CBC Lockout – Who Cares?

August 16, 2005 · Posted in Conservatism.ca

So, the CBC has locked out Peter Mansbridge and company.

My main concern about the CBC is how much can we sell it for, and will anybody buy it? Perhaps it will be like the “Fast Cat Ferries” in British Columbia — valuable on paper, but nobody wanted to buy them.

If saving the taxpayers billions of dollars and freeing up some valuable space on the thousand channel universe aren’t reasons enough, there’s the fact that the CBC is the most biased news agency in Canada (not to mention the most anti-Conservative, save, perhaps, the Toronto Star).

Hopefully the Conservative Party will adopt a “21st century” approach to communications and information technology, and rid Canada of this relic.

And on that note, I have thousands of satellite signals blasting through my body every minute of every day. Why the hell can’t I tune them in on my TV without being some sort of a two-bit criminal?

Here’s my 21st century communications platform for the next election:

1. Sell, dismantle, or convert the CBC to a “normal” not-for-profit charity. But, in any case, end these outlandish subsidies.
2. Reel in the power of the CRTC.
3. End the soviet-style information repression by the CRTC (in bed with the monopoly-loving cable companies) with regard to satellite signals being hindered in the name of so-called “Canadian culture”.
4. And, for crying out loud, end “CanCon”. Too many potentially good bands have been slaughtered by these ridiculous rules. Remember “Nickelback”? Remember “Nelly Furtado”? They might have had some genuine lasting power if it wasn’t for the fact that the radio played them CONSTANTLY! Now, nobody I know can stand them!

I saw the locked-out employees today at our little “afterthought” CBC radio station in Victoria. I also saw someone who looked strangely like Jack Layton having a little “chat” with them. (It may have been my eyes playing tricks on me, but he is apparently touring B.C.)

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Comments

Paul Holmes

Dylon,

I appreciate the feedback on my CBC article. It was very well written and concise.

I do enjoy the "Royal Canadian Air Farce" show, and mourned when John Morgan passed away.

However, I still do not see any value, monetary nor cultural, whatsoever in having a "public broadcaster" that so few people watch.

Anything valuable the CBC does now would be picked up by a private broadcaster.

If people want a public broadcaster, perhaps the Friends of the CBC should start to put their money where their mouth is, fundraise and come up with the funds needed to convert the CBC to an NPR-style not-for-profit organization. I certainly wouldn't be opposed to that.

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/comment/blog/gunter.html?post=1844
Young Physicalist

The Canadian Broadcasting Corperation is an important part of Canadian culture. It's news programs are not biased and the frequently show all sides of the Canadian political spectrum. If they were sold, like so many other services under tory rule (e.g. MTS), then we would use a priceless station that shows high quality shows with a Canadian point of view. The CBC is the outlet that has such great programs such as "This Hour has Twenty Two Minutes", "Rick Mercers Monday Report", and "Royal Canadian Air Farce". These, programs, by the way, mocked not only the blue tories (such as you bloggers), but also Fiberals. The CBC is objective. An example of it's objectivity is how when Paul Martin was critical of Conservatives who went to an anti-abortion rally, they also said that liberals went there too, instead of leaving that out. Some of their editorial programs may be biased, but most newspapper ones are also biased. The CBC must remain public!
Jarrett

I have a friend who just went down to Victoria and said she met him. She also said that she kept wondering who he was, and Smilin' Jack didn't think that was too funny.