In the backdrop of the current unrelenting wave of Palestinian terror attacks that saw the murder of an American tourist and injuries of dozens of Israelis, yesterday morning (March 9), CBC News published an article to its widely read website which featured a headline (“Police kill 2 Palestinians in Jerusalem gun attack”) which portrayed Palestinian attackers as victims and which failed to mention that the 2 dead Palestinians were the ones who initiated violent shooting attacks against Israeli innocents in Jerusalem.
HonestReporting Canada immediately reached out to CBC editors demanding that this highly misleading and unfair headline be corrected. As we conveyed to the CBC, this headline made the guilty party innocent and the innocent party guilty due to its glaring lack of context. It behooved our public broadcaster to tell its readers that the two dead Palestinians were the ones who carried out the brazen shooting attacks and how Israeli police bravely and swiftly responded and acted in self defense killing them.
Immediately following our intervention, CBC amended its headline which now states: “Police kill 2 Palestinian gunmen after Jerusalem attack”.
See the full story and amended headlines here.
cbcexposed is all about exposing the waste of the CBC ... over 1 billion dollars a year of taxpayer money funds the cbc and a lot of that taxpayer money is wasted.
CBC employee says faith in broadcaster shaken
A new episode of "The Fifth Estate" takes aim at the internal CBC probe of Jian Ghomeshi, with one "Q" employee saying his faith in the broadcaster has been shaken due to lingering questions about the investigation.
CBC's flagship newsmagazine, in a program airing Friday titled "The Unmaking of Jian Ghomeshi," looks at how CBC management handled allegations of sexual violence against Ghomeshi when he was still host of the popular radio program "Q".
A transcript of the episode hosted by Gillian Findlay reports that almost all known employees who worked for "Q" in the summer -- 17 in total -- say they were not approached or questioned by CBC management as part of the internal probe.
Brian Coulton, who began as an intern on "Q," says in the episode that Ghomeshi's treatment of his employees amounted to "emotional abuse."
Asked whether his faith in CBC has been shaken, Coulton says yes.
Read the full story.
CBC's flagship newsmagazine, in a program airing Friday titled "The Unmaking of Jian Ghomeshi," looks at how CBC management handled allegations of sexual violence against Ghomeshi when he was still host of the popular radio program "Q".
A transcript of the episode hosted by Gillian Findlay reports that almost all known employees who worked for "Q" in the summer -- 17 in total -- say they were not approached or questioned by CBC management as part of the internal probe.
Brian Coulton, who began as an intern on "Q," says in the episode that Ghomeshi's treatment of his employees amounted to "emotional abuse."
Asked whether his faith in CBC has been shaken, Coulton says yes.
Read the full story.
Sitcom Potential in CBC Missteps
As the latest news story about CBC hijinks breaks, I'm beginning to wonder if we shouldn't just rename it the Corrupt Broadcasting Corporation. (Ba-dum-cha!)
Here's the story trending. Apparently, Amanda Lang, one half of the amateurish Lang and O'Leary Exchange, is in bed with the Royal Bank of Canada. Literally. (Ba-dum-cha!)
Lang, who is in a relationship with RBC board member Geoffrey Beattie, is accused of trying to suppress the 2013 story about RBC abusing the temporary foreign workers program. They were using it to replace Canadian workers on the cheap in a year when their profits were $8 billion.
Read the full story.
Here's the story trending. Apparently, Amanda Lang, one half of the amateurish Lang and O'Leary Exchange, is in bed with the Royal Bank of Canada. Literally. (Ba-dum-cha!)
Lang, who is in a relationship with RBC board member Geoffrey Beattie, is accused of trying to suppress the 2013 story about RBC abusing the temporary foreign workers program. They were using it to replace Canadian workers on the cheap in a year when their profits were $8 billion.
Read the full story.
CBC report on salaries ‘looks like fiction'
Canada’s public broadcaster faces a showdown with skeptical senators who believe the CBC whitewashed a submission on the spending and salaries of some of its most notable journalists.
The Senate’s transport and communications committee now wants to call CBC president Hubert Lacroix to testify again — he has been before the committee before — and is considering other measures to get the information it says it needs for its study of the challenges facing the broadcaster.
One option being floated behind closed doors is to subpoena the information from the corporation, a power Senate committees have but rarely use.
Read the full story here.
The Senate’s transport and communications committee now wants to call CBC president Hubert Lacroix to testify again — he has been before the committee before — and is considering other measures to get the information it says it needs for its study of the challenges facing the broadcaster.
One option being floated behind closed doors is to subpoena the information from the corporation, a power Senate committees have but rarely use.
Read the full story here.
Why should we save the CBC?
With So Many Scandals, Why Should We Save the CBC?
The CBC brass need to pay attention to the general public's growing apathy towards an institution too often in the news for the wrong reasons. Uncomfortable corporate silences. Lingering questions. Unanswered inquiries. CBC fans can't explain this riddle to themselves, much less to lukewarm listeners.
