CBC pulls plug on local TV news
CBC has pulled the plug on local English-language TV newscasts all across Canada, centralizing everything in Toronto. Steve Faguy summarizes saltily why this is a big mistake at a time like this.
Radio won’t be affected, I’m glad to say.
Update: Some more wordage about how the crisis has forced the CBC to centralize. I’m not sure this piece adds anything to what we already knew.
Tim S. 19:08 on 2020-03-18 Permalink
I didn’t fight to save the CBC from the Harper cuts so that Debra Arbec would have to go on Facebook to announce that she’s still working, sort of.
david100 01:23 on 2020-03-19 Permalink
If I were appointed prime minister by the PLC, aside from massive housing development, infrastructure and the environment, I think the CBC would be a top interest of mine, as I’ve said before.
The CBC should be changed into a European-style national broadcaster. No advertising, no goofy programming, nothing – give people the information they need, and cultural programming that’s interesting.
Kate 10:24 on 2020-03-19 Permalink
david100, there are reasons I listen to BBC radio a lot more than the CBC. Obviously I choose CBC for local news, but the BBC has such an archive of beautifully produced stuff – comedy and drama – and continues to produce more, also good science and informational shows, that if I have radio on, it’s what I listen to by choice.
(The current British government wants to tear down the BBC. In a sense, that’s all you need to know about that government.)
But I don’t think you can ordain that the CBC become more like the BBC. The background culture just isn’t there. Toronto is not London and never will be.
david100 10:32 on 2020-03-19 Permalink
Rad-Can isn’t ideal, but it’s a lot better than what the CBC has degenerated into. We could start there.
Anyway, I don’t think the CBC could ever become as great as the BBC, but it could be a lot closer to it than it is. We should have started that shift a long time ago, and it’s not too late to start now.