Tory knives are out for the CBC

[moviefan]

There have been some interesting developments in the past few days:

1) The Harper government is not only talking about cutting funding to the CBC, but is actually discussing the issue as part of a fundraising letter that went to party members.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...scope-in-conservative-surveys/article2178251/

2) The Conservatives are also questioning the network's court battles opposing access to information about the CBC.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...-access-to-information-battle/article2180476/

Those of us who would like to see the CBC privatized are still a long way away from the Promised Land. But I'm happy to take whatever good news I can get.

 

[fuji]

The Tories want the CBC privatized for the same reason they wanted the Long Form census cut. It's not in their interests to have an informed citizenry.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

The Tories want the CBC privatized for the same reason they wanted the Long Form census cut. It's not in their interests to have an informed citizenry.

Perhaps, but I do have concerns with the CBC - as a public broadcaster stonewalling access to information requests - including those made by Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault. Outside of journalist sources and certain creative issues, I don't see how they have the CBC can really try to deny access, particularly under the Accountability Act. And quite frankly, knowing what I do about the way it operates, I want to see the books opened. This is not a Rob Ford thing, there IS massive waste at the CBC.

 

[CapitalGuy]

CTV, Global, Sun Media, Quebecor, Rogers, cnews, need I go on? There is no shortage of independently-owned media outlets available to provide Canadian news to Canadians. There is no longer any value in a taxpayer-funded news agency duplicating services that are provided by private companies. None. Pull the plug, give me back my 10 cents a day.

 

[wigglee]

CTV, Global, Sun Media, Quebecor, Rogers, cnews, need I go on? There is no shortage of independently-owned media outlets available to provide Canadian news to Canadians. There is no longer any value in a taxpayer-funded news agency duplicating services that are provided by private companies. None. Pull the plug, give me back my 10 cents a day.

None of your alternatives gives the intelligent, in-depth current affairs programming the CBC offers through such vehicles as The National, The Fifth Estate, Marketplace or CBC Radio. Keep the CBC strong and free! ( Second best is TVO , another public broadcaster!) CTV and Global is fluff and Suntv is a pathetic joke , though I'm sure you enjoy their constant CBC bashing.

 

[New Guy]

The Tories want the CBC privatized for the same reason they wanted the Long Form census cut. It's not in their interests to have an informed citizenry.

Be careful, the Black helicopters are coming for you tonight.


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[blackrock13]

None of your alternatives gives the intelligent, in-depth current affairs programming the CBC offers through such vehicles as The National, The Fifth Estate, Marketplace or CBC Radio. Keep the CBC strong and free! ( Second best is TVO , another public broadcaster!) CTV and Global is fluff and Suntv is a pathetic joke , though I'm sure you enjoy their constant CBC bashing.

CG must have slept thought the last time we went down this road with moviefan, because he brings the same argument that were presented for dumping the CBC. It didn't hold water then and it won't now.

 

[New Guy]

CG must have slept thought the last time we went down this road with moviefan, because he brings the same argument that were presented for dumping the CBC. It didn't hold water then and it won't now.

Lets hope that now the Tories have the majority they can gut the CBC and sell the skeleton for scrap. That'll save a lot of maney.


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[Brill]

What about the CBC's mandate to keep Canadians informed about the happenings at the Rover's Return?

 

[New Guy]

What about the CBC's mandate to keep Canadians informed about the happenings at the Rover's Return?

You do raise a good point, it is only good for " The Street" and other shows from Blighty, but there is always the web. I believe a crikey is in order. Champion I say.

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[groggy]

Perhaps, but I do have concerns with the CBC - as a public broadcaster stonewalling access to information requests - including those made by Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault. Outside of journalist sources and certain creative issues, I don't see how they have the CBC can really try to deny access, particularly under the Accountability Act. And quite frankly, knowing what I do about the way it operates, I want to see the books opened. This is not a Rob Ford thing, there IS massive waste at the CBC.

There isn't that much waste these days, the folks I know working there are seriously overworked. Layoffs, freelancers and the political season have put a lot of pressure on the broadcaster.

The issue for the CBC isn't the information, its the time it takes to put it together. Add another few million to the budget to add people to document every move every person makes and then they probably won't complain. But trying to get some producer who cobbled together some show to deadline to go back and organize his notes clearly enough to release to the public is a major waste of time. Its political scapegoating at its worst. And since it came from a conservative station, now canned, who had a goal to demonize the CBC, it has even less merit.

 

[New Guy]

There isn't that much waste these days, the folks I know working there are seriously overworked. Layoffs, freelancers and the political season have put a lot of pressure on the broadcaster.