Beyond the noise coming from a constant self-congratulatory echo chamber on CBC streams, the CBC bandwagon might be hollowing out. As the embattled broadcaster lobbies for increased government dollars to "Save the CBC" underneath a cloud of checkered transparency and puzzling rationales, taxpayers' appetite for increased spending dries up.
Read the full story here.
The CBC brass need to pay attention to the general public's growing apathy towards an institution too often in the news for the wrong reasons. Uncomfortable corporate silences. Lingering questions. Unanswered inquiries. CBC fans can't explain this riddle to themselves, much less to lukewarm listeners.
Beyond the noise coming from a constant self-congratulatory echo chamber on CBC streams, the CBC bandwagon might be hollowing out. As the embattled broadcaster lobbies for increased government dollars to "Save the CBC" underneath a cloud of checkered transparency and puzzling rationales, taxpayers' appetite for increased spending dries up.
Read the full story here.
CBC Business Model
We have several sources of funds, including government appropriations and self-generated revenues. CBC/Radio-Canada is a Crown Corporation with 59% of its budget funded by government appropriations approved by Parliament on an annual basis.
These appropriations remained relatively constant over the past 10 years in a broadcasting environment in which costs increased significantly. However, Federal Budget 2012 resulted in CBC/Radio-Canada’s annual appropriation being reduced by $115 million. This meant a decrease in our per-capita funding from $33 to $29 in 2014—2015, when Federal Budget 2012 cost reduction initiatives will be fully implemented. Canada ranks 16 among 18 major Western countries in per capita funding.
The remaining 41% of our budget comes from self-generated revenue: advertising, subscriber fees and other revenue. We are also facing new financial pressures on our self-generated revenue, mostly as a result of an industry-wide softening of the conventional television advertising market, the NHL’s decision to move to a single, exclusive broadcaster and the disappointing CBC Television schedule performance of some individual prime-time programs among the 25-54 demographics, which drives advertising revenue. This is in addition to continuing pressures on fixed costs from rent and property tax increases, and a salary inflation funding freeze for the next two years.
See the complete picture here.
These appropriations remained relatively constant over the past 10 years in a broadcasting environment in which costs increased significantly. However, Federal Budget 2012 resulted in CBC/Radio-Canada’s annual appropriation being reduced by $115 million. This meant a decrease in our per-capita funding from $33 to $29 in 2014—2015, when Federal Budget 2012 cost reduction initiatives will be fully implemented. Canada ranks 16 among 18 major Western countries in per capita funding.
The remaining 41% of our budget comes from self-generated revenue: advertising, subscriber fees and other revenue. We are also facing new financial pressures on our self-generated revenue, mostly as a result of an industry-wide softening of the conventional television advertising market, the NHL’s decision to move to a single, exclusive broadcaster and the disappointing CBC Television schedule performance of some individual prime-time programs among the 25-54 demographics, which drives advertising revenue. This is in addition to continuing pressures on fixed costs from rent and property tax increases, and a salary inflation funding freeze for the next two years.
See the complete picture here.
CBC planning more cuts despite promised funding increase
Despite the incoming Liberal government’s vow to reverse funding reductions to the CBC, the broadcaster’s top brass are still planning layoffs and production cuts, two unions that represent CBC/Radio-Canada employees say.
The Canadian Media Guild, which represents CBC workers, and the SCRC, which represents Radio-Canada workers, issued a statement Thursday calling for CBC President Hubert Lacroix and the entire board of directors to step down.
Read the full story.
The Canadian Media Guild, which represents CBC workers, and the SCRC, which represents Radio-Canada workers, issued a statement Thursday calling for CBC President Hubert Lacroix and the entire board of directors to step down.
Read the full story.
CBC funding to increase in upcoming budget
Federal Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly said her government's March 22 budget will restore some funding to the CBC, but in its first year the Liberal Party will not fully undo cuts made by the Conservatives.
In her interview with On The Coast, Joly also said she would be launching a series of consultations about CBC's new focus on digital, asking, "How can we support Canadian content in a digital age?"
She also hinted that changes might be coming to the Broadcasting and the Telecommunications acts, which "were developed 30 years ago, when it was really a much more analogous way of thinking," she said.
Read the full story.
In her interview with On The Coast, Joly also said she would be launching a series of consultations about CBC's new focus on digital, asking, "How can we support Canadian content in a digital age?"
She also hinted that changes might be coming to the Broadcasting and the Telecommunications acts, which "were developed 30 years ago, when it was really a much more analogous way of thinking," she said.
Read the full story.
CBC political bias accidentally on display
Most Canadians are skeptics, and CBC accidentally says so, then “edits” story
Oops! CBC (the Canadian version of the BBC and ABC) have been caught out editing a story to make it more politically correct. CBC’s political bias is accidentally on display. The original message revealed a sacred truth that must not be spoken. How would most Canadians feel about being forced to pay money to change the weather if they knew most other Canadians also thought it was a waste of billions? As far as I can tell, the updated version was a complete rewrite of the first half of the article. There appear to be a lot of changes.
