Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage

HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES OTTAWA, CANADA K1A 0A6

Comité permanent du patrimoine canadien

For immediate release

Ottawa, February 11, 2002 - The House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage is pleased to announce the hiring of two expert advisors for its study of the Canadian broadcasting system. The expert advisors—Professor Marc Raboy of the University of Montreal’s Department of Communications and Professor David Taras of the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Communication and Culture—will, among other things, provide the Standing Committee with strategic focus and direction for its study. Professor Raboy is the author of numerous books, book chapters, scholarly articles and research reports on various aspects of media studies. He most recently completed editing an international collection of essays on global issues in communication and mass media policy. A past president of the Canadian Communication Association, he has conducted research on behalf of a range of organizations including UNESCO, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) and the Council of Europe. In addition to being a full professor at the University of Montreal, Professor Raboy has lectured extensively both in Canada and abroad, and has been a visiting scholar at the University of Stockholm and the University of Oxford, as well as teaching at Laval University, Concordia University and McGill University. Professor Taras has published numerous books and articles on Canadian broadcasting policy, mass media and Canadian society and the reporting of Canadian elections. He has also authored many reviews, book introductions and lectures. Professor Taras is currently the principal researcher on a three-year project to examine mass media coverage of Supreme Court decisions, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and conducted in partnership with the Canadian Journalism Foundation, the Quebec Federation of Journalists and the Quebec Bar Association. In addition to being a full professor at the University of Calgary, Professor Taras has lectured at the University of Amsterdam and the University of Toronto. He is also a regular television commentator and author of newspaper articles. The study’s Terms of Reference are other pertinent information are posted on the Committee’s Website: /Error/Error.asp"1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4">