The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » CBC Radio Makes Case For Its Survival In Advance Of Looming Election

RadioActive · January 10, 2025 10:47 am

Just before Christmas, the CBC made a case for keeping the funding for its radio service fully intact, pointing out its stations in 14 out of 17 markets are #1 in the all important morning shows.

Among the markets cited are Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. In other areas, like London and Ottawa, the Corp. says Numeris numbers indicate it is one of the most listened to of all available stations.

One of the major campaign planks of the poll-leading Conservatives is to defund the CBC, and it appears the Corporation is trying to make its case before any vote takes place.

I have my problems with some aspects of the CBC, but I would argue you don't cut something that is clearly popular with the public and tearing the funding out of its radio service would be a mistake.

Canadians depend on radio and CBC/Radio-Canada is their top choice

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · January 10, 2025 11:38 am

Its talk programs are more left bius like here and now and the cerant.
They also nead to swich cbc music back to a classical format.

markow202 · January 10, 2025 11:42 am

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 wrote:
Its talk programs are more left bius like here and now and the cerant.
They also nead to swich cbc music back to a classical format.

They play classical for most of the day - why would they need to switch to all classical?

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · January 10, 2025 11:50 am

There's surten formats that public radio is better at.
One of them is classical, jazz and folk not that indie pop mix that they play.
An great example is the dutch concertzender.
They have programs for early music, baroque, new classical and popular classical.
Another example is WGBH.

Aytononline · January 10, 2025 12:34 pm

The issue with the CBC is not so simple for me and the answer will need political interference. We need to ask a lot of questions.
There are a few questions I have.
How many foreign reporters should we have and where should they be. What types of stories do we want them to do.
I have a similar question about local tv and radio stations. How many local stations do we want and how much local news do we want on each station. Do we see the value in local tv programing that is not news.
After the political office decides what they want. They can ask the CBC for an estimate on cost. Or the CBC can comeback and say this is what we can do with the budget you have given us.

I write this because the old comment that is presently used " we have a mandate to provide programing for all Canadians" does not give enough details.

I also think we need to ask some bigger questions.
Let's look at Global tv in Kingston Ontario. Global moved local news production to Toronto.
If we want local tv news produced in Kingston are we willing to subsidize Global to make it happen.
It all comes down to how much are we willing to spend.

mace · January 11, 2025 8:15 am

If/when the Conservatives are elected sometime in 2025, I predict they will leave Radio-Canada alone. No need to upset Quebec voters. The party will agree with the facts presented by the CBC regarding Radio One and pretty much leave it untouched. Which leaves the little watched English television service to receive the most scrutiny and inevitable funding cuts which will bring endless protests from groups like Friends of Canadian Media whose members probably never have and never will vote for a Conservative MP.

Shorty Wave · January 11, 2025 8:35 am

I enjoy CBC Radio One. I find that when there is nothing catching my interest on most stations, I can usually find something interesting and/or entertaining to listen to on CBC. I don’t watch much on CBC TV, Son of a Critch and news occasionally, and that’s about it. Catherine Tate did nothing for the CBC IMO, good thing she’s done.

Walter · January 11, 2025 1:06 pm

For all his dire threats, I predict that PP will make some cuts here or there to the CBC, so he can say he did, but as a broadcaster it will remain in business. It would help if it wasn't such a left-wing propaganda outlet, but there are many Canadians who like the CBC. Their TV shows, other than news-oriented programs, are garbage, and should be the first thing jettisoned.

paterson1 · January 11, 2025 1:30 pm

I agree with mace that Radio One should be safe. People like it and it is popular, so why cut funding or get rid of it? Are commercials or sponsored programming coming? Ditto for Radio Canada which is quite popular in Quebec and always has been.

CBC English TV is more difficult, since it is not as popular, and a certain segment of the population has always been very vocal about getting rid of it. These folks were around even when CBC TV did have good ratings. They just don't like public broadcasting and see no value in it.

I have always maintained that most Canadians are fine with CBC TV, they just don't watch it as much as they did 30 or 50 years ago. However their ratings decline is not just because of programming. All we need to do look at the similar ratings decline at CTV, Global, CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX etc.

Some US simsubed "hit" shows are getting as low as 300,000-400,000 live viewers. Yes I know it grows when recording is later added in and streaming numbers over a one month period, but the figures are dreadful.

Ditto in the US, other than football and two or three programs. Big "hit" shows that manage 5 or 6 million live viewers wouldn't have been on for a second week not that long ago with meager numbers like that.

CBC TV I think will survive on a much smaller scale at least for a while. They may morph into a mostly news, public affairs service, with some sports like the Olympics which they will continue to split with Sportsnet and TSN until the end of their current contract.

But because of Canada's large debt, and committments to a huge increase in military spending, the CBC or the English TV service is probably living on borrowed time. To totally close CBC TV, actual savings won't even be a drop in the bucket. But at least it will make the whiners who have always hated CBC TV happy...

