Scouts Canada is keeping its options open when it comes to taking legal action against the CBC for a report alleging it kept a confidential list of suspected pedophiles within the organization.
Chief commissioner Steve Kent, also the MHA for Mount Pearl North, denied the allegation again Friday, saying the organization feels elements of "The Fifth Estate" report which aired a few weeks ago were misleading.
"The most unfortunate part is that some of the CBC coverage has left the impression that we've been hiding something," Kent said.
Read the full story.
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.
CBCexposed - CBC looks to bend the rules - again
The CBC is hoping the federal broadcast regulator will once again allow it to bend the rules and avoid spending money on television signal improvements its private sector rivals have already made.
Despite getting $1 billion dollars a year from taxpayers, CBC executives say they can't afford the cost of replacing about 22 analog transmitters with digital television transmitters.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) had already given the CBC an extension on upgrading to digital transmitters. CTV, Global and other private sector broadcasters had already made the investment forced upon them by the CRTC.
Read the full story.
Despite getting $1 billion dollars a year from taxpayers, CBC executives say they can't afford the cost of replacing about 22 analog transmitters with digital television transmitters.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) had already given the CBC an extension on upgrading to digital transmitters. CTV, Global and other private sector broadcasters had already made the investment forced upon them by the CRTC.
Read the full story.
CBC's Hubert Lacroix said he has no reason to suspect a conspiracy ...
CBC president Hubert Lacroix says he doesn’t believe there’s a conspiracy between its Canadian owners, Sun Media, and the Harper conservatives in Ottawa.
Lacroix, who amplified his oft-stated case for stable funding for the CBC through 2015 (the federal government is expected to bring down its annual budget in March), said he has no reason to suspect a conspiracy, despite “the number of Conservative Party people who have key positions in Sun Media.”
Lacroix defended CBC’s all-Canadian indie pop music network Radio 2 despite four years of conspicuously low ratings — around a 3 per cent share of total hours tuned by listeners of all ages. It had formerly had a classical music and spoken word format with equally low ratings.
Read the full story.
Lacroix, who amplified his oft-stated case for stable funding for the CBC through 2015 (the federal government is expected to bring down its annual budget in March), said he has no reason to suspect a conspiracy, despite “the number of Conservative Party people who have key positions in Sun Media.”
Lacroix defended CBC’s all-Canadian indie pop music network Radio 2 despite four years of conspicuously low ratings — around a 3 per cent share of total hours tuned by listeners of all ages. It had formerly had a classical music and spoken word format with equally low ratings.
Read the full story.
The dominant TV station in the country, the CBC, is owned by the government
The Sun News Network believes in free enterprise, just like Sun Media newspapers do.
But unlike the newspaper business, the TV business isn’t based on free enterprise. In fact, it’s one of the Canadian industries most regulated by the government.
Everything from what channels are allowed on TV, to how much they charge cable companies each month, to the channel placement on the TV dial, is regulated by a government agency called the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC. And the dominant TV station in the country, the CBC, is owned by the government.
They receive an annual grant of $1.1 billion.
And that’s in addition to the billions of dollars in real estate and equipment that they have acquired over time.
Stop to think what the newspaper business would look like under that system: A massive government newspaper, with dozens of offices across the country, with subsidized printing and home delivery.
And if you wanted to start up a competitor, you’d have to ask the government for permission, and even to be seen on newsstands.
That’s why no Canadian entrepreneurs have ever started up a free-market all-news TV station.
Do you think there should be more choice on Canadian TV?
That the Sun should have a level playing field with the other channels with mandatory carriage?
Do you think the same rules should apply to all Canadian news channels?
Read the full story.
But unlike the newspaper business, the TV business isn’t based on free enterprise. In fact, it’s one of the Canadian industries most regulated by the government.
Everything from what channels are allowed on TV, to how much they charge cable companies each month, to the channel placement on the TV dial, is regulated by a government agency called the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC. And the dominant TV station in the country, the CBC, is owned by the government.
They receive an annual grant of $1.1 billion.
And that’s in addition to the billions of dollars in real estate and equipment that they have acquired over time.
Stop to think what the newspaper business would look like under that system: A massive government newspaper, with dozens of offices across the country, with subsidized printing and home delivery.
