Busy bodies. The world is full of them. Most times they are absolutely bloody useless. They can't make anything, they can't invent or develop anything. The only thing they can do is tell the rest of us what we can and (more often than not) can't do......

The world would be a shed load better if all the world's busy bodies were cast adrift on a very big boat.

It appears that even Al-Jazeera won't likely actually show up on cable naytime soon as the CRTC says it must be either recorded or on tape delay, so sayth <i>The Toronto Star</i>:<blockquote class="smalltext">The CRTC asked distributors to record Al-Jazeera programming so they can assess it in case of complaints about abusive comments. The commission also said it will allow distributors to alter or delete Al-Jazeera programming to ensure no abusive comment is distributed...<p>Charles Dalfen, chairman of the CRTC, said in an interview that Al-Jazeera has broadcast objectionable material. Some of the remarks cited at commission hearings clearly held Jews up to "hatred and contempt on the basis of religion," Dalfen said. On the other hand, he said, Al-Jazeera met the test of being a credible news service, and the commission had a legal duty not to unduly infringe on freedom of expression. The conclusion was that "we couldn't absolutely ban it," Dalfen said. There will be protections for news, Dalfen said. "It may be that Osama bin Laden, as a news item, sends a tape and they play the tape and the tape says `kill the Jews, or the Christians, or crusaders, and I'm going to get them.' That would normally be seen to be a pretty offensive statement, but it's news. So it too isn't subject to the same degree of scrutiny."</blockquote>I can't see how simply recording and archiving the content of one station is a burden. The CBC notes that the staff of AJ are mainly former BBC Arabic Service folk who tick off as many Middle Eastern <strike>dictators</strike> allies as western leaders.<p>As for the block of the Italian network, apparently the CRTC's job is to support local monopolies, too:<blockquote class="smalltext">Quebec Liberal MP Massimo Pacetti (Saint-Léonard-Saint-Michel), who lobbied for the new RAI station, yesterday said the Liberals are still committed to that goal. "We're going to try and reverse that decision." The CRTC is an arm's-length body but the government can give it directives to change its rules. The CRTC decisions point to the trend of the "grey market" world of U.S. satellite services. Many in the Italian community say subscribing to such services is the only way they can access the programming it wants. It is estimated that about 700,000 Canadian homes subscribe to U.S. services. The CRTC ruled that it would not allow RAI International to have a 24-hour channel to be distributed on Canadian services because it would virtually annihilate Telelatino Network Inc., a Canadian channel owned by Corus Entertainment. Telelatino president Aldo Di Felice yesterday applauded the decision, which he said "clears the way for a 24-hour Italian-language digital television service to be launched by a Canadian company."</blockquote>

Within minutes of the new cabinet being sworn in, we have talk of a policy review for the CRTC. Suggestions?

It is picking up steam. Shut 'em down.