Since its founding in 1985, FRIENDS has:
- defended CBC from fiscal attacks from hostile governments
- placed seven full page advertisements in the Globe and Mail on
subjects ranging from open letters to the Prime Minister to defending
the CRTC's
decision to licence CBC Newsworld - successfully deterred the federal government from reducing the
independence of the CBC Board of Directors - led the defence of CBC's regional programming
- influenced the content and direction of the 1991 Broadcasting Act
- spoken out consistently in behalf of the interest of viewers and listeners at CRTC licensing and policy hearings
- served as a watchdog for viewers and listeners
- sponsored ten national public opinion polls on public attitudes to broadcasting issues
- built a network of 66,000 Canada families committed to defending and enhancing Canadian content in the audio-visual system
- took on the cable monopolies on such issues as negative option and
competition in the delivery of video signals into Canadian homes - sponsored several major research studies on priority issues in the
broadcasting system - influenced the direction of the House of Commmons Standing Committee on
Canadian Heritage's landmark study of Canadian broadcasting policy. - developed the Dalton Camp Award to encourage young Canadians to think
and write about the links between media and democracy - sponsored the "Let's tell our own stories" public service announcement
campaign on Canadian TV, supported by 30 companies and organizations
