What to do with Radio Canada and the CBC?

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Acajack

At first glance, many small market TV stations in the U.S. appear to be rinky dink outfits repeating network stuff from NYC and LA interspersed with informercials, but at the very least they almost all seem to have decent local news in the morning, at noon, in the evening, and late night, every day, in addition to local public affairs shows on weekend mornings. There are some pretty big Canadian cities that don't have that.

That’s a good point. I wonder what the difference is in terms of local news economics. The populations in a lot of cases aren’t any bigger.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by acottawa

CBC will show coronation street come hell or high water.

Hey people need their fix of the goings on at t' Rovers and any hanky panky going on down t' ginnel.

There would be a pitchfork brigade storming the barriers if CBC were to take Coronation Street off the air. It probably has the most dedicated audience of any CBC show.

[saffronleaf]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Who`s stupid idea was it to change the National to 4 anchors anyway? I have never seen such a format and obviously with good reason, it doesn`t work. I have yet to meet ANYONE who likes the new format. I use to watch the National religiously every night and now I can`t stand it. It feels like a touchy-feely round table run by APTN.

I thought they would eventually pick one of the four anchors to be the main one.

But they're all pretty decent IMO. I like Barton and Hanomansing in particular. Also the political people they bring in (usually Hebert and Coyne and one other person) are solid.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by acottawa

They usually start with the hard news, but most days there isn’t much local news and it is hard to fill an hour.

I don’t think the CBC news is any better. They do more banal interviews to fill the hour. .

There are interesting stories out there if journalists only went out (or had time to, or where numerous enough) to go look for them.

Toledo doesn't fundamentally have more newsworthy stuff going on than Ottawa.

(Not that I necessarily think that U.S. local news is that great, but a rising tide does lift all boats.)

[DLLB]

Get rid of Pravda Canada

[someone123]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

The CBC is a good vehicle for getting Canadians to think as Canadians rather than as adjuncts to the dramas of our neighbour. This offends libertarian sensibilities, and I was once more sympathetic to those views, but Canada's history is different to that of the US and the import of US rhetorical norms – weird little things like 'taking the fifth' or whatever – distorts our own discussion.

I agree with this. I think the questions of how many anchors they have on certain news shows or how left or right leaning they should be are second-order concerns. The important thing is to have a stable national broadcaster to widely communicate Canadian content to Canadians. This doesn't mean that there aren't aspects of the CBC that could be improved, but it is silly to contemplate getting rid of it because of them.

It reminds me of the EU and how people debate how it's annoying to be bossed around by Brussels. Postwar economic integration in Europe is likely the main factor behind the still enduring greatest period of peace and prosperity they have ever experienced, but that doesn't get as much airtime. That's the real reason to keep the borders open, even if it's annoying sometimes.

[ssiguy]

[QUOTE=saffronleaf;8450759]I thought they would eventually pick one of the four anchors to be the main one.

But they're all pretty decent IMO. I like Barton and Hanomansing in particular. Also the political people they bring in (usually Hebert and Coyne and one other person) are solid.[/Q

Actually I didn't as they stated it was a new format with 4 anchors scattered all over the damn place. I guess they thought they had something novel and compelling and it's certainly novel as no other network on the planet save the CBC would be stupid enough to do it. I actually like all the anchors but I can't stand having 4 of them in different cities and it's become more of a round table than a newscast. I also have noticed that they are putting WAY to much emphasis on those dreaded 'human interest' stories and on Native issues. Half the time I don't know if I'm watching the CBC or APTN.

The National/Journal format was the best so they should resurrect it, have one anchor, broadcast from Toronto, and get back to the basics as this new format has been a stellar failure.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Acajack

There are interesting stories out there if journalists only went out (or had time to, or where numerous enough) to go look for them.

Toledo doesn't fundamentally have more newsworthy stuff going on than Ottawa.

(Not that I necessarily think that U.S. local news is that great, but a rising tide does lift all boats.)

American cities have more crime, more local politics and way more interest in high school sports, so that fills more time. I am not sure there are enough interesting stories to fill a daily newscast in most cities in Canada.

[vid]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

I also have noticed that they are putting WAY to much emphasis on those dreaded 'human interest' stories and on Native issues. Half the time I don't know if I'm watching the CBC or APTN.

That must be really traumatizing for you.

[Acajack]

The CRTC is currently holding hearings into the renewal of the CBC's licences. (This is a routine thing, every couple of years.)

Some friends of mine are tuning in - don't laugh, it's their job!

Anyway, they're telling me that several of the CBC's bigwigs, seemingly in order to underline the importance of the Mother Corp to this country, have said on a few occasions stuff like: "after the events of last week on Capitol Hill"...

[esquire]

^ Some may hate it for that very reason, but the CBC is a huge moderating influence on the tone of national discourse. Maybe not as huge as it once was, but it is still a significant and authoritative news source. So in that sense it is fair ball for CBC executives to say things like that.

I realize that the USA is but one other country and not the be all and end all, but it does seem as though much of their media, in particular the news media, has become a platform for the right-wing political views of their rich dude owners in recent years. We've seen that to at least some extent in Canada (the National Post being probably the most prominent example), but nothing like what has happened in the US. The events of the past 5 years couldn't have happened without the American media paving the way in the 20 years that led up to it.

[JHikka]

Judging by how many users seem focused on the US election and its aftermath on the SSP Canada subforum (and how many Canadians discussed it over on Current Events) i'd say CBC, and other broadcasters, are correct in feeding Canadians with as much American coverage as they can.

Hell, Peter Mansbridge's podcast today focused solely on US politics.

[Acajack]

I am still a big booster of CBC and Radio-Canada, even if I think some of their people are increasingly out of touch.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I am still a big booster of CBC and Radio-Canada, even if I think some of their people are increasingly out of touch.

I get my moneys worth from CBC Gem. Prior to getting Spotify I often flicked between R1 and R2 in the car but haven't listened much lately.

[Acajack]

I think countries that don't have a public broadcaster are poorer (in the metaphorical sense) for it, and even for that reason alone, I am willing to cut the CBC-SRC quite a bit of slack.

[Acajack]

Radio-Canada's main radio network has a daily program about books and literature every afternoon for two hours from 1-3 pm . It has an audience of around 200,000 listeners.

Someone please tell me which private network would take a risk on something like that??????

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I am still a big booster of CBC and Radio-Canada, even if I think some of their people are increasingly out of touch.

Me too. I say, increase the funding. The CBC/RC is more relevant now than ever before, given the media bifurcation happening in the United States.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Me too. I say, increase the funding. The CBC/RC is more relevant now than ever before, given the media bifurcation happening in the United States.

It's too bad that Radio Canada International was pretty much dismantled during the Harper years, but at least the core English and French networks are still more or less intact. However, it would be nice to see them actually grow a little bit instead of the gradual chipping away at the TV/radio services that has occurred over the last 40 years.

I suppose they have established an Internet arm so that counts for something, but it's arguably more of a way of disseminating their TV/radio content than standalone networks.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by DLLB

Get rid of Pravda Canada

Amen, the bought and paid for and paid some more propaganda wing of the Liberal party of Canada!

In 2021 do we really need a state broadcaster?

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Amen, the bought and paid for and paid some more propaganda wing of the Liberal party of Canada!

In 2021 do we really need a state broadcaster?

More than ever, some would argue.