Canada newspaper study urges spur to competition

Charging that newspaper competition is "virtually dead" in Canada, the Royal Commission on Newspapers proposed sweeping changes to halt growth of newspaper groups and force them to sell some holdings.

The panel's $3.1 million study said the federal government should pass a "Canada Newspaper Act" to prohibit further concentration of ownership of the nation's 117 daily and 850 weekly newspapers, more closely monitor industry ownership, and give tax incentives for newspapers to spend more on editorial quality.