1940s and started watching the popular American programs offered by the NBC and CBS. The 1949 television policy by the prime minister stated that this medium will help encourage the Canadian sales and production. This policy stimulated the launch of CBS network in the 1950s in the cities of Toronto and Montreal to display national content in addition to American shows and producing spin-offs of the American shows.
By 1965, approximately every family that owned television sets and Canadians were still favoring American programs and shows. In that period of time, the 1960s, television was viewed as an important medium that would strengthen the Canadian identity. The 60s and 70s introduced some Canadian shows and cable television.
People then shifted to cable television then pay-t, which offered more channels that could be purchased was allowed by the CRTC. The domestic programming was highly encouraged and many Canadian shows achieved a huge success in the American market.
The 21st century Canadian Television continued to air programs that would attract its audience such as “Howdy Doody Show”, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” and “Canadian Idol”, in addition to reality programs.
The shift toward cable and satellite television forced CBC and private broadcasters to close their stations in some markets. And people shifted to watch the online content. The CRTC decided at last in 2017 to ensure that all Canadians can access the television after the increased costs of receiving television and media services.
Video Games:
Because of its government’s support, Canada is the best place to launch a video game company.
Canada have almost 329 gaming companies all around it. The average Canadian gamers’ age is 33 years old with 54% of its population considered as gamers.
The Canadian video game industry is dated back to the early 1980s. Within several years the industry grew to be an economic sector. There were three main video games companies in Canada: DSI which was later purchased by the Electronic Arts Canada (EA Canada), and Ubisoft Montreal.
Canada is the third largest video game nation in the world because its largest cities, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, are were the industry got strengthened.
Video games were originally created in the 1960s. Few years later, a whole industry was created for these games and it arrived to Vancouver, Canada in the 1980s. In the first decade the first Canadian video game company was created by two teens, Don Mattrick and Jeff Sember, who later founded DSI, Vancouver’s most important and famous studio. DSI was later purchased by EA, named later EA Canada, for eleven million dollars, which increased the number of video games produced in Vancouver each year after the 1980s.
Now, the largest Canadian video games industry is in the city of Montreal, which is the home to Ubisoft Montreal, Canada’s largest video game company and studio.
The economic factors and studio agencies are what influenced the Canadian video game history