The unsurprising news is that 56% of Canadians are skeptics – which is very similar to all other surveys which show that 62% of Brits are 62% skeptical. As are 54% of Australians. Fully third of the US are so skeptical they think it’s a total hoax.
Read the full story.
Oops! CBC (the Canadian version of the BBC and ABC) have been caught out editing a story to make it more politically correct. CBC’s political bias is accidentally on display. The original message revealed a sacred truth that must not be spoken. How would most Canadians feel about being forced to pay money to change the weather if they knew most other Canadians also thought it was a waste of billions? As far as I can tell, the updated version was a complete rewrite of the first half of the article. There appear to be a lot of changes.
The unsurprising news is that 56% of Canadians are skeptics – which is very similar to all other surveys which show that 62% of Brits are 62% skeptical. As are 54% of Australians. Fully third of the US are so skeptical they think it’s a total hoax.
Read the full story.
The CBC under Lacroixs control
A ten per cent cut to the CBC’s annual budget has been announced, with hundreds of jobs set to disappear over the next couple years and maybe even into 2020.
Cuts are planned for 400 jobs by March of next year with another 400 by March 2016. It is possible that by 2020, another 400 jobs at the CBC will be lost with no one filling in those roles.
Read the full story.
Cuts are planned for 400 jobs by March of next year with another 400 by March 2016. It is possible that by 2020, another 400 jobs at the CBC will be lost with no one filling in those roles.
Read the full story.
CBC squares off against information commissioner
CBC may demand accountability from the government, but Canada's taxpayer-funded broadcaster is going to court once again in order to keep its own affairs secret.
The CBC will square off against the information commissioner, an independent officer of Parliament, in a Montreal courtroom Sept. 13. After hearing from a number of sources, including Sun Media, about problems with CBC's response to access to information requests, the commissioner subpoenaed a number of files. The CBC refused.
It's not the first run in between the state broadcaster and the Access to Information Act. The CBC became subject to the act in 2007, since then close to 900 complaints have been filed. While some of those cases were resolved and a small number were found to be without merit, as of June the information commissioner had 498 active complaints against CBC.
Read the full story here.
The CBC will square off against the information commissioner, an independent officer of Parliament, in a Montreal courtroom Sept. 13. After hearing from a number of sources, including Sun Media, about problems with CBC's response to access to information requests, the commissioner subpoenaed a number of files. The CBC refused.
It's not the first run in between the state broadcaster and the Access to Information Act. The CBC became subject to the act in 2007, since then close to 900 complaints have been filed. While some of those cases were resolved and a small number were found to be without merit, as of June the information commissioner had 498 active complaints against CBC.
Read the full story here.
CBC disappointed in court decision
A recent Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruling appears to open the way to adding invasion of privacy claims to defamation lawsuits against journalists, says a defamation lawyer.
On Aug. 31, Justice Graeme Mew released the reasons for his July 17 decision on a motion in Chandra v. CBC. The motion, brought by the CBC, sought to have the court decide that it shouldn’t put an invasion of privacy claim to the jury that the plaintiff had added to his original defamation case.
“Can a plaintiff who has sued a broadcaster for defamation in connection with a television program also maintain a claim for general damages for invasion of privacy?” Mew asked at the beginning of his reasons for his decision.
His answer: Yes, but in this case at least, with some limitations.
The CBC’s lawyer, Christine Lonsdale, a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP, says the CBC is disappointed the court rejected its argument against the privacy claim.
Read the full story here.
On Aug. 31, Justice Graeme Mew released the reasons for his July 17 decision on a motion in Chandra v. CBC. The motion, brought by the CBC, sought to have the court decide that it shouldn’t put an invasion of privacy claim to the jury that the plaintiff had added to his original defamation case.
“Can a plaintiff who has sued a broadcaster for defamation in connection with a television program also maintain a claim for general damages for invasion of privacy?” Mew asked at the beginning of his reasons for his decision.
His answer: Yes, but in this case at least, with some limitations.
The CBC’s lawyer, Christine Lonsdale, a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP, says the CBC is disappointed the court rejected its argument against the privacy claim.
Read the full story here.
Complaints about CBC news
Complaints about CBC news or journalistic practices
The Office of the CBC Ombudsman is responsible for evaluating compliance of CBC news and current affairs content with the CBC’s journalistic policies. It is an independent and impartial body that reports directly to the President of the CBC. The CBC Ombudsman will review complaints about the news programming of CBC radio and TV, as well as CBC’s internet and social media news content.
- Contact the CBC Ombudsman:
- online: www.ombudsman.cbc.radio-canada.ca
- email: ombudsman@cbc.ca
- mail: CBC Ombudsman, P.O. Box 500, Station A, Toronto, Ontario M5W1E6
- fax: 416-205-2825
- telephone: 416-205-2978
Open letter to CBC president Hubert Lacroix
Dear Mr. Lacroix.