The issue for the CBC isn't the information, its the time it takes to put it together. Add another few million to the budget to add people to document every move every person makes and then they probably won't complain. But trying to get some producer who cobbled together some show to deadline to go back and organize his notes clearly enough to release to the public is a major waste of time. Its political scapegoating at its worst. And since it came from a conservative station, now canned, who had a goal to demonize the CBC, it has even less merit.

Their whole budget is a waste, when looked at from the value for money point of view. With it we waste billions, without it we could either reduce the debt or lower taxes, both of which are preferable to that out of date entity.


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[danmand]

Their whole budget is a waste, when looked at from the value for money point of view. With it we waste billions, without it we could either reduce the debt or lower taxes, both of which are preferable to that out of date entity.

The budget of the CBC need to be increased. Enough of the canada haters here who wants to kill Canadian Broadcasting. Any true canadian will support the Canadian Broadcasting.

 

[CapitalGuy]

None of your alternatives gives the intelligent, in-depth current affairs programming the CBC offers through such vehicles as The National, The Fifth Estate, Marketplace or CBC Radio. Keep the CBC strong and free! ( Second best is TVO , another public broadcaster!) CTV and Global is fluff and Suntv is a pathetic joke , though I'm sure you enjoy their constant CBC bashing.

That is simply your opinion. It is also an erroneous opinion, in my opinion. Regardless, any news "vaccuum" left by the CBC's eradication ( and I don't accept that there would be one) would be filled by any of the fine agencies listed above, and others, who would no longer have to compete for revenue with a billion dollar taxpayer-funded boondoggle.

 

[CapitalGuy]

The budget of the CBC need to be increased. Enough of the canada haters here who wants to kill Canadian Broadcasting. Any true canadian will support the Canadian Broadcasting.

You must surely be speaking of the DBC, as you have no understanding of what true Canadians should support. For example, this true Canadian supports free speechand the free market, and supports governments not competing with the private sector for services which are best provided by the private sector. But if you like the Pravda model of newscasting, there are still other countries to which you are welcome to move.

 

[danmand]

You must surely be speaking of the DBC, as you have no understanding of what true Canadians should support. For example, this true Canadian supports free speechand the free market, and supports governments not competing with the private sector for services which are best provided by the private sector. But if you like the Pravda model of newscasting, there are still other countries to which you are welcome to move.

Hah. you are no true canadian, if you don't support Canadian institutions like the CBC. You are free to move to the US if you prefer Fox broadcasting.

 

[james t kirk]

Those of us who would like to see the CBC privatized are still a long way away from the Promised Land. But I'm happy to take whatever good news I can get.

You're like a broken record. Every CBC bashing thread on TERB is started by you.

Jesus H Christ you're boring.

 

[james t kirk]

Their whole budget is a waste, when looked at from the value for money point of view. With it we waste billions, without it we could either reduce the debt or lower taxes, both of which are preferable to that out of date entity.


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I feel the same way about Military spending in Canada. Complete and utter waste of money and by eliminating it, we could elminate the entire debt in no time flat and or lower taxes.

So you have your opinion and I have mine.

You are no more correct than I am.

 

[newguy27]

I feel the same way about Military spending in Canada. Complete and utter waste of money and by eliminating it, we could elminate the entire debt in no time flat and or lower taxes.

So you have your opinion and I have mine.

You are no more correct than I am.

You are incorrect. A nation without the ability to defend it self if necessary is waaay worse off and vulnerable than having one less broadcaster on the airwaves (and funded by tax dollars too without disclosing how they spend our money). What's funny is that people who complain about Harper taking a harder stance against the CBC would be up in arms and protesting if Harper proposed setting up a government network that was exempt from disclosing how it spent its money!

 

[fuji]

Perhaps, but I do have concerns with the CBC - as a public broadcaster stonewalling access to information requests - including those made by Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault. Outside of journalist sources and certain creative issues, I don't see how they have the CBC can really try to deny access, particularly under the Accountability Act. And quite frankly, knowing what I do about the way it operates, I want to see the books opened. This is not a Rob Ford thing, there IS massive waste at the CBC.

While I agree with you, I apply that thinking to the ENTIRE government, and you have to admit that the Harper government has been the least accountable, and most hostile towards FOI requests, of any government we have ever seen. So it is a bit rich that one of their talking points is CBC stonewalling these requests when they themselves are the worst offenders!

It's a little bit of "do what I say, not as I do", which just comes off as intensely hypocritical for the tories.