And if you wanted to start up a competitor, you’d have to ask the government for permission, and even to be seen on newsstands.
That’s why no Canadian entrepreneurs have ever started up a free-market all-news TV station.
Do you think there should be more choice on Canadian TV?
That the Sun should have a level playing field with the other channels with mandatory carriage?
Do you think the same rules should apply to all Canadian news channels?
Read the full story.
CBC definitely run by bureaucrats
Only a quasi government entity would try to charge customers for printing web content. Before I continue the CBC would reasonably be described as a left wing and government funded news agency in Canada. They compete against private broadcasters in Canada on the web, radio and broadcast television.
Visiting their web page you will come across their terms of use agreements. They seem to have an inflated sense of how much their articles are worth. I am guessing they see their funding getting cut and are hoping this will be a valuable revenue stream.
From a marketing stand-point this will flop, because there is clearly no need to pay the CBC. It was no doubt an inside out marketing job done by some disconnected bureaucrats to boost revenues.
Read the full story.
Visiting their web page you will come across their terms of use agreements. They seem to have an inflated sense of how much their articles are worth. I am guessing they see their funding getting cut and are hoping this will be a valuable revenue stream.
From a marketing stand-point this will flop, because there is clearly no need to pay the CBC. It was no doubt an inside out marketing job done by some disconnected bureaucrats to boost revenues.
Read the full story.
CBC programming is decidedly anti-American ...
CBC programming is decidedly anti-American, according to U.S. diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks.
A cable from the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa to officials in Washington says CBC, "the state-owned" broadcaster, "has long gone to great pains to highlight the distinction between Americans and Canadians."
The diplomatic note goes on to say "the level of anti-American melodrama" reached new heights with the launch of the show The Border.
The cable lays out several plot lines that portray Americans as arrogant, overbearing and generally not concerned with respecting Canadian sovereignty.
Read the full story.
A cable from the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa to officials in Washington says CBC, "the state-owned" broadcaster, "has long gone to great pains to highlight the distinction between Americans and Canadians."
The diplomatic note goes on to say "the level of anti-American melodrama" reached new heights with the launch of the show The Border.
The cable lays out several plot lines that portray Americans as arrogant, overbearing and generally not concerned with respecting Canadian sovereignty.
Read the full story.
CBC refuses to reveal its secrets ...
Poor Hubert Lacroix.
The president of the CBC is feeling put upon because, unlike other media outlets, we refuse to write glowingly about how wonderful the state broadcaster is.
Beginning almost a year ago, I started a semi-regular feature called “The Money Drain” that looks at CBC’s refusal to be open and transparent under the Access to Information Act.
In that time, CBC has refused to release the type of standard fare released by minister’s offices and departments under the same access law that is supposed to open government up to the people who pay for it.
Want to know how much CBC paid to replace the Hockey Night in Canada song they never should have lost? Too bad.
Want to know how much employee absenteeism is costing the taxpayer at CBC? They won’t say.
This series, combined with stinging reports on CBC’s failures from the federal information commissioner, has the Commons ethics and access to information committee examining Lacroix’s actions.
He isn’t happy about it.
Read the full story.
The president of the CBC is feeling put upon because, unlike other media outlets, we refuse to write glowingly about how wonderful the state broadcaster is.
Beginning almost a year ago, I started a semi-regular feature called “The Money Drain” that looks at CBC’s refusal to be open and transparent under the Access to Information Act.
In that time, CBC has refused to release the type of standard fare released by minister’s offices and departments under the same access law that is supposed to open government up to the people who pay for it.
Want to know how much CBC paid to replace the Hockey Night in Canada song they never should have lost? Too bad.
Want to know how much employee absenteeism is costing the taxpayer at CBC? They won’t say.
This series, combined with stinging reports on CBC’s failures from the federal information commissioner, has the Commons ethics and access to information committee examining Lacroix’s actions.
He isn’t happy about it.
Read the full story.
The CBC’s negative impact on the Canadian economy is deep ...
“This government was elected to balance the budget - that must remain the top priority,” says Peter Coleman President and CEO of the National Citizens Coalition. “If they are serious about the promises they made during the most recent election it is time to put the CBC on the chopping block.”
The CBC’s negative impact on the Canadian economy is deeper than most taxpayers realize.