I’m not sure this open letter will reach you before some CBC middle manager deletes all links to TV Feeds My Family–if they haven’t already. But here goes.
The news you had to deliver Thursday in those town hall meetings was terrible. CBC will eliminate 657 jobs over two years and get out of the sports TV business in order to address a $130 million budget shortfall. Ouch.
This isn’t, as you are sadly all too aware, the first time hundreds of jobs have been slashed at CBC. In 2009, 800 positions were cut. In 2012, another 650 lost their jobs.
Almost as big a shock, however it that there are still 6,994 permanent, 859 contract and 329 temporary CBC employees. That’s an army. Despite all this talk of cutting way past the bone, could there still be too many chiefs?
Read the full letter here.
I’m not sure this open letter will reach you before some CBC middle manager deletes all links to TV Feeds My Family–if they haven’t already. But here goes.
The news you had to deliver Thursday in those town hall meetings was terrible. CBC will eliminate 657 jobs over two years and get out of the sports TV business in order to address a $130 million budget shortfall. Ouch.
This isn’t, as you are sadly all too aware, the first time hundreds of jobs have been slashed at CBC. In 2009, 800 positions were cut. In 2012, another 650 lost their jobs.
Almost as big a shock, however it that there are still 6,994 permanent, 859 contract and 329 temporary CBC employees. That’s an army. Despite all this talk of cutting way past the bone, could there still be too many chiefs?
Read the full letter here.
CBC facing backlash
CBC personalities including Peter Mansbridge, David Suzuki and Linden MacIntyre are speaking out against a CBC proposal to shut down in-house production of documentaries at the public broadcaster.
Anna Maria Tremonti, Carol Off and Nahlah Ayed have also signed the petition calling on the CBC to protect its documentary department by placing it under its News and Current Affairs division.
“CBC Television, to be true to its core mandate, needs more long-form journalism and legacy programming — not less,” states the letter, sent to president Hubert Lacroix and head of English services Heather Conway.
Read the full story.
Anna Maria Tremonti, Carol Off and Nahlah Ayed have also signed the petition calling on the CBC to protect its documentary department by placing it under its News and Current Affairs division.
“CBC Television, to be true to its core mandate, needs more long-form journalism and legacy programming — not less,” states the letter, sent to president Hubert Lacroix and head of English services Heather Conway.
Read the full story.
MLA files lawsuit against CBC
Saskatchewan Party MLA Bill Boyd has filed a lawsuit against the CBC and one of its reporters.
It is in regard to the recent stories about a $21 million land deal by the Global Transportation Hub of which Boyd was chair.
The provincial auditor is now investigating the land sale and any other transactions related to it.
The lawsuit argues the stories are misleading and allege the MLA acted unlawfully.
The CBC has not yet filed any defence.
Read the full story here.
It is in regard to the recent stories about a $21 million land deal by the Global Transportation Hub of which Boyd was chair.
The provincial auditor is now investigating the land sale and any other transactions related to it.
The lawsuit argues the stories are misleading and allege the MLA acted unlawfully.
The CBC has not yet filed any defence.
Read the full story here.
CBC Subsidy Unjustified
If there were a truth-in-advertising law for campaign signs, the “We Vote CBC” signs would have to read “We Vote to Have Everyone Else Subsidize our Ideological and Cultural Preferences.” Because even if you agree with the CBC, its supporters and unions that Mother Corp is “woefully underfunded,” it is still the only broadcaster in the country that gets nearly a billion tax dollars a year.
Despite all the whining by Friends of Canadian Broadcasting and other slathering devotees of the CBC, all other Canadian TV channels and radio services – combined – do not get the kind of money that flows into the CBC year after year. And for that money, Mother Corp mostly produces dreadful, dull, preachy, biased or unfunny television that almost no one watches.
Read the full story.
Despite all the whining by Friends of Canadian Broadcasting and other slathering devotees of the CBC, all other Canadian TV channels and radio services – combined – do not get the kind of money that flows into the CBC year after year. And for that money, Mother Corp mostly produces dreadful, dull, preachy, biased or unfunny television that almost no one watches.
Read the full story.
Get the CBC out of the free market
With $1.2-billion in direct government subsidies (2013) and $330-million in declining advertising revenue, the CBC is as far from being a “market-based” enterprise as an enterprise can get. As the corporation’s annual report makes clear, the CBC’s self-described “business model” is “not profit oriented and all sources of funds are used to fulfill its public broadcasting mandate.”
But the great non-profit shell game is coming to an end. Even CBC executives concede there’s trouble ahead. In TV and radio, the old CBC is struggling to recalibrate its strategy. “Conventional television still remains at the heart of the broadcasting system, but its business model is dying,” said Mr. Lacroix at the Let’s Talk TV hearings, which end this week in Ottawa.
