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June 28, 2020 5:09 pm  #31


Re: Lord Black weighs in on CBC

Black claims he went on the air to say he didn't believe there was systemic racism in Canada - not that there isn't any at all. He blames a faction in Corus for the decision to cut ties with him. 

The company is especially sensitive about this right now, after several of its own employees came out with tales alleging racism within the organization. Given the bad PR that's generated, they likely felt they had no other choice but to let him go. 

The question now is: are you allowed to express a different opinion to anyone without it costing you your job? There is no excuse for racism of any kind in any organization. But it appears if you even express a slight difference of opinion from the majority about what that means, you're dead meat and your career ends. I'm not a huge Conrad Black fan, but this trend of silencing people who don't 100% share your view is starting to make me very nervous.

 

June 28, 2020 6:47 pm  #32


Re: Lord Black weighs in on CBC

Doesn't this really get into the area of programming? Is it not understood that pundits like Black are speaking for themselves and not Corus? Isn't that why the company wanted him as a weekly guest in the first place? Didn't they want Black on Oakley's show because of his opinions, his personality and viewpoints? Just because Conrad appears on a Corus program does not mean the company in any way agrees or endorses his politics. This is so basic, and if it is not understood, then simply say at the top of Black's weekly time that the opinions expressed are his and his alone. 

He has already written in the National Post that he doesn't believe there is systemic racism in Canada and he wrote why he feels this way. We are free to agree or disagree with him and say so.  If he was to say the same thing  on air, what is the problem? He can be challenged by the host or another guest to prove his opinions and defend them. The whole point of having someone like Black as  a newspaper columnist or talk show guest is to provoke debate on why his take is wrong or right.  Too bad Corus is letting internal company politics interfere with what appears on air. The two are not the same thing and should remain separate. 

 

June 29, 2020 10:29 am  #33


Re: Lord Black weighs in on CBC

Kosmos Kagool wrote:

With Greg Carrasco and Conrad Black both gone, AM 640 is moving from Frank's Red Hot to mayonnaise  

Hahaha..good one Kosmos! 

 

June 29, 2020 11:51 am  #34


Re: Lord Black weighs in on CBC

I don't like political correctness of any stripe, left, centre or right. But here's an idea - could we get away from political correctness by actually having conversations between parties who disagree with each other? We have some of that already with some of the roundtables. I'd like to hear Conrad and Desmond on together, and listen to the potential clash of views. Or, perhaps be surprised by even small areas where they discover some level of agreement. How about truly exciting, provocative radio rather than one-sided rants, which are so utterly predictable. Creative teams led by smart, adept program directors could come up with novel discussion topics that reflect what's going on in the moment. And intelligently and thoughtfully pierce the heart of some of topics that are utterly precarious, like the use of racial epithets, or methods of bridging gender gaps in the workplace, or measures taken to address COVID, or ways to address and even reverse economic inequality, and so on. It also doesn't have to be exclusively left versus right. I'd love to hear factions within the left - anarchists and socialists, for instance - debating each other. Or from the right, Log Cabin Republicans and Red Tories taking to the mic with social conservatives. With a serious amount of that kind of debate on the radio, it might be more tolerable to endure a brief, pointed, well articulated rant or two, and offered from different perspectives.

 

June 29, 2020 12:56 pm  #35


Re: Lord Black weighs in on CBC

I would like to see this idea, too, and it is being done, albeit in a very limited way. On Sunday's "Question Period," Evan Solomon had Richard Fowler, a former diplomat who was held hostage by the Taliban and Dick Fadden, the former Canadian National Security Advisor, on together to discuss the Two Michaels hostage taking in China. 

The former was one of the signatories to the letter urging the P.M. to let the Huawei chair go, while the other argued we can't give into blackmail. The segment was too short, but at least it had what Joni Mitchell might call "Both Sides Now." 

Unfortunately, it's a rarity these days. There are a lot of reasons for it in my mind. Time limitations usually prevent having two competing opinions on at the same time. Some hosts frankly don't think about it. A few are very slanted to begin with (which is why, as an example, you rarely hear Conservative guests on CBC Radio.)

And then there are the opposing factions themselves. I remember being involved in some radio talk shows with guests who refused to appear "if he's (referring to his opinionated opponent) on with me."

I've long wondered whatever happened to the political sides in the middle. It seems everything - left or right - literally only goes to extremes now. Your wish is a good one. I'm just sorry to say as we get more polarized, it's less likely to come true.

 

June 29, 2020 5:40 pm  #37


Re: Lord Black weighs in on CBC

Charlie wrote:

Who will replace him, Desmond Cole?  Wouldn't be surprised in this day and age.

Don't give people free ideas.