As journalists in many countries fight for the right to expression, some Canadians are making a show of grumbling about our socalled "state broadcaster," the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. This language is intentional, suggesting a dangerous deference to power, collusion between government and newsroom.
It makes one think of the Soviet Union, of Iran and Libya, of regimes that forcefully use media outlets to act as megaphones for propaganda. State broadcasters typically ignore legitimate news stories (such as antigovernment protests) while promoting others (progovernment rallies). They dutifully broadcast leaders' rants, no matter how nonsensical. We are led to believe that CBC is this kind of organization, corrupt and untrustworthy. But if CBC is indeed a state broadcaster, it's a shoddy one, critical of the ruling party and strangely supportive of populist movements (take a cbc.ca headline from last week as an example: "Occupy Canada rallies spread in economic 'awakening'").
Apparently, nobody at CBC got the memo on how a state broadcaster is supposed to conduct itself.
Somebody unexpected has learned the appropriate behaviour, however: Quebecor Media, which owns rival TV stations and has been on a fierce anti-CBC rampage of late, campaigning through its newspapers and the Sun News Network to have CBC defunded. It seems to have worked, to some extent.
Before the May federal election, Heritage Minister James Moore promised not to cut CBC's funding. Now, majority in hand, the Tories are talking about cuts.
Some Conservatives, like Calgary MP Rob Anders, want CBC completely privatized. Anders has been circulating a petition to this end (it's the most prominent feature on his website), and earlier this year, surveyed some of his Tory-friendly constituents on the matter.
For this, Anders has been treated as a hero by the Sun News Network. In August, he was invited on air to talk about his anti-CBC campaign. According to Anders, 81 per cent of the people he surveyed wanted to see CBC defunded. Throughout the interview, this stance (allegedly based on 250 responses from 2,000 surveys) was portrayed as the view from Calgary West.
The host tossed softballs, praising Anders for taking on the "state broadcaster" and giving the "straight goods" on "the most current public opinion poll we have on the subject" of CBC funding. The Conservative MP fawned in kind, saying: "I tremendously appreciate the public education you're performing here."
It was all very much like something you might see on state television.
This interview wasn't an aberration. Earlier, in May, Sun host Krista Erickson introduced an interview with Anders by saying the segment "could very well be our greatest" TV moment yet. She noted that Anders used to be a Republican heckler, that he opposed honorary citizenship for Nelson Mandela, that other Conservatives have distanced themselves from his remarks. "But friends, he must be doing something right," said Erickson. Why?
Because he always wins Calgary West, and has successfully fended off numerous threats to his nomination as a Tory candidate. This was presented as a point of pride, not an embarrassment.
Erickson noted that the prime minister has called Anders a "true reformer and a true conservative." In other words, he's got the boss's approval, so he must be legit. Soon, Erickson and Anders were griping about CBC, each feeding off the other. Journalist and politician worked in unison, statebroadcaster style.
CBC clearly has a long way to go. It has made plenty of missteps over its 75 years, including decisions to gut Radio 2's classical music programming and to buy such culturally significant TV shows as Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. But nothing compares with CBC's utter failure as a state broadcaster, its refusal to sufficiently convey government talking points.
To become a true state broadcaster, CBC needs to look outward for guidance. It needs help. Fortunately, the Sun News Network seems more than willing to show how it's done.
Origin
Source: Calgary Herald
It makes one think of the Soviet Union, of Iran and Libya, of regimes that forcefully use media outlets to act as megaphones for propaganda. State broadcasters typically ignore legitimate news stories (such as antigovernment protests) while promoting others (progovernment rallies). They dutifully broadcast leaders' rants, no matter how nonsensical. We are led to believe that CBC is this kind of organization, corrupt and untrustworthy. But if CBC is indeed a state broadcaster, it's a shoddy one, critical of the ruling party and strangely supportive of populist movements (take a cbc.ca headline from last week as an example: "Occupy Canada rallies spread in economic 'awakening'").
Apparently, nobody at CBC got the memo on how a state broadcaster is supposed to conduct itself.
Somebody unexpected has learned the appropriate behaviour, however: Quebecor Media, which owns rival TV stations and has been on a fierce anti-CBC rampage of late, campaigning through its newspapers and the Sun News Network to have CBC defunded. It seems to have worked, to some extent.
Before the May federal election, Heritage Minister James Moore promised not to cut CBC's funding. Now, majority in hand, the Tories are talking about cuts.
Some Conservatives, like Calgary MP Rob Anders, want CBC completely privatized. Anders has been circulating a petition to this end (it's the most prominent feature on his website), and earlier this year, surveyed some of his Tory-friendly constituents on the matter.
For this, Anders has been treated as a hero by the Sun News Network. In August, he was invited on air to talk about his anti-CBC campaign. According to Anders, 81 per cent of the people he surveyed wanted to see CBC defunded. Throughout the interview, this stance (allegedly based on 250 responses from 2,000 surveys) was portrayed as the view from Calgary West.
The host tossed softballs, praising Anders for taking on the "state broadcaster" and giving the "straight goods" on "the most current public opinion poll we have on the subject" of CBC funding. The Conservative MP fawned in kind, saying: "I tremendously appreciate the public education you're performing here."
It was all very much like something you might see on state television.
This interview wasn't an aberration. Earlier, in May, Sun host Krista Erickson introduced an interview with Anders by saying the segment "could very well be our greatest" TV moment yet. She noted that Anders used to be a Republican heckler, that he opposed honorary citizenship for Nelson Mandela, that other Conservatives have distanced themselves from his remarks. "But friends, he must be doing something right," said Erickson. Why?
Because he always wins Calgary West, and has successfully fended off numerous threats to his nomination as a Tory candidate. This was presented as a point of pride, not an embarrassment.
Erickson noted that the prime minister has called Anders a "true reformer and a true conservative." In other words, he's got the boss's approval, so he must be legit. Soon, Erickson and Anders were griping about CBC, each feeding off the other. Journalist and politician worked in unison, statebroadcaster style.
CBC clearly has a long way to go. It has made plenty of missteps over its 75 years, including decisions to gut Radio 2's classical music programming and to buy such culturally significant TV shows as Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. But nothing compares with CBC's utter failure as a state broadcaster, its refusal to sufficiently convey government talking points.
To become a true state broadcaster, CBC needs to look outward for guidance. It needs help. Fortunately, the Sun News Network seems more than willing to show how it's done.
Origin
Source: Calgary Herald
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