The great flux in the broadcasting industry does not mean, however, that the CBC is about to abandon its core business strategy, which is capitalizing on its inherent contradictions and shifting its arguments as the world turns around it. Not too long ago, CBC said its Radio 2 network’s business model (free cash from taxpayers) was busted, so it decided to begin accepting commercials. As a result, Radio 2, once defended by CBC as an ideologically pure commercial-free disseminator of essential Canadian music and other public affairs, now rakes in revenue from a host of advertisers.
Read the full story here.
But the great non-profit shell game is coming to an end. Even CBC executives concede there’s trouble ahead. In TV and radio, the old CBC is struggling to recalibrate its strategy. “Conventional television still remains at the heart of the broadcasting system, but its business model is dying,” said Mr. Lacroix at the Let’s Talk TV hearings, which end this week in Ottawa.
The great flux in the broadcasting industry does not mean, however, that the CBC is about to abandon its core business strategy, which is capitalizing on its inherent contradictions and shifting its arguments as the world turns around it. Not too long ago, CBC said its Radio 2 network’s business model (free cash from taxpayers) was busted, so it decided to begin accepting commercials. As a result, Radio 2, once defended by CBC as an ideologically pure commercial-free disseminator of essential Canadian music and other public affairs, now rakes in revenue from a host of advertisers.
Read the full story here.
CBC has former apparatchik in a senior policy position
We just had to share this very insightful letter from a new follower:
_______________________________________________________________
Dear CBC Exposed,
According to a report from the Globe and Mail:
http://www.theglobeandmail.
One Alex Johnston (a daughter of GG Johnston) was hired by the CBC as a vice-president of policy. She had spent the last several years as head of a lobby group lobbying for higher percentages of women on corporate boards. But before that she served as a senior policy advisor in Dalton McGuinty’s premier’s office, where she worked closely with Gerald Butts (then chief of staff under McGuinty). Note that Mr. Butts is chief of staff in PM Justin Trudeau’s office.
In a Maclean’s article:
http://www.macleans.ca/
Ms. Johnston makes the following comment (scroll half-way down the article) about McGuinty and Butts:
“They found in each other a shared sense of values,” says Alex Johnston, McGuinty’s executive director for policy. “It wasn’t just public policy, but the way they envisioned the future. They were very sympatico. Not similar, sympatico. It was a beautiful thing to watch.”
Anyways, the CBC has a former McGuinty/Butts apparatchik in a senior policy position.
Hope you can use this.
Sincerely,
"A New Follower"
_______________________________________________________________
Dear CBC Exposed,
According to a report from the Globe and Mail:
http://www.theglobeandmail.
One Alex Johnston (a daughter of GG Johnston) was hired by the CBC as a vice-president of policy. She had spent the last several years as head of a lobby group lobbying for higher percentages of women on corporate boards. But before that she served as a senior policy advisor in Dalton McGuinty’s premier’s office, where she worked closely with Gerald Butts (then chief of staff under McGuinty). Note that Mr. Butts is chief of staff in PM Justin Trudeau’s office.
In a Maclean’s article:
http://www.macleans.ca/
Ms. Johnston makes the following comment (scroll half-way down the article) about McGuinty and Butts:
“They found in each other a shared sense of values,” says Alex Johnston, McGuinty’s executive director for policy. “It wasn’t just public policy, but the way they envisioned the future. They were very sympatico. Not similar, sympatico. It was a beautiful thing to watch.”
Anyways, the CBC has a former McGuinty/Butts apparatchik in a senior policy position.
Hope you can use this.
Sincerely,
"A New Follower"
What Canadians want from the CBC
Mélanie Joly, the new minister responsible for the CBC, must decide what to do about our national broadcaster. The Liberals made a campaign promise to increase funding of the publicly owned broadcaster by $150-million annually, but CBC has only said the money would be used for “deepening our connection” with Canadians.
What do Canadians want from their public broadcaster?
Would people even notice that CBC-TV was gone? Is CBC’s all-news channel more important than the main channel? Should CBC be airing the Olympics or sports at all? If CBC were only available online, would Canadians still watch and listen? Are CBC Web services more or less important than Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Netflix?
The minister should collect relevant industry data on how the CBC spends the public money it currently receives and the commercial revenue it generates. Ask experts for suggestions on how CBC could be more efficient with our money and what incentives could be put in place to increase efficiency. Should CBC be in the business of renting its buildings or airwaves to private interests? Should CBC be competing with newspapers and online media for readers and advertisers? Just how much revenue do all those new CBC Internet services generate, which CBC has never revealed?
Read the full story here.
What do Canadians want from their public broadcaster?
Would people even notice that CBC-TV was gone? Is CBC’s all-news channel more important than the main channel? Should CBC be airing the Olympics or sports at all? If CBC were only available online, would Canadians still watch and listen? Are CBC Web services more or less important than Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Netflix?
