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I suppose the only way to fathom this romance with the CBC is to first understand the center Left's chronic approach to politics in general, with its more insistent demands amounting these days to a conversation that doesn't seem to travel much further beyond the front ranks of the riot squad; on those rare occasions when they're not being extensively ignored altogether.
Once we're done with the CBC, we should seriously consider eliminating the taxpayer-funded public school system, which just fills our kids' heads with imperialist propaganda and does whatever the government tells it to do.
And don't get me started on health care - wait forever, lousy service, all for what? Make some specialists rich? Call that progressive?
Privatize everything until we can be sure it's truly controlled by and in the service of the people! Then we'll all have more money to spend on... Um.
That's quite the imagery, SJ (#61).
Sadly, I can't return the compliment.
I think it's clearly the case that voluntarily subscribing to the steady diet of 24/7 corporate banality in the form of news and informational programming is not enough for some. The nature of this rather peculiar addiction is such that for some users, it apparently warrants being supplemented by the entire population with involuntary contributions at source for more of it, regardless of the individual and societal harm it has repeatedly proven itself capable of. Surely by any stretch, the right in this country cannot be mobilized against the CBC on an ideological level as it pertains to content, aside from a few obscure offerings on radio enjoyed by an equally obscure listening audience. Its main point of contention then must reside in the unnecessary disbursement of public funds to the tune of tens of millions, for a marketing approach they're all too familiar with from their own ideology, and through intimate collaboration in fact with the ceeb across various panels. It's as if some individuals cannot bring themselves to fully understand the treachery of this organization in terms of human lives. As an adjunct to the national security state, it has been performing a role not far removed from that of a public affairs spokesperson at DND, or a White House press secretary.
No it's not like that at all. Maybe it's more like cutting funds for a G8 summit. Unlike a cut to healthcare or education, nobody gets hurt because the CBC takes a 10% cut across its 4 TV channels and 3 radio channels. Maybe the CBC cuts will take out Rex Murphy, Kevin O'Leary, Evan Solomon, Don Cherry or that redundant business/news TV channel. The CBC is increasingly earning such an equivical response.
I just think its a rather feeble bargaining position to announce from the outset, that should the left as represented to us in its current populist condition ever gain decision making power, all that would be required to invigorate the CBC toward a more inclusive mandate in terms of lending voice to the wider political spectrum, merely involves changing up a few presenters and a little program re-tweaking here and there.
On the flat face of the last ten years and counting of the CBC's abject sycophancy, such comforting assurances, when observed from a more strategic line of analysis than that of the hand to mouth here and now, appears incapable of presenting any dilemma whatsoever to an institution whose mission and vision put into practical use involves bending over backwards as far as possible, to the strange delight of any old political ideology offering cash payments on a regular basis in return for services rendered. This is a strategy which permits them to get away scott free with what their doing now by simply drawing the curtain on a sickening peepshow of the worse kind, because we're all chipping in whether we find our thing in it or not, while opening up another curtain if the discerning customer is insistent about it, which might very well prove more amenable to certain sensitivities and tastes not previously considered and catered to.
There is not a form of journalism or public good to be salvaged here and put to a better use, but a highly institutionalized and well practiced model of selfish pandering. There is also no alignment here either of the left and right when it comes to positioning over the CBC. The message should be simple enough for everyone involved in the wider debate to understand. Either the public broadcaster takes immediate pains to equally present the diverse political opinion in this country, or a government of the left will include within its first sitting a determination to re-direct the current level of funding to models of journalism that will be only too glad to do so. To my mind this would represent a bargaining position of some strength, which says get it done before it's too late. To begin with of course, one would need to have confidence in one's ability to ever gain power. It's nothing a poker face in lieu couldn't impart with practice.
Pretty shallow opinions from leftists. Dismantle the CBC and leave all broadcasting directly in the hands of the rich owners and rich advertisers. That will help us how? Other than allegedly reducing our tax burden, a noble objective for the masses who don't earn enough to pay much in tax?
And thinking that something will come along to "fill the gap" is pretty optimistic. We're talking about TV, radio, and internet here. Wanna guess at the startup costs?
Interested in some truly profound changes? How about starting a movement to: 1) ban all commercial advertising in broadcast media. 2) create a new publicly owned and run TV-telephone-internet provider, to compete with the private ones - heavily subsidized of course - and delivering its services free of charge up to some reasonably determined level of usage. Then watch the 1% scream.
Would you support those measures?
The federal government's attempt to get access to CBC financial records may be illegal, and ultimately destined to fail:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/11/14/pol-cp-cbc-info.html
and the bar association agrees it is a bad move:
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1082808
Yup, that sure looks to me like abject sycophancy and pandering.
It's pretty shallow, and naive to be honest about it, for leftists to say to the CBC that despite everything, we'll make you treat us more fairly as soon as we get the chance.....just you wait and see. A policy statement that offers the means to provide coast to coast opportunities for non-corporate opinions to be heard in public, doesn't sound at all like placing everyone into the hands of the rich ownership class. They've been placed there already with the assistance of the current model of public broadcasting.
That's a funny, oversimplified and inaccurate way to spin it. I sure don't see the CBC as one thing.
I can think of individual reporters, commentators and producers on specific programs who do things which are unfair or unprofessional. And when we talk about how right-wing the CBC is it is always the same four or five names which are trotted out as an example.
But the fact remains that those journalists who are doing their job still constitute the most vocal opposition we have to government, and there is no other broadcaster which gives as much of an open forum to the general public (of all political persuasions) as the CBC.
