Shut Off: The Canadian Digital Television Transition, a recent book by Ryerson University post-doctoral fellow and GRAND researcher Dr. Gregory Taylor, has been shortlisted for the 2013/2014 Donner Prize. The prestigious award is given to the best public policy book by a Canadian. The five books vying for the Donner Prize were announced today by Allan Gotlieb, Chairman of the Donner Canadian Foundation.
Dr. Taylor's research has been funded (in part) by GRAND through the DINS project (Digital Infrastructures: Access and Use in the Network Society). Published by McGill-Queen's University Press, the book was commended in the shortlist summary for its bold examination of the revolution in television brought about by digital technology.
"Taylor provides an insightful assessment of a period of technological and economic upheaval in Canadian broadcasting, revealing how digital broadcasting has been the site of dramatic change in the political economy of Canadian media. A strong study that presents the reader with surprising messages, Shut Off challenges old thought and encourages new perspectives on an important subject."
"These five finalists deserve recognition for the significant contributions and compelling recommendations they make regarding some of Canada's major policy challenges," said Mr. Gotlieb.
The Donner Prize, established in 1998, annually rewards excellence and innovation in public policy writing by Canadians. The 2013/2014 shortlist titles were chosen from a field of 80 submissions; the winner receives $50,000 while each other nominated title will receive $7,500.
The winner of this year's Donner Prize will be announced at an awards ceremony in Toronto on Wednesday, April 30, 2014.
The 2013/2014 Donner Prize finalists are:
- International Law and the Arctic by Michael Byers (Cambridge University Press)
- Out of the Basement: Youth Cultural Production in Practice and in Policy by Miranda Campbell (McGill-Queen's University Press)
- Unjust by Design: Canada's Administrative Justice System by Ron Ellis (UBC Press)
- The Third Rail: Confronting Our Pension Failures by Jim Leech and Jacquie McNish (Signal)
- Shut Off: The Canadian Digital Television Transition by Gregory Taylor (McGill-Queen's University Press)
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