The minister should collect relevant industry data on how the CBC spends the public money it currently receives and the commercial revenue it generates. Ask experts for suggestions on how CBC could be more efficient with our money and what incentives could be put in place to increase efficiency. Should CBC be in the business of renting its buildings or airwaves to private interests? Should CBC be competing with newspapers and online media for readers and advertisers? Just how much revenue do all those new CBC Internet services generate, which CBC has never revealed?
Read the full story here.
CBC riddled-with-loopholes special
The following "Opinion Piece" was sent to us by a reader:
Before unmasking last week’s riddled-with-loopholes CBC special, “Face to Face with the Prime Minister”, I’d like to commend the 10 participants of the show for having the courage to go on national television to share their hardships with millions of Canadians, and for also earnestly trying their best to hold our new PM to account–despite the cards being stacked against them and there being little of a track record to review. The participants are all far more lionhearted than myself and many of our compatriots. Bravo to these 10 Canadians for seizing the opportunity to stand up for what is dear to their hearts. So please do not misconstrue the below in any way as an attack on these wonderful Canadian citizens.
That being said, the way the CBC and Justin Trudeau and co. set up this supposedly avant-garde interviewing process–according to Peter Mansbridge, “like nothing you’ve ever seen”–they should be ashamed of themselves. This piss-poor yellow journalism reeks on so many levels. So without further ado, allow me to turn this gimmicky production inside out with a gimmicky top ten listicle of its abominations.
See the Top Ten list here!
Before unmasking last week’s riddled-with-loopholes CBC special, “Face to Face with the Prime Minister”, I’d like to commend the 10 participants of the show for having the courage to go on national television to share their hardships with millions of Canadians, and for also earnestly trying their best to hold our new PM to account–despite the cards being stacked against them and there being little of a track record to review. The participants are all far more lionhearted than myself and many of our compatriots. Bravo to these 10 Canadians for seizing the opportunity to stand up for what is dear to their hearts. So please do not misconstrue the below in any way as an attack on these wonderful Canadian citizens.
That being said, the way the CBC and Justin Trudeau and co. set up this supposedly avant-garde interviewing process–according to Peter Mansbridge, “like nothing you’ve ever seen”–they should be ashamed of themselves. This piss-poor yellow journalism reeks on so many levels. So without further ado, allow me to turn this gimmicky production inside out with a gimmicky top ten listicle of its abominations.
See the Top Ten list here!
CBC Calgary apologizes
CBC Calgary apologizes after 'graffiti' campaign to promote local newscasts leads to some trouble with city bylaw.
On paper, CBC Calgary’s guerilla campaign to promote its local newscasts was a fun idea — on pavement not so much.
Leaving #whywhyc in chalk in several locations around the city, graffiti style, recently ran the news organization afoul of our bylaw officers.
And Tuesday they copped up to it and said they were sorry.
Read the full story.
On paper, CBC Calgary’s guerilla campaign to promote its local newscasts was a fun idea — on pavement not so much.
Leaving #whywhyc in chalk in several locations around the city, graffiti style, recently ran the news organization afoul of our bylaw officers.
And Tuesday they copped up to it and said they were sorry.
Read the full story.
The CBCs Ugliest Secret
It’s hard to overstate the understated reaction from CBC top brass in the face of a damning report on how the public broadcaster bungled workplace complaints involving Jian Ghomeshi, the fired Q radio show host.
CBC president Hubert Lacroix described the findings by lawyers Janice Rubin and Parisa Nikfarjam, released on Thursday, as “troubling and disappointing.” The CBC is “committed to creating a workplace where safety and respect for one another is a fundamental attribute and non-negotiable,” he insisted.
Given the nasty secrets the report aired, Lacroix should be more than “disappointed” in his management team. How about ashamed, and furious?
The CBC’s ugliest secret, until Ghomeshi blew himself out of the water, is that it tolerated, even condoned, a radio show host who abused his colleagues. The CBC’s failure to rein in Ghomeshi showed utter disregard for respect and safety in the workplace. And the abuse continued for years.
Read the full story.
CBC president Hubert Lacroix described the findings by lawyers Janice Rubin and Parisa Nikfarjam, released on Thursday, as “troubling and disappointing.” The CBC is “committed to creating a workplace where safety and respect for one another is a fundamental attribute and non-negotiable,” he insisted.
Given the nasty secrets the report aired, Lacroix should be more than “disappointed” in his management team. How about ashamed, and furious?
The CBC’s ugliest secret, until Ghomeshi blew himself out of the water, is that it tolerated, even condoned, a radio show host who abused his colleagues. The CBC’s failure to rein in Ghomeshi showed utter disregard for respect and safety in the workplace. And the abuse continued for years.
Read the full story.
CBC scandals fueling public apathy
With So Many Scandals, Why Should We Save the CBC?
Evan Solomon is out of a job. The Toronto Star uncovered secret commissions that Solomon pocketed from art deals he facilitated. The CBC fired their star journalist just 2 hours after the damning article appeared online.
