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A "Defund The CBC" Argument From A Source You'd Never Expect
We've certainly hashed this out over the years here, and most know I'm not a huge fan of government getting involved in broadcasting. But this isn't your usual rant over the future fate of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Because it comes from perhaps the last source you'd expect - Richard Stursberg. Who's he? The former Executive Vice-President of CBC English Television from 2004-2010.
Unlike previous arguments, which can be extreme, I found this one well-reasoned and thought out, and with a suggestion for a different entity that would ensure Canadian productions continue in a different form that would be accessible to all citizens in the country. And he actually argues for the survival of CBC Radio and the French networks, turning his experienced sights on the English TV side instead, insisting the tax money the Corp. currently gets should still be collected - but given to a different source.
"The alternative...would be to take the $600 million spent on English TV and not return it to the public purse. Instead, it could be spent on creating a digital on-demand service, featuring the best Canadian documentaries, dramas, kids’ shows, and comedies. Like Netflix or Disney Plus, the shows would be streamed and available to Canadians whenever they wanted to watch them."
Regardless of whether you love or hate the CBC, it's worth a read for a different perspective on what can be a very divisive issue.
Defund CBC TV - But Put That Money To Better Use
- paterson1
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Re: A "Defund The CBC" Argument From A Source You'd Never Expect
I thought initially Mr. Poilievre said he was going to cut the French services as well? If he keeps using the $1.2 billion savings slogan then he is cutting the whole shebang, radio/tv English and French. If the savings are only half of this as the writer points out then he should say so. CBC English TV share is about $600 million or half of the 1.2 billion in taxpayer money.
Poilievre would be nuts to cut Radio-Canada. It brings in more money than CBC, usually the number one network in Quebec, and he could kiss away the 7-12 and potentially many more seats the Tories could win in the province.
Moving the $600 million to a digital on demand service is sort of shuffling the deck but would work I guess. They already have CBC GEM so the money would be moved to that service?
So CBC English TV news is history other than CBC News Network? This could change the news network however since they use CBC facilities which supposedly would be sold or rented out permanently.
Pierre should focus on more important and pressing things rather than getting rid of the English CBC TV network. This is just a petty vanity project for him and red meat for the voters who view public broadcasting as too socialist. These folks are going to vote for him anyway, but he could lose out on many older Conservatives who still watch CBC. And these people show up and vote in elections.
Maybe more important he won't get nearly as many disappointed Liberals who are tired of Trudeau and really don't want to vote for him. With Poilievre's stand on this minor issue and his general dislike, avoidance and distrust of traditional media, makes it much harder for these soft Liberals to jump ship and vote Conservative. Mr. Poilievre may actually be leaving the door open for Trudeau and make it easier for the Liberals win another minority.
Poilievre also needs to change his attitude quickly about the mainstream media and get in the game. Social media isn't going to be enough to reach millions of Canadians. And he should avoid making enemies with traditional media.
- Tomas Barlow
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Re: A "Defund The CBC" Argument From A Source You'd Never Expect
Vassay Kapelos said on her show last week that he won’t come on despite multiple requests.
I suspect that he doesn’t want to have to say how he’d actually fix anything because he hasn’t thought about it yet. He’d rather just yell that stock line “After eight years of the Justin Trudeau liberals…” followed by paragraphs of hyperbole.
- MJ Vancouver
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Re: A "Defund The CBC" Argument From A Source You'd Never Expect
What people who want to defund English CBC Televison fail to understand is how they provide a local news voice in various underserved markets that the private sector won’t serve. This is particularly true of Atlantic Canada, where CBC provides the only local newscast based in Prince Edward Island, and this is also the case in Northern Canada where CBC North provides local news to Yukon, NWT and Nunavut. In a number of cities they’re one of only two English local TV news sources; Newfoundland, Ottawa, and Windsor are examples; without them, the private stations would have a monopoly.
It is unlikely any private media would be clamouring to start a private station in PEI or an additional English station in Ottawa.
- RadioAaron
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Re: A "Defund The CBC" Argument From A Source You'd Never Expect
MJ Vancouver wrote:
What people who want to defund English CBC Televison fail to understand is how they provide a local news voice in various underserved markets that the private sector won’t serve. This is particularly true of Atlantic Canada, where CBC provides the only local newscast based in Prince Edward Island, and this is also the case in Northern Canada where CBC North provides local news to Yukon, NWT and Nunavut. In a number of cities they’re one of only two English local TV news sources; Newfoundland, Ottawa, and Windsor are examples; without them, the private stations would have a monopoly.
It is unlikely any private media would be clamouring to start a private station in PEI or an additional English station in Ottawa.
Good points - and to add to the Ottawa situation, there may only be two English language editorial voices, but CTV is doing it with two signals, allowing them to sell far more prime-time (and NFL) ad space - and a ton of radio integration.
TV is CBC's least defined service IMO. The sell ads, so they're chasing ratings to some degree yet are mandated to provide content in ways where that's difficult to achieve. And they can't even sell ads within their highest rated programming (HNIC.) I don't know what the answer is but I do agree the thing needs to go up on the hoist.
- RadioActive
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Re: A "Defund The CBC" Argument From A Source You'd Never Expect
I deliberately avoided any mention of the Conservative Party leader in my original post. What I found fascinating about the article is that the one-time head of CBC English television wants to get rid of or completely change CBC English television. That's simply mind boggling to me and I never thought a former V.P. of the network would have an opinion like that, let alone express it in public. That's the most interesting part of the piece to me.
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Thread Starter- Fleadh
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Re: A "Defund The CBC" Argument From A Source You'd Never Expect
Based on what I've read, count me in the not surprised category.
Referring to a) his book Tower of Babble a decade ago, where he expounds on not continuing to throw good money after bad.
And b) more recent headwinds...if you take the Canadiana aspect and loaded "defund" word out of it - and obviously nigh-on impossible in a country where we can't change an anchor, a sports host or a hockey theme song without some kind of national, print-media fanned outcry - it's of a piece what a lot of industry titans have been predicting is going to happen in the not too distant future on these channels: news and sports, news and sports, maybe some 2nd-tier syndicated shows.
And CTV and Global could feel a dose of pain too if 1 or more of the US nets decide to give 10 back to their affiliates.
His idea sounds nice but again in a world of large streamers, I already occasionally hit up CBC Gem or the NFB app but as an "oh yeah, that" and not a 1st, 2nd or 3rd choice. Not sure what he's proposing would be different.