A Great Debate: Tony Burman, Andrew Coyne, Lawson Hunter, Peter Miller, and moderator Ann Medina
How should the broadcasting and digital media content that Canadians have access to be publicly regulated and funded, through a public broadcaster or by other means?
This event featured a formal debate with Tony Burman, Andrew Coyne, Lawson Hunter, Peter Miller, and moderator Ann Medina. Panelists discussed the following: Does Government of Canada funding for the public media space best serve the public good? Should we only support content creation and regulate private media platforms instead? Is a single national public broadcaster the best way to maintain a vibrant and productive space for Canadian programming? And if not, how can we do it better? This event was on-the-record and open to media.
Tony Burman, Distinguished Visiting Professor, School of Journalism, Ryerson University
Tony Burman is former head of CBC News and Al Jazeera English, and now teaches at Ryerson University’s School of Journalism as Distinguished Visiting Professor. He also writes a weekly column on world affairs for the Toronto Star.
Between 2011 and 2014, he was Ryerson’s Velma Rogers Graham Research Chair in News Media and Technology. While Managing Director of Al Jazeera English in Qatar from 2008-10, the network’s worldwide audience more than doubled to 220 million households. In October 2009, Arabian Business Magazine named him the second most influential non-Arab in the Arab world. In November 2009, the Canadian Expat Association announced he had been voted the third most influential Canadian living abroad, behind Michael J. Fox and Wayne Gretzky.
Before Al Jazeera, he spent more than three decades as an award-winning news and documentary producer at CBC News, including more than seven as its editor-in-chief. With Brian Stewart, he was one of the first journalists to cover the Ethiopian famine in 1984. He was executive producer of The National for eight years and senior documentary producer for CBC’s The Journal. Working in more than 30 countries, he produced many documentaries that were rebroadcast on the BBC, PBS and other international networks. These included ‘Mandela‘ (1986), one of the first television biographies of Nelson and Winnie Mandela, which was rebroadcast in 18 countries. Tony Burman was born in Montreal, educated at Loyola College and began his journalism career as a reporter with The Montreal Star.
Andrew Coyne, Political Columnist & Editorial and Comments Editor, National Post
Andrew Coyne is Editorials & Comment Editor of the National Post and a columnist for Postmedia. A graduate of the University of Toronto and of the London School of Economics?, he has worked previously as a columnist for Maclean’s and The Globe and Mail, contributing as well to a number of other publications at home and abroad, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, National Review, and The Walrus. In addition, he is a frequent commentator on radio and television, notably on the CBC’s popular “At Issue” panel. The winner of two National Newspaper Awards and the Hyman Solomon Award for Excellence in Public Policy Journalism, he is a fellow at the School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Toronto.
Lawson Hunter, Counsel, Strikeman Elliott & Former Commissioner of Competition
Mr. Hunter is Canada’s former Assistant Deputy Minister of the Bureau of Competition Policy, and was primarily responsible for the drafting of the federal Competition Act. From 1993 to 2003, he was a partner of Stikeman Elliott and head of the firm’s Competition and Foreign Investment Group. From 2003 to 2008, he served as executive vice-president and chief corporate officer of Bell Canada and BCE Inc.. In September 2008, he rejoined the Ottawa office of Stikeman Elliott as counsel. From April 2010 – May 2012, Mr. Hunter assumed the role of head of the Competition and Foreign Investment Group and recently returned to his role as counsel. Mr. Hunter is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute and sits on its Competition Policy Council. He recently co-authored, “Let the Market Decide: The Case Against Mandatory Pick-and-Pay.”
Mr. Hunter was educated at Harvard (LL.M. 1971), University of New Brunswick (LL.B. 1970, B.Sc. 1967). He is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors and was recently granted an Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree (L.L.D.) from the University of New Brunswick.
Peter Miller, Media Lawyer and Consultant
Peter Miller is a lawyer and engineer with 25 years of creative and telecommunications industry experience, in both private practice and executive positions. Since 2005, he has acted as an advisor and/or advocate for select clients in both the public and private sectors, specializing in business and policy development, particularly in regards to digital media.
Peter’s legal and consulting practice is largely focussed on the media sector, but is wide ranging in terms of the types of clients and nature of assignments. Clients have included numerous private entities, such as the CMPA, Corus, Shaw, Astral, Acadia, Newcap, Rogers Media and smaller independent and ethnic broadcasters, as well as numerous public entities, including the CRTC, Canadian Heritage, Competition Bureau, OMDC and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Assignments themselves have varied from pure regulatory and public policy projects, to strategic planning and economic impact exercises.
Over the past decade, Peter has researched and authored numerous public and private reports relating to creative industries, including digital media trends, convergence and the future production and media landscape.
From June 2008 to May 2009, Peter was Chief Operating Officer for S-VOX, the Vision TV group of companies. In this capacity he oversaw the organization’s operations and broadcast infrastructure as well as its marketing, communications, advertising sales, business development, legal, regulatory and affiliate relations functions.
From 2002 to 2005, Peter held the position of Vice President, Planning and Regulatory Affairs for CHUM Limited, where he was the key strategic advisor on industry developments and growth opportunities for CHUM Limited, as well as being responsible for all facets of CRTC regulatory affairs and government relations. Prior to joining CHUM in 1998, Peter was Senior Vice-President and General Counsel to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), responsible for all policy and legal issues for radio, specialty and television.
Peter Miller began his career in telephone network design at Bell Northern Research in Ottawa. His experience also includes serving as a Parliamentary Assistant in the House of Commons. Peter is a frequent industry commentator who has been actively involved in numerous industry boards and committees. Peter is the current Chair of Interactive Ontario, past chair of the CAB Specialty & Pay Services Board, past treasurer of Canadian Digital Television and a current constituency member of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
Ann Medina, Former Senior Foreign Correspondent, CBC’s The Journal
Before marrying a Canadian, Ann was a Producer for NBC News, and then Network Correspondent and Documentary Producer for ABC News. In Canada, she became a Senior Foreign Correspondent for CBC’s The Journal and, in 1983-84, was the Beirut Bureau Chief. Her topical documentaries aired regularly on BBC and PBS. She also moderated three Federal Election Debates.
Ann is Past Chair of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television and has served on numerous boards including the International Board of the International Women’s Forum. She also Chaired its Presidents’ Council. She has received the YWCA ‘Woman of Distinction’ award and, in 2010, was included in the ‘Top 100 Most Powerful Women’. She has received five honorary degrees including one from the University of Toronto.
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