This is the latest in a string of scandals which have rocked the national broadcaster in the past 12 months.
The CBC brass need to pay attention to the general public's growing apathy towards an institution too often in the news for the wrong reasons. Uncomfortable corporate silences. Lingering questions. Unanswered inquiries. CBC fans can't explain this riddle to themselves, much less to lukewarm listeners.
See the list of scandals here.
Evan Solomon is out of a job. The Toronto Star uncovered secret commissions that Solomon pocketed from art deals he facilitated. The CBC fired their star journalist just 2 hours after the damning article appeared online.
This is the latest in a string of scandals which have rocked the national broadcaster in the past 12 months.
The CBC brass need to pay attention to the general public's growing apathy towards an institution too often in the news for the wrong reasons. Uncomfortable corporate silences. Lingering questions. Unanswered inquiries. CBC fans can't explain this riddle to themselves, much less to lukewarm listeners.
See the list of scandals here.
Report states CBC management condoned Ghomeshi's behaviour
CBC failed to provide its staff a workplace "free from disrespectful and abusive behaviour," says the report of an independent investigator hired to examine the corporation's handling of the behaviour of former radio and television host Jian Ghomeshi.
Janice Rubin, a Toronto employment lawyer with expertise in the field of workplace harassment, says in the report that Ghomeshi's behaviour violated CBC standards, and that his behaviour was "considered to create an intimidating, humiliating, hostile or offensive work environment."
The report says that as information was shared "upwards," it had a tendency to become "diluted."
"Less prevalent, but also present in a small number of cases, was behaviour that constituted sexual harassment," the report says, although it asserts that management was unaware of any complaints or allegations about sexual harassment.
It also says management failed to take steps in accordance with its own policies.
"It is our conclusion that CBC management condoned this behaviour."
Read the full story.
Janice Rubin, a Toronto employment lawyer with expertise in the field of workplace harassment, says in the report that Ghomeshi's behaviour violated CBC standards, and that his behaviour was "considered to create an intimidating, humiliating, hostile or offensive work environment."
The report says that as information was shared "upwards," it had a tendency to become "diluted."
"Less prevalent, but also present in a small number of cases, was behaviour that constituted sexual harassment," the report says, although it asserts that management was unaware of any complaints or allegations about sexual harassment.
It also says management failed to take steps in accordance with its own policies.
"It is our conclusion that CBC management condoned this behaviour."
Read the full story.
Canadian Media Guild calls for CBC President Hubert Lacroix to step down
Despite the incoming Liberal government’s vow to reverse funding reductions to the CBC, the broadcaster’s top brass are still planning layoffs and production cuts, two unions that represent CBC/Radio-Canada employees say.
The Canadian Media Guild, which represents CBC workers, and the SCRC, which represents Radio-Canada workers, issued a statement Thursday calling for CBC President Hubert Lacroix and the entire board of directors to step down.
“Instead of fighting for a strong CBC/Radio-Canada, accessible on different platforms, they have announced that even if the funding is restored, they will continue with the plan to diminish CBC/Radio-Canada,” the unions said in a statement.
“Along with constant cuts to staff – more than 25 per cent of workers laid off in five years – this damage is the vision of this President and Board.”
Read the full story.
The Canadian Media Guild, which represents CBC workers, and the SCRC, which represents Radio-Canada workers, issued a statement Thursday calling for CBC President Hubert Lacroix and the entire board of directors to step down.
“Instead of fighting for a strong CBC/Radio-Canada, accessible on different platforms, they have announced that even if the funding is restored, they will continue with the plan to diminish CBC/Radio-Canada,” the unions said in a statement.
“Along with constant cuts to staff – more than 25 per cent of workers laid off in five years – this damage is the vision of this President and Board.”
Read the full story.
Amanda Lang leaving CBC after controversy
Discussions that led business journalist Amanda Lang to leave the CBC and join the new Bloomberg TV Canada channel began a year ago. Ms. Lang, who has been a CBC host and business correspondent since 2009, leaves the public broadcaster after Friday’s episode of The Exchange with Amanda Lang to produce and host a new, twice-weekly evening program called Bloomberg North.
But she is also departing the CBC after a year when controversy dogged her coverage, as well as her paid speaking work outside the broadcaster. There were reports of clashes with colleagues and suggestions she was pro-business. And the CBC took the unusual step of investigating her coverage back to 2013, particularly of Royal Bank of Canada, as Ms. Lang was in a relationship with a member of RBC’s board.
Read the full story here.
But she is also departing the CBC after a year when controversy dogged her coverage, as well as her paid speaking work outside the broadcaster. There were reports of clashes with colleagues and suggestions she was pro-business. And the CBC took the unusual step of investigating her coverage back to 2013, particularly of Royal Bank of Canada, as Ms. Lang was in a relationship with a member of RBC’s board.