“Private networks must compete with the CBC for advertising dollars, and the CBC has repeatedly refused to even open its books,” says Stephen Taylor, a Director with the NCC.
“Without a transparent, forensic audit the true costs of the CBC are impossible to estimate. This is before even including the millions of public dollars spent each year by other government agencies, such as Canada Post, to advertise on the CBC,” adds Taylor.
Read the full story.
The CBC’s negative impact on the Canadian economy is deeper than most taxpayers realize.
“Private networks must compete with the CBC for advertising dollars, and the CBC has repeatedly refused to even open its books,” says Stephen Taylor, a Director with the NCC.
“Without a transparent, forensic audit the true costs of the CBC are impossible to estimate. This is before even including the millions of public dollars spent each year by other government agencies, such as Canada Post, to advertise on the CBC,” adds Taylor.
Read the full story.
CBC management lacks the necessary controls to manage
CBC English radio had 1,500 staff in 2010, while CBC French radio had 1,000, that is, the French service had roughly two thirds as many people as the English radio service, a ratio that on face value seems reasonable given the services provided by the two radio services across the country. Yet that same year CBC French TV had more staff (3,200) than CBC English TV (3,100), which appears irrational given the services requirements of the two TV services, not to mention the staff ratio in radio.
In 2010 the CBC French TV service generated about $100 million less in advertising revenue and had a budget almost $200 million dollars less than its English counterpart, yet had more people on staff.
In my 40-year association with CBC I can't recall this discrepancy in staff levels having ever been discussed. It is one of many indicators that CBC management lacks the necessary controls to manage the organization properly.
Read the full story.
In 2010 the CBC French TV service generated about $100 million less in advertising revenue and had a budget almost $200 million dollars less than its English counterpart, yet had more people on staff.
In my 40-year association with CBC I can't recall this discrepancy in staff levels having ever been discussed. It is one of many indicators that CBC management lacks the necessary controls to manage the organization properly.
Read the full story.
Mental disorders leading cause of absenteeism at CBC
A report prepared for CBC's board of directors — which QMI Agency obtained through Access to Information — shows CBC workers were absent almost twice as often as private sector workers in fiscal year 2010-2011.
According to the document, CBC employees were absent from work an average of 16.5 days. Statistics Canada figures in the report show public sector workers took an average of 12.6 days off while private sector workers took 8.9 days.
The report cites mental disorders as the leading cause of absenteeism.
Read the full story.
According to the document, CBC employees were absent from work an average of 16.5 days. Statistics Canada figures in the report show public sector workers took an average of 12.6 days off while private sector workers took 8.9 days.
The report cites mental disorders as the leading cause of absenteeism.
Read the full story.
CBC Fifth Estate’s “Behind the Wall” Report
As a Canadian citizen, a taxpayer and as the National President for UCCO-SACC-CSN (the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers – Syndicat des agents correctionnels du Canadas – CSN), I feel compelled to submit a formal complaint regarding a number of serious issues that I have with the aforementioned program.
Indeed, ever since CBC Television broadcast The Fifth Estate documentary “Behind the Wall” on November 12, 2010, I have found myself unable to shake the feeling that I am being mocked, not merely in my role with the correctional officers’ union, but as an ordinary citizen who has a right to accurate, fair and unbiased information from his public broadcaster. It seems to me that the CBC should hold itself to a very high standard when it comes to informing the population of Canada on critically important societal issues such as mental health in our federal correctional facilities.
We tried to interest The Fifth Estate in solutions to these problems, but to no avail; half-truths and sensationalism are evidently preferred to serious discussion. And yet, this is the very claim the CBC made in its successful judicial application for access to footage of Ashley Smith's incarceration, including her last moments. It is a tragedy that this footage is instead exploited in the service of a program that verges on tabloid journalism.
Read the full story.
Indeed, ever since CBC Television broadcast The Fifth Estate documentary “Behind the Wall” on November 12, 2010, I have found myself unable to shake the feeling that I am being mocked, not merely in my role with the correctional officers’ union, but as an ordinary citizen who has a right to accurate, fair and unbiased information from his public broadcaster. It seems to me that the CBC should hold itself to a very high standard when it comes to informing the population of Canada on critically important societal issues such as mental health in our federal correctional facilities.
