The Conservative propaganda machine, Sun News, has been accused of biased reporting in favor of the Harper government, biased reporting against environmental causes, racism, and being an enemy of the arts -- and now “Fox News North” is petitioning to be on every TV in Canada.

When the channel started in 2011, Sun News claimed that it would never demand the Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) make it part of the mandatory basic cable package, as it would be a tax on all Canadians. But now the right-wing cable company is doing just that, casting off its supposed free-market principles in a bold bid to push its ideology into every Canadian household. Effectively, this “tax” paid for by Canadian cable subscribers would amount to a public subsidy of $20 million dollars per year even though its parent company, Quebecor, is the biggest newspaper owner in Canada. The CRTC will decide to approve or reject Sun News’ petition in a week.

Make your voice heard: Consumers do not want to be “taxed” to pay for "Fox News North" to be on every Canadian TV.

Sun News’ political bias is no surprise -- Stephen Harper’s former Director of Communications leads the channel, and Sun News effectively works as the Conservative party’s propaganda wing. However, news bias is just the beginning, as the channel also has a history of hate mongering.

Sun News’ vitriol is led by Ezra Levant, who has a long track record of offending various ethnic groups. His opinion piece against Roma people was removed after groups complained to the Toronto Police about hate speech, describing the broadcast as “one of the longest and most sustained on-air broadcasts of hate speech against any community in Canada that we’ve witnessed.” Idle No More protesters confronted him for being racist against First Nations, and he stood proud while wearing a niqab on air and calling the traditional wear a “body bag” while his crew members giggled audibly.

When not offending Canadians, he leads sustained and factually questionable attacks against environmentalists such as David Suzuki. His partner-in-hate, Krista Erickson, is notorious for bullying a modern dancer about arts funding. That interview so upset Canadians that the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council recorded double its usual complaints.

CRTC has complete discretion to deny new channels to be on the basic cable package. They are currently receiving public comments on whether to grant Sun News mandatory carriage. Let the CRTC know that you do not want Sun News in your living rooms.

Tell CRTC to deny bias and racist Sun News' application to air on all Canadian TVs.

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Further Reading:

A Farce to be reckoned with Ryerson Review of Journalism, Winter, 2012

Sun News Network suddenly seems just so...Canadian Globe and Mail. February 6th, 2013