The CBC has received about $1.1 billion each year (constant 2011 dollars) for the past 15 years during the Chretian-Martin-Harper governments. With that money CBC presently runs 4 TV channels, 4 radio channels (includes Radio Canada shortwave) and a comprehensive internet website.
If there is to be renewal at CBC then it needs a government to champion it with either new ideas, money or both. Want a better outcome, elect a better government. Otherwise expect the same billion dollars to deliver the same public broadcasting, with little innovation. As the public broadcaster, the CBC is a political football that gets subjected to the inclinations of the government in power. It's tough to have high expectations for such an arrangement.
I see it more as electing a government which respects a proper arms-length approach rather than one which attempts to undermine, subvert and block.
That innovation will come from within the broadcaster itself, if it is left alone.
It is the CRTC's job to see that broadcasters fulfill their mandate - not the government.
I agree 6079, if the CBC is left alone by government to do public broadcasting it would be fine. There has been a lot of political interference via selection of management at the CBC. I can appreciate your positive view of what public broadcassting can be, and it is fair to recognize what we have. Perhaps my expactations have been beaten down since the CBC had its resources cut by 33% in 1994-95.
You're being overly inventive here. We're not discussing a different set of talking points depending on who is in power, but a capstone standard operating process that ensures multiple opinions are able to enjoy equal footing in return for continued funding from the multiple opinions there are to be found in society..or at least any footing at all. And certainly, I'd have to agree that a New Democratic government would not be in any position to begin with if it were to enforce a non-corporate apologist agenda upon the public broadcaster.
After ten years of cheerleading on Afghanistan, Libya, and with Iran never far below the surface of current plans, it's true that I frankly do not understand how some people can still locate any value in this conglomerate. It's like saying poor Colin Powell wasn't so bad after all, because the Bush administration made him go out there on stage at the UN Security Council peddling cartoon drawings and funny pictures.
And....does anyone know how to stay on topic anymore, in general conformity with a thread title? Hello...it's called CBC 'bashing?'
I suppose it all depends on whether you are onside with the National Citizens Coalition and the Free Thinkers' Festival.
But sure... Do let us get back to the original thread topic. Their panel discussion was about what they saw as the CBC's bias against Israel and against conservatives.
I will have to assume that you'll be relieved to know it doesn't depend on anything of the sort. In a similar vein, I'll offer that we can at least be thankful in this instance, that the prospects for this conversation being permitted to continue as an open critique from a leftist perspective, thus far hasn't hinged upon anyone's mistaken, or purposeful as the case may be, interpretation of what is actually transpiring here, or as to where it originates from.
Well criticism can certainly come from different perspectives, but the original topic was clearly about accusations by the right wing that the CBC is biased against them, and specifically about this little festival which is a vehicle for it.
So among other things, that is evidence that not everyone thinks our public broadcaster is being run out of the PMO.
And sorry, but I haven't a clue what your second sentence means. If you are trying to say something, perhaps you should just say it.
Well I must say this is an interesting discussion. But has anyone here directly dealt with the CBC or its staffers? Or its arrogance?
Here's what I think: this is an over-staffed Crown corporation that relies on romantic notions of a national unifying force for the people. Sure we have some very extreme examples of right wing infiltration in the form of the Cherry/O Leary gang, but that's limited to editorializing and not news content.
The real elephant in the room is this: why is the CBC funded to the tune of $1.1B annually? What does it accomplish for those dollars and can the average taxpayer ask questions of the CBC without being ignored? I'm not talking about trojans like that other right wing network doing access to info stuff or the taxpayer federation dolts.
I like CBC radio but the TV side is not worth the money and anyone who has seen what they do knows that radio is cheaper than television. Is it wrong to ask what a videographer, producer or a vice president at the CBC makes? It's not the biggest secret in this world folks. Is it wrong to ask for the CBC to stop acting like what Air Canada used to be as an arrogant crown corp. and start acting like a modern broadcaster?
Yes, on numerous occasions, and in a number of capacities.
Never worked for them myself, but I know and have known a number of people on the French and English side, TV and Radio. and in technical and marketing.
Its arrogance? I have no idea where to even begin with that.
Ok fair enough. Your experience may have been different from mine. So during these capacities, were you behind the camera or in front? What I am saying is that you feel this thing about arrogance is not valid for a Joe Average guy like me? I have never worked for them either. I just think they should get out of my way and stop pretending they're doing me a favour. What does this corporation want to do with itself? When will it be accountable to me? I don't know why three to four CBC staffers show up for one of me at any news event. And yes I do work for another media outlet but I am not militant about it.
No I have never worked in TV. When I was in the trade, I was in print.
I have been interviewed on TV in studio (once) and on radio.
I don't doubt you, but I didn't notice substantially bigger CBC crews than from other media at anything I covered, or events I have attended since.
And I don't question your experience, but I don't share it.
Well, anyway I'm not making this about what the CBC does on the front lines. But I guess this is where CBC bashing starts, aside from the usual right wing nonsense. A guy like me, who used to deal with them at a CBC affiliate station has to watch them try to hijack my own fibre optic line until I call them on it. I don't feel a lot of sympathy. This goes back to where our tax dollars go.
Hey, that little festival of theirs got some press:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/television/john-doyle/why-every...
Oh this is freaking rich:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/cbc-reluctantly-turns-over-...
Yes, and its latest headline, New top Mountie Paulson vows accountability, proud and privileged is he don't you know, informs us that the wheels of justice are churning as we speak. Give it a read if your stomach can withstand it. It's not all bad news though. The stage production enjoys the full support of the Leader of the Opposition.