1 of 1- RadioActive
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Does This Deserve A 3-Hour Special On Over The Air TV?
I'm not a huge fan of the monarchy but as long as it's a part of Canada's Parliamentary system, there's a need for a Governor General. Which brings us to Monday morning and the installation of the incoming GG, Mary Simon. I would certainly expect the CBC to cover this and they are, with a special that starts at 11 AM and runs until 12:30 PM. It doesn't sound like a riveting 90 minutes, but OK.
How then to explain CTV's plans for the same event on CFTO. The network has set aside three hours (!) for this thing, which in the end could easily be done in about an hour or less. I have to wonder how much interest there is in this to begin with. I get that it's the first Indigenous person in the position but three hours? That seems to be a ridiculous amount of coverage that's even longer than what CBLT has planned. (And yes, I'm aware they're really taking the feeds of their all news channels, but they clearly don't need to carry it all.)
I can't ever remember a GG-swearing in getting this kind of coverage - if any. Is this something you plan to watch at all, let alone for three solid hours? What could they possibly need that much time for?
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- Radiowiz
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Re: Does This Deserve A 3-Hour Special On Over The Air TV?
Is CP 24 covering this also?
If so, I guess I have to switch to Global News Toronto for my noon news fix just once.
(Thank god it's just once)
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- Tomas Barlow
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Re: Does This Deserve A 3-Hour Special On Over The Air TV?
It looks like the coverage of the previous swearing in was also three hours on CBC and CPAC. I guess that's how long these things are. I suspect Olympic coverage is the reason for CBC's abbreviated program.
- mace
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Re: Does This Deserve A 3-Hour Special On Over The Air TV?
Oh My! This means CTV is giving up their simsub of "The View"
- Radiowiz
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Re: Does This Deserve A 3-Hour Special On Over The Air TV?
mace wrote:
Oh My! This means CTV is giving up their simsub of "The View"
I was just wondering about that. Why the loss of a sim sub? There are other options for viewing this 3 hour special.
Is CTV doing a CAN CON Suck up to the CRTC for something? lol
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- paterson1
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Re: Does This Deserve A 3-Hour Special On Over The Air TV?
Not to be "snide" again RA, but you can't remember a GG swearing in getting this kind of coverage. if any??
So you think that previous swearing in ceremonies for GG didn't have any coverage? Really? Or am I "reading too much" into your comment again?
Rest assured the appointment of a new Governor General is always covered live on TV and always has been. Wasn't your broadcast career in news?
Any kidding aside, we are in the dregs of summer with not much on daytime television, so I say why not. Give it three hours. Canadians often don't know much about how their government works, so this gives CTV lots of time to explain the purpose of the GG, the significance of the first indigenous person to hold this position. I am sure both CTV and CBC will do a lot of background on Mary Simon, and feature pundits speculating when the election will be called. Political junkies will like this, everyone else will likely be doing something more important like enjoying the summer. 
- RadioActive
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Re: Does This Deserve A 3-Hour Special On Over The Air TV?
I honestly cannot recall a three hour special - or really, any special - on the swearing in of a Governor General. I'm sure the all news channels covered it from start to finish in the past. But regular broadcast TV? It never happened in my newsroom, and I can't say I recollect it happening for Julie Payette or David Johnston. Or even Adrienne Clarkson and she was a former CBC employee.
Even if it deserves live coverage, three hours seems a bit much.
I strongly suspect this is getting the attention it is because she's the first Indigenous person appointed to the position, which makes it unique. It's the only explanation I can think of.
That said, if they want to devote the air time to it, that's fine with me. This isn't "A Clockwork Orange" and no one's forcing anyone to watch anything, with their eyes propped open against their will. All I'm saying is in the newsrooms I worked in over the years this was always an intro followed by a clip, or maybe a reporter SOT (sound on tape if you're not familiar with the term) but that's it. Total air time: two minutes max. Three hours seems completely unprecedented to me. And to be honest, no, I don't remember ever seeing CTV doing anything like this before.
There's nothing wrong with it, I suppose. I just find it odd that in this case, they're giving up 180 minutes of valuable air time for something so - sorry, but it is - ultimately irrelevant to most people. Especially when they both have their own all news networks. And pomp and circumstance aside, I doubt it will attract a big audience.
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Thread Starter- Radiowiz
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Re: Does This Deserve A 3-Hour Special On Over The Air TV?
That said, if they want to devote the air time to it, that's fine with me. This isn't "A Clockwork Orange" and no one's forcing anyone to watch anything,
YES. Viewers are being forced to watch Global News if they want news @ Noon.
Good or bad thing depends on one's opinion of news coverage.
It will be interesting to see what ratings Global gets for this one day.
Are viewers going to check out Global? Or simply go "meh, I can do without noon news for one day..."
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- mace
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For me, it would be "Meh....."
- Glen Warren
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Due to the pandemic and Covid concerns, this ceremony is being greatly reduced in size and the number of attendees, invitees, and other assorted toadies and political fart catchers.
Only 44 people will be allowed in the senate chamber... normally, the senate is packed with Senators, MPs, guests.... also, people are being asked not to line the procession route, or assemble at the National War Memorial for the wreath laying, ...
- paterson1
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Re: Does This Deserve A 3-Hour Special On Over The Air TV?
Oh My! This means CTV is giving up their simsub of "The View"
I was just wondering about that. Why the loss of a sim sub? There are other options for viewing this 3 hour special.
Is CTV doing a CAN CON Suck up to the CRTC for something? lol
It is summer, a beautiful day, people are going outside again and having some FUN hopefully, maybe even on holiday......nobody cares whether CTV's regular programming has been cancelled for three hours mid day. The CRTC also wouldn't really care if CTV gives this 3 hours or 3 minutes. They would find it odd, since CTV wouldn't be much of a national news broadcaster if the network didn't cover the live the investiture of the new Governor General. And being on the main network for both CTV and CBC is also understandable since many do not subscribe to CBC or CTV news channels. As RA mentioned nobody is forcing you to watch it.
Whether any of us here see value in the monarchy, the GG, or the ceremony is irrelevant. CTV is a private company who chose to give this major coverage today. It is their call, let CTV worry about whatever ratings this had.
To most of Canada's 1.6 million Indigenous people this was a big, big day. And in my opinion it was totally appropriate that the ceremony for our new Governor General, Mary Simon was covered live and in detail. Also don't forget that politics naturally played a big part in today's broadcasts, since now that we have a new GG, the possibility of a general election in the next few months has become more probable. Much of the discussion today on both networks revolved around this, but the real story was historical with Mary Simon being the first Indigenous person to serve as the Queen's representative in Canada. Whether you agree or not, this is a big deal.
Last edited by paterson1 (July 26, 2021 7:01 pm)
- radiokid
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Re: Does This Deserve A 3-Hour Special On Over The Air TV?
This I personally feel is a duty of the CBC on their OTA channels.. CTV on the other hand, I don't know if it's worth 3 hours of air time for on their OTA channels. This being said, they are free to air what they want as a private broadcaster, as I'm not forced to watch and not paying for OTA broadcasts from them.
Last edited by radiokid (July 27, 2021 12:26 pm)