I’ve been agnostic about the CBC. This piece really helped clarify the problem. It should survive — it could be so much more than a quaint Canadian artifact — but it must get back to its basics.
I would guess my percentage of time watching CBC is virtually zero for many of the reasons that Mr Menzies talks about but in addition I find them to be so overtly Trudeau apologists as to make them unwatchable. This article does a great job describing a big part of the problem but wIth the amount of taxpayer dollars flowing to them it would be nice if they could at least pretend to be non-partisan when they actually bother to talk about Canadian issues. When you launch a frivolous lawsuit against the CPC in the midst of an election there is clearly a problem with what should be non-biased reporting from a taxpayer funded station
That became very noticeable during the Conservative leadership race, they virtually (no pun intended) Lesyin Lewis while lavishing praise on the US VP pick
I suspect a key to CBC’s state is its increasing irrelevance to Canadians. When CBC was 1 of 2 choices on the TV dial, it mattered. Even in the era of cable TV, CBC was one of the major sources for Canadian news and sports. In the Internet era, it barely matters. The news arm persists because of a relatively large presence as a free source, but there’s no reason to engage with substandard CBC offerings with so many other options. CBC funding simply isn’t a very large sum for a country like Canada, so we don’t really feel aggrieved at seeing it squandered. I suspect some of this benevolence is also goodwill purchased with nostalgia for Mr Dress-Up, Canadian Sesame Street, and Hockey Night in Canada. This suggests 2 possible fates for CBC: first, a further fade into irrelevance accompanied with renewed erosion of funding with changing political imperatives. Alternatively, an attempt to strengthen CanCon suddenly makes CBC relevant again and they face the wrath of the public at what they’re being forced to support and consume.
I am pretty meh about the CBC all the way around and I can understand why this article is focused on the CBC and the content it provides (or isn't providing as the case may be) but... and it is a big but.... the CBC is pretty much doing the same thing all of the canadian news media is doing. I am frankly sick of hearing about all things American as though Canada isn't having our own issues and all of the TV news stations are guilty of it.
I understand exactly why Mr. Menzies has focused on the CBC as it has always been meant to be the bastion of "Canadiana" but why? Why should it have to be but face continued attacks to be viable and relevant etc from all corners. The station is under consistent attack from Conservatives for supposedly favouring the Liberals but they don't stop and think why they get such shoddy side eye from CBC staff (Cons never have been ones to read the room I suppose) and the Liberals, instead of demanding institutional reform that might make the CBC better, just dump more more and hope for the best.
You can complain all you want that CBC has lost its way away from the core idea of what it was supposed to be but the Canada it was conceived for no longer exists either.
Stopped paying much attention to the CBC about 9 months ago. Too bad for some of the good programing. I trust other new programing from entrepreneurs willing to put their name behind their work and i don't mind paying for it.
I’ve been agnostic about the CBC. This piece really helped clarify the problem. It should survive — it could be so much more than a quaint Canadian artifact — but it must get back to its basics.
I would guess my percentage of time watching CBC is virtually zero for many of the reasons that Mr Menzies talks about but in addition I find them to be so overtly Trudeau apologists as to make them unwatchable. This article does a great job describing a big part of the problem but wIth the amount of taxpayer dollars flowing to them it would be nice if they could at least pretend to be non-partisan when they actually bother to talk about Canadian issues. When you launch a frivolous lawsuit against the CPC in the midst of an election there is clearly a problem with what should be non-biased reporting from a taxpayer funded station
That became very noticeable during the Conservative leadership race, they virtually (no pun intended) Lesyin Lewis while lavishing praise on the US VP pick
I suspect a key to CBC’s state is its increasing irrelevance to Canadians. When CBC was 1 of 2 choices on the TV dial, it mattered. Even in the era of cable TV, CBC was one of the major sources for Canadian news and sports. In the Internet era, it barely matters. The news arm persists because of a relatively large presence as a free source, but there’s no reason to engage with substandard CBC offerings with so many other options. CBC funding simply isn’t a very large sum for a country like Canada, so we don’t really feel aggrieved at seeing it squandered. I suspect some of this benevolence is also goodwill purchased with nostalgia for Mr Dress-Up, Canadian Sesame Street, and Hockey Night in Canada. This suggests 2 possible fates for CBC: first, a further fade into irrelevance accompanied with renewed erosion of funding with changing political imperatives. Alternatively, an attempt to strengthen CanCon suddenly makes CBC relevant again and they face the wrath of the public at what they’re being forced to support and consume.
I am pretty meh about the CBC all the way around and I can understand why this article is focused on the CBC and the content it provides (or isn't providing as the case may be) but... and it is a big but.... the CBC is pretty much doing the same thing all of the canadian news media is doing. I am frankly sick of hearing about all things American as though Canada isn't having our own issues and all of the TV news stations are guilty of it.
I understand exactly why Mr. Menzies has focused on the CBC as it has always been meant to be the bastion of "Canadiana" but why? Why should it have to be but face continued attacks to be viable and relevant etc from all corners. The station is under consistent attack from Conservatives for supposedly favouring the Liberals but they don't stop and think why they get such shoddy side eye from CBC staff (Cons never have been ones to read the room I suppose) and the Liberals, instead of demanding institutional reform that might make the CBC better, just dump more more and hope for the best.
You can complain all you want that CBC has lost its way away from the core idea of what it was supposed to be but the Canada it was conceived for no longer exists either.
Stopped paying much attention to the CBC about 9 months ago. Too bad for some of the good programing. I trust other new programing from entrepreneurs willing to put their name behind their work and i don't mind paying for it.