I was testifying to parliament re cbc and local news recently and it made me run some napkin math numbers to ensure there were radio and podcast local reporters in every major Canadian community- say 50k+ residents. It is peanuts on the scale of the CBC’s budget. A rounding error. And yet, they are not close to doing it.
Parts of the mandate matter immensely, but if the CBC itself doesn’t prioritize those parts it is a dead institution walking.
I read Evan's regular screeds, sometimes with amusement, sometimes with annoyance at his naivite, but in this instance with surprise that I agree with much of what he has said herein. Oh, some of the details leave me a bit cold (see below) but, overall, I have to agree.
I occasionally do agree with Evan's position but this one, in particular, was to me quite sensible. Quite simply, the Ceeb is a dinosaur and, like much of traditional media, simply cannot continue to exist without either or both a) incredibly massive subsidies to allow the present state of idiocy to continue for the benefit of an incredibly small and massively shrinking audience; and/or b) massively restructuring and closure of many facilities and termination of many jobs to allow the remaining organism to have a chance at survival. Actually, it is quite sad, both for the termination of an otherwise potentially useful institution (which through the incredibly stupid operation of it's own leadership and bureaucracy has become totally non-useful) and the lives that will be shattered and ruined when ever so many jobs are lost. All of this could have been prevented but, when (many years ago) the Ceeb took it upon itself to tell us what we SHOULD/MUST think and what was NOT ACCEPTABLE, it all started the ball rolling downfill.
The truth is, the Ceeb even now does do some things well. Perhaps, two or three things; whatever those things are: every listener/viewer will have their own favorites. My wife's favorite is CBC Radio One; I find Radio One generally annoying for their oh, so clever and slanted material; Radio Two is just not my taste so I won't comment on that further; CBC Television lost me over sixty years ago when I was in my teens; CBC online is simply same, same, same as so many online outlets that I happen upon, so "Who cares?" is my attitude to that emanation of the Ceeb.
So, Evan, I commend you for thinking outside strictures that many of your confreres have placed upon themselves.
I am fortunate enough to be bilingual, and I listen to Radio-Canada radio in French. I used to listen to CBC English radio, but I gave up some years ago. I still go there from time to time, whenthe French side is airing a clunker, but I soon return/
The French side is entertaining as well as informative. Their shows are well structured and interesting. Above all else, the participants seem to be having fun, and the listener has fun along with them. By contrast, the English side is too often solemn and preachy. The humour is confined to programs that are deliberately meant to be funny, and end up being unamusing slapstick.
There is no need to fire Catherine Tait, she will be replaced on January 3rd, 2025 by Marie-Philippe Bouchard. Which is a good opportunity to give new direction to this Crown corporation. Task her with coming up with a plan reduce the dependency on public funds by a factor of, let’s say, three in three years.
One thing about bonuses. The correct term is variable pay. A part of somebody’s salary that is linked to particular performance indicators. If the indicator is met, then the variable part of the salary is earned. It is part of an individual labour contract. The employer decide unilaterally that earned variable pay is not paid out because media and the public refers to them as “bonuses” (giving the impression it is an extra pay and discretionary).
Very well said.
I was testifying to parliament re cbc and local news recently and it made me run some napkin math numbers to ensure there were radio and podcast local reporters in every major Canadian community- say 50k+ residents. It is peanuts on the scale of the CBC’s budget. A rounding error. And yet, they are not close to doing it.
Parts of the mandate matter immensely, but if the CBC itself doesn’t prioritize those parts it is a dead institution walking.
If the CBC fulfilled it's mandate, this wouldn't be an issue.
I admit that I am shocked!
I read Evan's regular screeds, sometimes with amusement, sometimes with annoyance at his naivite, but in this instance with surprise that I agree with much of what he has said herein. Oh, some of the details leave me a bit cold (see below) but, overall, I have to agree.
I occasionally do agree with Evan's position but this one, in particular, was to me quite sensible. Quite simply, the Ceeb is a dinosaur and, like much of traditional media, simply cannot continue to exist without either or both a) incredibly massive subsidies to allow the present state of idiocy to continue for the benefit of an incredibly small and massively shrinking audience; and/or b) massively restructuring and closure of many facilities and termination of many jobs to allow the remaining organism to have a chance at survival. Actually, it is quite sad, both for the termination of an otherwise potentially useful institution (which through the incredibly stupid operation of it's own leadership and bureaucracy has become totally non-useful) and the lives that will be shattered and ruined when ever so many jobs are lost. All of this could have been prevented but, when (many years ago) the Ceeb took it upon itself to tell us what we SHOULD/MUST think and what was NOT ACCEPTABLE, it all started the ball rolling downfill.
The truth is, the Ceeb even now does do some things well. Perhaps, two or three things; whatever those things are: every listener/viewer will have their own favorites. My wife's favorite is CBC Radio One; I find Radio One generally annoying for their oh, so clever and slanted material; Radio Two is just not my taste so I won't comment on that further; CBC Television lost me over sixty years ago when I was in my teens; CBC online is simply same, same, same as so many online outlets that I happen upon, so "Who cares?" is my attitude to that emanation of the Ceeb.
So, Evan, I commend you for thinking outside strictures that many of your confreres have placed upon themselves.
I am fortunate enough to be bilingual, and I listen to Radio-Canada radio in French. I used to listen to CBC English radio, but I gave up some years ago. I still go there from time to time, whenthe French side is airing a clunker, but I soon return/
The French side is entertaining as well as informative. Their shows are well structured and interesting. Above all else, the participants seem to be having fun, and the listener has fun along with them. By contrast, the English side is too often solemn and preachy. The humour is confined to programs that are deliberately meant to be funny, and end up being unamusing slapstick.
There is no need to fire Catherine Tait, she will be replaced on January 3rd, 2025 by Marie-Philippe Bouchard. Which is a good opportunity to give new direction to this Crown corporation. Task her with coming up with a plan reduce the dependency on public funds by a factor of, let’s say, three in three years.
One thing about bonuses. The correct term is variable pay. A part of somebody’s salary that is linked to particular performance indicators. If the indicator is met, then the variable part of the salary is earned. It is part of an individual labour contract. The employer decide unilaterally that earned variable pay is not paid out because media and the public refers to them as “bonuses” (giving the impression it is an extra pay and discretionary).