We tried to interest The Fifth Estate in solutions to these problems, but to no avail; half-truths and sensationalism are evidently preferred to serious discussion. And yet, this is the very claim the CBC made in its successful judicial application for access to footage of Ashley Smith's incarceration, including her last moments. It is a tragedy that this footage is instead exploited in the service of a program that verges on tabloid journalism.
Read the full story.
AARC commences lawsuit against the CBC
In February 2009, AARC became the subject of controversy when former patients accused the clinic of abuse and medical malpractice.
On February 13, the CBC newsmagazine the fifth estate aired an investigative report called "Powerless", in which former patients specified alleged instances of abuse at AARC.
On 15 April 2011, AARC commenced a lawsuit against the CBC. The CBC is defending the action. In that lawsuit, AARC denies the suggestion that it failed to investigate reports of abuse.
It is easy to present an inaccurate view when only part of the story is told and video clips are edited to show only the negative.
See the complete Wikipedia article here.
On February 13, the CBC newsmagazine the fifth estate aired an investigative report called "Powerless", in which former patients specified alleged instances of abuse at AARC.
On 15 April 2011, AARC commenced a lawsuit against the CBC. The CBC is defending the action. In that lawsuit, AARC denies the suggestion that it failed to investigate reports of abuse.
It is easy to present an inaccurate view when only part of the story is told and video clips are edited to show only the negative.
See the complete Wikipedia article here.
The CBC is openly hiring the government's political opponents
An employee of the French CBC also worked for the NDP for more than six months in 2012.
When first revealed, CBC started by defending its employee, arguing that she was not on the full-time staff - she was a freelancer.
Then CBC pretended that while working for the NDP, she was paid by the House of Commons, not by a political party.
Read the full story.
When first revealed, CBC started by defending its employee, arguing that she was not on the full-time staff - she was a freelancer.
Then CBC pretended that while working for the NDP, she was paid by the House of Commons, not by a political party.
Read the full story.
No answers yet on CBC absenteeism ...
The head of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation cannot explain why his employees are absent almost twice as often than private sector workers.
Sun News Network's Brian Lilley reported that while private sector workers are away from work about 8.9 days per year and public sector employees are gone 12.6 days annually, the average hooky tally for CBC workers is 16.5 days per year.
Those missed days cost taxpayers $17.7 million in 2010-11. The state broadcaster gets more than $1 billion per year from federal government coffers.
Read the full story.
Sun News Network's Brian Lilley reported that while private sector workers are away from work about 8.9 days per year and public sector employees are gone 12.6 days annually, the average hooky tally for CBC workers is 16.5 days per year.
Those missed days cost taxpayers $17.7 million in 2010-11. The state broadcaster gets more than $1 billion per year from federal government coffers.
Read the full story.
CBC flouts law and gets praise ...
CBC may not be adhering to the law and is still handing out blank pages on a frequent basis but that was good enough for the state broadcaster to get an A in a report card from federal information commissioner Suzanne Legault.
In her report two years ago, Legault gave CBC an F for their refusal to respond to requests in a timely manner. The Access to Information Act allows Canadians to pay $5 to find out details about government business. The law requires a response in 30 days, while CBC's average response time is 36 days.
CBC was the subject of 71 new complaints over the last year including 55 for refusal to disclose information. A recent request for information on a contract with Microsoft saw most information stripped out with CBC claiming it was against the economic interests of Canada to release it.
Read the full story.
In her report two years ago, Legault gave CBC an F for their refusal to respond to requests in a timely manner. The Access to Information Act allows Canadians to pay $5 to find out details about government business. The law requires a response in 30 days, while CBC's average response time is 36 days.
CBC was the subject of 71 new complaints over the last year including 55 for refusal to disclose information. A recent request for information on a contract with Microsoft saw most information stripped out with CBC claiming it was against the economic interests of Canada to release it.
Read the full story.
PM Harper: No tears for CBC revenue problems
The CBC shouldn't come crying to him for more money, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says.
"CBC has its funding voted annually by Parliament," Harper said Friday from Quebec City. "That is the amount we are giving it for the year."
The last federal budget trimmed taxpayer support for the state broadcaster by about $55 million and ended a special $60-million subsidy for Canadian content production.