Read the full story here.
Libel Award Against CBC Makes Legal History
Ottawa MD makes legal history with huge libel award against CBC
Dr. Frans Leenen thought his professional reputation had been left in tatters when the CBC broadcast a public affairs program on the use of calcium-channel blockers in 1996. Four years later, the CBC knows exactly how he felt.
In a blistering judgement released Apr. 20, Mr. Justice J.D. Cunningham of the Ontario Superior Court found the fifth estate guilty of acting with malice against the Ottawa hypertension specialist. He ordered the CBC to pay Leenen $950 000 in general, aggravated and punitive damages, plus his legal costs. Richard Dearden, one of the Ottawa lawyers who has represented Leenen since his suit was launched in 1996, says those costs will total more than $1 million.
Leenen now has the dubious distinction of being part of Canadian legal history. "This is the largest [defamation] award against the media in the history of the country," says a jubilant Dearden.
Read the full story.
Dr. Frans Leenen thought his professional reputation had been left in tatters when the CBC broadcast a public affairs program on the use of calcium-channel blockers in 1996. Four years later, the CBC knows exactly how he felt.
In a blistering judgement released Apr. 20, Mr. Justice J.D. Cunningham of the Ontario Superior Court found the fifth estate guilty of acting with malice against the Ottawa hypertension specialist. He ordered the CBC to pay Leenen $950 000 in general, aggravated and punitive damages, plus his legal costs. Richard Dearden, one of the Ottawa lawyers who has represented Leenen since his suit was launched in 1996, says those costs will total more than $1 million.
Leenen now has the dubious distinction of being part of Canadian legal history. "This is the largest [defamation] award against the media in the history of the country," says a jubilant Dearden.
Read the full story.
Will CBC Suspend Online Comments on Israel-Related Articles Too?
We read with great interest about the CBC’s decision to suspend online comments, albeit temporarily, on indigenous-related stories on the CBC’s website.
HonestReporting Canada is a staunch free speech defender and encourages a very wide marketplace of ideas, but we – like the CBC – draw the line when it comes to abusive and hateful commentary, especially incendiary remarks that target and demonize Jews and supporters of Israel.
Recently, HRC respectfully requested that CBC suspend message boards on Israel-related stories too in light of the hateful comments – especially during the current conflict –even if this was a temporary measure towards a long term solution.
While we appreciate the CBC’s reply and its recognizing that Middle East stories feature many comments which “outright violate” its commenting guidelines, CBC’s response was regretfully evasive. CBC, by its own admission, has prioritized Aboriginal related articles above all other minorities and faith-based groups, despite Jews being one of the most targeted groups for hate crimes in Canada.
Read the full story.
HonestReporting Canada is a staunch free speech defender and encourages a very wide marketplace of ideas, but we – like the CBC – draw the line when it comes to abusive and hateful commentary, especially incendiary remarks that target and demonize Jews and supporters of Israel.
Recently, HRC respectfully requested that CBC suspend message boards on Israel-related stories too in light of the hateful comments – especially during the current conflict –even if this was a temporary measure towards a long term solution.
While we appreciate the CBC’s reply and its recognizing that Middle East stories feature many comments which “outright violate” its commenting guidelines, CBC’s response was regretfully evasive. CBC, by its own admission, has prioritized Aboriginal related articles above all other minorities and faith-based groups, despite Jews being one of the most targeted groups for hate crimes in Canada.
Read the full story.
Ghomeshi trial may reopen CBC wounds
When allegations of sexual assault emerged against Jian Ghomeshi in the fall of 2014, the CBC was still reeling from deep budget cuts and job losses.
The subsequent Ghomeshi scandal — which would culminate in criminal charges and an external review blaming CBC management for condoning workplace harassment — then made way for allegations of conflict of interest around some of its other big stars, senior business correspondent Amanda Lang and Power and Politics host Evan Solomon.
It was a time of turmoil for the public broadcaster, faced with bad press at home and abroad. Recently, things had begun to settle down, with a new host at Ghomeshi’s former radio show Q and a Liberal government promising to reinvest in the CBC.
Now, the Ghomeshi scandal — undoubtedly one of the lowest points in the CBC’s history — is about to be revisited as his sexual assault trial begins in Toronto on Monday.
Read the full story.
The subsequent Ghomeshi scandal — which would culminate in criminal charges and an external review blaming CBC management for condoning workplace harassment — then made way for allegations of conflict of interest around some of its other big stars, senior business correspondent Amanda Lang and Power and Politics host Evan Solomon.
It was a time of turmoil for the public broadcaster, faced with bad press at home and abroad. Recently, things had begun to settle down, with a new host at Ghomeshi’s former radio show Q and a Liberal government promising to reinvest in the CBC.
Now, the Ghomeshi scandal — undoubtedly one of the lowest points in the CBC’s history — is about to be revisited as his sexual assault trial begins in Toronto on Monday.
Read the full story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)