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March 18, 2021 10:05 am  #1


Do Corus & Bell Really Consider CBC-TV The Competition?

It's an admittedly weird question, but there's a reason to ask it. 

You would certainly never see a commercial touting a CTV show airing on Global. And Global would never accept an ad telling you to be sure to watch Grey's Anatomy on another network. But in the past few weeks, I've been hearing endless radio spots for CBC-TV shows on both Corus' GNR640 and Bell's CFRB. 

In these days of declining advertising, a sponsor is a sponsor and they'll take the money and run. And TV is admittedly a vastly different animal than radio. (Ironically, the CBC can't really put its ads on Radio 1, since it doesn't carry any advertising.) 

But does anyone think it's odd to hear repeated spots touting CBC-TV shows, and its GEM website, on a station that's owned by a competitor? Talk about strange bedfellows. 

 

March 18, 2021 11:37 am  #2


Re: Do Corus & Bell Really Consider CBC-TV The Competition?

CBC should not, be a competitor.    They are to be a public broadcaster.     The logic behind running CBC spots, I think is exactly that.    CBC really isn't a commercial "for profit" like Global, CTV, CITY are.     CBC could have the worst ratings and it all doesn't matter because they get public dollars to support it where advertising falls short.    People are not leaving CTV, Global, CITY for any long periods because of any programming they run.   If anything I think the Government and CRTC should ensure CBC is 100% Canadian... which is the point... This would give more freedom to commercial broadcasters to air what they need to get ratings.

Last edited by radiokid (March 18, 2021 11:38 am)

 

March 18, 2021 12:39 pm  #3


Re: Do Corus & Bell Really Consider CBC-TV The Competition?

RadioActive wrote:

It's an admittedly weird question, but there's a reason to ask it. 

You would certainly never see a commercial touting a CTV show airing on Global. And Global would never accept an ad telling you to be sure to watch Grey's Anatomy on another network. But in the past few weeks, I've been hearing endless radio spots for CBC-TV shows on both Corus' GNR640 and Bell's CFRB. 

In these days of declining advertising, a sponsor is a sponsor and they'll take the money and run. And TV is admittedly a vastly different animal than radio. (Ironically, the CBC can't really put its ads on Radio 1, since it doesn't carry any advertising.) 

But does anyone think it's odd to hear repeated spots touting CBC-TV shows, and its GEM website, on a station that's owned by a competitor? Talk about strange bedfellows. 

When I lived in Toronto back around 2015-16, I remember CBC having a TV spot advertising Metro Morning which aired on one of the non-CBC TV channels - I think it was Citytv. CBC was doing a huge advertising campaign for Metro Morning at the time; there were also Metro Morning ads all over the TTC.

I do also remember CBC TV programs being promoted on 680 News around the same time.

Most likely at the time they had some reciprocal deal with Rogers which could have been connected to their NHL deal which has existed since 2014. To this day CBC TV programs regularly get promoted on Hockey Night in Canada which airs on Sportsnet and Citytv in addition to CBC.

Last edited by MJ Vancouver (March 18, 2021 12:40 pm)

 

March 18, 2021 12:41 pm  #4


Re: Do Corus & Bell Really Consider CBC-TV The Competition?

I think TV stations/networks running ads on radio stations they don't own is normal. I've usually heard the odd promo for a CTV or CBC TV program on a Corus-owned radio station, as well as Rogers radio stations. I've seen the reverse on TV as well, I've seen Rogers Radio ads on Global TV. Heck I remember a long time ago CBC Radio running ads on local commercial TV. Though nowadays I've noticed Bell Media only runs these sort of promos on their own stations. 

What's weird is that Rogers (Citytv) running CBC TV promos OUTSIDE of hockey/HNIC. 

 

March 18, 2021 1:08 pm  #5


Re: Do Corus & Bell Really Consider CBC-TV The Competition?

This has been happening for decades.  Remember the old CBC radio ads that ran on the CTV national news?  Or Moses Znaimer saying in  a CBC TV spot how he believed in public broadcasting?  And didn't these ads run on City tv and CBC? CTV ran a few CBC ads for the JUNO Awards during the Grammy's on Sunday night. 

I have noticed an even bigger "conflict".  This would be the airtime and coverage that both ETalk and ET Canada give to competitors shows. 

Globals ET Canada has done extensive feature reports for Schitt's Creek, and various CBC shows, but also CTV programs like Transplant, Corner Gas, Orphan Black.  And CTV's ETalk have featured reports on Global programs like Private Eyes, Big Brother Canada, Rookie Blue etc. 

CBC doesn't have the infrastructure on radio to run promos for the TV network very much.  Maybe one promo before a newscast.  Global, City, CTV own a lot of commercial radio stations that can promote their network programming all day long, many times per hour.  So  CBC out of necessity needs to purchase air time on commercial competitors to promote programming.  If CBC radio had commercial or promo breaks throughout the hour it would be a different story.  

 

March 18, 2021 10:27 pm  #6


Re: Do Corus & Bell Really Consider CBC-TV The Competition?

radiokid wrote:

CBC should not, be a competitor.    They are to be a public broadcaster.     The logic behind running CBC spots, I think is exactly that.    CBC really isn't a commercial "for profit" like Global, CTV, CITY are.     CBC could have the worst ratings and it all doesn't matter because they get public dollars to support it where advertising falls short.    People are not leaving CTV, Global, CITY for any long periods because of any programming they run.   If anything I think the Government and CRTC should ensure CBC is 100% Canadian... which is the point... This would give more freedom to commercial broadcasters to air what they need to get ratings.

The majority of the non-Canadian programming comes from the UK.  I don't see CTV or Global wanting to air Coronation Street or Call the Midwife.