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<strong>Written By:</strong> BC Mary
<strong>Date:</strong> 2006-06-12 21:54:00
<a href="/article/95458230-killing-off-our-public-broadcasting-system">Article Link</a>

A website called CBCWatch — launched after the network's controversial coverage of same sex marriage — continues to gleefully catalogue every negative story published about the public broadcaster.<p> CBC-TV news is often targeted for its supposed left-wing and anti-Israel bias by conservative lobby groups.<p> And, of course, there's that ultimate poll, the one taken with the remote control. <p> The truth is, CBC's entertainment programming, while critically acclaimed, goes relatively unwatched. <p> CTV, for instance, measures viewers for its Canadian Idol in the millions. CBC's recently cancelled This is Wonderland and Da Vinci's City Hall had audiences that, added together, never came close.<p> During the past couple of decades, the once mighty network has stumbled through one disaster after another. Budget cuts. Bad management. Burgeoning specialty channel competition that attracted much of the talent it nurtured.<p> So, now that it's down, it's easy to kick it...<p> [snip]<br> ...There's no question that Canada needs a vibrant, vital source of TV programming that will do what the privates can't, or won't. Trouble is, CBC has been so wounded, and rendered so lifeless, that many Canadians see little worth saving anymore.<p> And so they take their shots.<p> It's only a matter of time now before they succeed in killing it off completely.<p> More Zerbisias at thestar.com/blogs<p> <a href='http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1150064106590&call_pageid=968350072197&col=969048863851'>Toronot Star</a> [Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on June 13, 2006]

   

It's not just the terrorists that are after CBC. The approval of their license has been prosponed. Apparantly they have to prove to the CRTC that they have entered the "digital age". Will CBC be closing it's doors because the broadcaster can't afford the new technology? It's probable. The license is due for renewal next year.

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Expect little from life and get more from it.

   

Only to be expected. In an age where "divide and conquer" is re-acquiring a "new spirit", where we must necessarily hide in our homes, quaking in fear of our neighbours, CBC is the only media source to provide a trans-national connection, and performs minimal diversion and maximum content. Gosh! No wonder the "terrorists" want to get rid of it...........

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RickW

   

The link is broken, kind of like our public broadcaster .

Can it be fixed?

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"We are all in this together somehow, some more than others somehow"

   

How'zat, mon ami?

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"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden

   

Toronot? Toreau means bull in French, and particularly the one used in spanish corridas.

Interesting view point from the "West" with a franco counterculture twist. Maudite mondialisation.

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"We are all in this together somehow, some more than others somehow"

   

I find it amusing that if you ask a right-winger, they will tell you the CBC is liberally biased, and if you ask a left-winger, they will tell you they are too right-wing.

I think that the journalists on staff are, as a group, more left-leaning than the national average across the population, but the senior editors and owners (you know, the bombastic know-it-alls that like to tell us their opinion in editorials?) are by in large more right-wing than the general public overall.

So you have balance.

   

"It's not just the terrorists that are after CBC"

Yes it is.

The US-flunky-in-chief in the PMO is all the "terrorist" we need.

Sadly, he has willing accomplices, also duly elected.



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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"

"The Weapon" - Rush

   

The US-flunky-in-chief in the PMO is all the "terrorist" we need.
<<

Yes it is.<<


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Expect little from life and get more from it.

   

Some fairly good observations all round. I think one of the problems with the CBC is their part-desire to appear different from other media without actually being so; like their (so named) television comedy which tries to be "controversial" without really saying a great deal. I particularly dislike the character who speed-walks in front of a warehouse in Toronto (or is it Halifax?) while yelling obsessively at the top of his lungs about ... absolutely nothing. The CBC presents no real challenge to anyone in authority. Perhaps that is the reason that "our" public network is not banned from mainland China ( and the BBC is ). I do not say any of this with any great relish or satisfaction. I have always been a regular listener to CBC-Radio ( #1 and #2 ). And there are still occasionally some worthwhile things over there. I generally listen during weekdays to RadioTwo about 90% of the time since with rare exceptions I do not like popular music. I think the CBC should be preserved although I would like to see a completely non-commercial service. Maybe a referendum in this direction would be something to consider ...

   

I agree with Sgt ShockNAwe that I have over the years always perceived the CBC as a ((bleeding heart leftist excessively environmentalist granola latter day hippy new-age socialist + some other non-complimentary adjectives)) organization that actually did not agree with the views of normal Canadians like me. (Do you notice my bias?)

I guess that certain programs (by individual producers) did not appeal to me through the years. Yet, CBC 2 with all the classical music and no commercials was about all we listened to, "Morningside" was a staple food on CBC 1 and how can we forget "On the Road again" (and many others I cannot remember right now) on TV?

We miss CBC terribly here in the US, as a source of newsworthy news. We had NWI (part of CBC) on our satellite TV but cancelled DirectTV so now we go to CBC on line. Of course, we pick what we want to see.

With all its shortcomings, CBC remains a Canadian asset that should be cherished.

   

I visited CBCwatch, and attempted to do so with an open mind.

After about 5 minutes I shook my head in both amusement and disgust.

What I found was a site where people were complaining about "ideological bias", "accounatbility", and pretty much what a bad thing the CBC is.

I guess that's to be expected on a site whose very existence is based on being anti-CBC.

Yes, the CBC isn't perfect; but name one that is?

It's a shame that the people who bash the CBC don't use the same yardstick with other media corporations/outlets.

I guess "fairness" is another left-wing value these people can't appreciate.

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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"

"The Weapon" - Rush

   

<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/sask/story/sk-tommy-douglas060612.html">http://www.cbc.ca/sask/story/sk-tommy-douglas060612.html</a><br />
<br />
.......because the producer took flagrant liberties in twisitng the truth with premier of Saskatchewan James Gardiner. In the series, Gardiner is shown berating the striking coal miners in Estevan Strike of 1931, then inviting reporters for drinks. In 1931, he was no longer premier of Saskatchewan, and he was said to be an ardent teetotaler.<br />
These are two gross distortions of the truth, and are extremely easy to verify. So I cannot help but wonder what the producer of the series "Prairie Giant" based this part of his story on. For instance, DID Gardiner lecture the miners, even though he was no longer premier? Or were the miners lectured at all? If not, why say they were? What would this be based on? And if they were, and it was not Gardiner, then WHO was it? My guess is that SOMEONE lectured the strikers, and the producer made the error of confusing names. As to being a teetotaler, well, the man is dead these last nearly 50 years, so if someone (his family) choses to believe he was an abstainer, so be it. I mean, Gordon Campbell in BC is a born-again abstainer, according to himself............<br />
<br />
Like so many instances nowadays, too many questons, and never enough answers. But it sure plays well in condemning the CBC at this juncture.<br />
<p>---<br>RickW<br />
<br />
"The purpose of economic competition is to eliminate competition"...." - John Kenneth Galbraith

   

One thing, was the program in question a CBC in-house project or an indy project?

Either way, someone did screw the pooch royally when it came to verifying facts.

That the CBC is pulling it rather than arrogantly keep it on the air is something in it's favour in my book.

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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"

"The Weapon" - Rush

   

Senate made recommendations to stop advertising on CBC, and citing too much concentration in media etc they are wanting some changes, changes which are long overdue, they seem to think that public broadcasting should be public ...but will the government implement these recommendations?<br />
<a href="http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=canada_home&articleID=2297984">http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=canada_home&articleID=2297984</a><p>---<br>If I stand for my country today...will my country be here to stand for me tomorrow?

   

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