Last edited by paterson1 (January 11, 2025 1:31 pm)

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · January 11, 2025 5:14 pm

The only thing I like on CBC tv now is land and sea, the 5th estate, 22 minuts and marketplace.
Rick merser is sadly gon.
I miss his show.
What CBC was good at is documentaries, Longformed news and newsbaced commedy shows.

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · January 11, 2025 5:18 pm

paterson1 wrote:
I agree with mace that Radio One should be safe. People like it and it is popular, so why cut funding or get rid of it? Are commercials or sponsored programming coming? Ditto for Radio Canada which is quite popular in Quebec and always has been.

CBC English TV is more difficult, since it is not as popular, and a certain segment of the population has always been very vocal about getting rid of it. These folks were around even when CBC TV did have good ratings. They just don't like public broadcasting and see no value in it.

I have always maintained that most Canadians are fine with CBC TV, they just don't watch it as much as they did 30 or 50 years ago. However their ratings decline is not just because of programming. All we need to do look at the similar ratings decline at CTV, Global, CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX etc.

Some US simsubed "hit" shows are getting as low as 300,000-400,000 live viewers. Yes I know it grows when recording is later added in and streaming numbers over a one month period, but the figures are dreadful.

Ditto in the US, other than football and two or three programs. Big "hit" shows that manage 5 or 6 million live viewers wouldn't have been on for a second week not that long ago with meager numbers like that.

CBC TV I think will survive on a much smaller scale at least for a while. They may morph into a mostly news, public affairs service, with some sports like the Olympics which they will continue to split with Sportsnet and TSN until the end of their current contract.

But because of Canada's large debt, and committments to a huge increase in military spending, the CBC or the English TV service is probably living on borrowed time. To totally close CBC TV, actual savings won't even be a drop in the bucket. But at least it will make the whiners who have always hated CBC TV happy...

I would see why conservitives would not like CBC's talkshows.
There talkshows are more left leaning exept cross country checkup and Canada now with Travis Danraj.

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · January 11, 2025 5:23 pm

paterson1 wrote:
I agree with mace that Radio One should be safe. People like it and it is popular, so why cut funding or get rid of it? Are commercials or sponsored programming coming? Ditto for Radio Canada which is quite popular in Quebec and always has been.

CBC English TV is more difficult, since it is not as popular, and a certain segment of the population has always been very vocal about getting rid of it. These folks were around even when CBC TV did have good ratings. They just don't like public broadcasting and see no value in it.

I have always maintained that most Canadians are fine with CBC TV, they just don't watch it as much as they did 30 or 50 years ago. However their ratings decline is not just because of programming. All we need to do look at the similar ratings decline at CTV, Global, CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX etc.

Some US simsubed "hit" shows are getting as low as 300,000-400,000 live viewers. Yes I know it grows when recording is later added in and streaming numbers over a one month period, but the figures are dreadful.

Ditto in the US, other than football and two or three programs. Big "hit" shows that manage 5 or 6 million live viewers wouldn't have been on for a second week not that long ago with meager numbers like that.

CBC TV I think will survive on a much smaller scale at least for a while. They may morph into a mostly news, public affairs service, with some sports like the Olympics which they will continue to split with Sportsnet and TSN until the end of their current contract.

But because of Canada's large debt, and committments to a huge increase in military spending, the CBC or the English TV service is probably living on borrowed time. To totally close CBC TV, actual savings won't even be a drop in the bucket. But at least it will make the whiners who have always hated CBC TV happy...

Do what your good at! CBC!
Stick to factual, non-biused reporting, sports, documentaries and news baced commedy shows.
They are not good at scripted content.

MJ Vancouver · January 12, 2025 12:53 pm

If CBC English TV were heavily defunded, could it transition into a private non-profit broadcaster that relies on public donations, similar to CKUA radio in Alberta?

RadioActive · January 12, 2025 1:05 pm

I was thinking the same thing. Pledge breaks during Son Of A Critch or The Fifth Estate? Hard to imagine.

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · January 12, 2025 1:57 pm

MJ Vancouver wrote:
If CBC English TV were heavily defunded, could it transition into a private non-profit broadcaster that relies on public donations, similar to CKUA radio in Alberta?

CBC music, If they don't swich back to all classical and jazz would be better off ran like CKUA.

mic'em · January 13, 2025 7:53 am

As long as CBC TV is OTA, it has merit for the remote areas it serves. But is the expense worth it for the small numbers involved ? Or is there any area where it even is OTA at this point ? I only watch Son of a Critch, and watched the first episode of St. Pierre . I have my PVR set for the second episode. But, I don't expect it will survive depending on what the next election results are.

MJ Vancouver · January 13, 2025 10:51 am

mic'em wrote:
As long as CBC TV is OTA, it has merit for the remote areas it serves. But is the expense worth it for the small numbers involved ? Or is there any area where it even is OTA at this point ? I only watch Son of a Critch, and watched the first episode of St. Pierre . I have my PVR set for the second episode. But, I don't expect it will survive depending on what the next election results are.

They are only OTA in a handful of select cities nowadays and only cover rural areas close to those cities. They’re not even in London or Sudbury anymore.