That means the state broadcaster will have to make do with about $1 billion from taxpayers, plus almost $370 million in ad revenue.
Read the full story.
"CBC has its funding voted annually by Parliament," Harper said Friday from Quebec City. "That is the amount we are giving it for the year."
The last federal budget trimmed taxpayer support for the state broadcaster by about $55 million and ended a special $60-million subsidy for Canadian content production.
That means the state broadcaster will have to make do with about $1 billion from taxpayers, plus almost $370 million in ad revenue.
Read the full story.
CBC Exposed: New book details soft-left, anti-biz, spendthrift network’s wasted spending ...
It’s time to have a real discussion about CBC.
Most discussions about the future of Canada’s state broadcaster turn quickly to emotional arguments about the role CBC has supposedly played in building this country.
According to supporters, without CBC there would be no Canada, or at least a diminished Canada.
I don’t buy that.
For the last two years I have been documenting the waste at CBC and their refusal to comply with the letter and spirit of the law that allows any Canadian to see exactly how our tax dollars are spent.
Read the full story and many responses here.
Most discussions about the future of Canada’s state broadcaster turn quickly to emotional arguments about the role CBC has supposedly played in building this country.
According to supporters, without CBC there would be no Canada, or at least a diminished Canada.
I don’t buy that.
For the last two years I have been documenting the waste at CBC and their refusal to comply with the letter and spirit of the law that allows any Canadian to see exactly how our tax dollars are spent.
Read the full story and many responses here.
CBC: Bias and Secrecy ...
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is not behaving like an independent media company in this (recent) election campaign.
They're not even acting like a left-wing state broadcaster anymore.
No: They are looking like a partisan advocacy group, determined to shape the outcome of the election campaign, not just report it.
That is unacceptable.
The full story here.
They're not even acting like a left-wing state broadcaster anymore.
No: They are looking like a partisan advocacy group, determined to shape the outcome of the election campaign, not just report it.
That is unacceptable.
The full story here.
Whose side is the CBC on?
The CBC said the Jewish Defence League (JDL) is a terrorist group.
The Canadian government has an official list of about 50 terrorist groups. You can see them on the website of the department of Public Safety. The JDL isn’t on them.
It’s slander. But it’s standard operating procedure at the CBC. These are the same folks that led the witch hunt accusing our Canadian Forces of being war criminals in Afghanistan.
Read the full story here.
The Canadian government has an official list of about 50 terrorist groups. You can see them on the website of the department of Public Safety. The JDL isn’t on them.
It’s slander. But it’s standard operating procedure at the CBC. These are the same folks that led the witch hunt accusing our Canadian Forces of being war criminals in Afghanistan.
Read the full story here.
CBC Motto: Spend, don't tell ...
CBC can now claim that it is more secretive than the Harper government.
The state broadcaster's newscasts have often claimed the government is highly secretive but when it comes to releasing cost details, the CBC is second to none.
Read the full story here.
The state broadcaster's newscasts have often claimed the government is highly secretive but when it comes to releasing cost details, the CBC is second to none.
Read the full story here.
CBC slams evangelical movement on the Hill ...
On February 10, CBC journaliste Brigitte Bureau launched into a 30-minute documentary that claimed to show how some evangelical Christians have undue influence in Ottawa, particularly when it comes to Conservative MPs and Senators. To call the documentary "reporting" would be an insult to all first-year journalism students across Canada.
Read the full story here.
Read the full story here.
Head of CBC has a taste for fine hotel rooms and pricey lunches ...
The head of Canada's state broadcaster has a taste for fine hotel rooms and pricey lunches, according to a set of expense claims released to QMI Agency under the access to information system.
Hubert Lacroix, president and CEO of the CBC, prefers the comfort of the tony Chataeu Laurier hotel when travelling to Ottawa on business. The Chateau, located next to the Parliament buildings, is a place to see and be seen for Ottawa's power brokers. It also charges rates at least $100 per night higher than many hotels in the same area that cater to business travellers.
Lacroix billed taxpayers for $24,505.29 worth of travel and hospitality expenses in the first six months of this year. That's compared to $17,292.13 in the first six months of 2010.
Among Lacroix's claims, a $242 lunch with CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein, the chief regulator for the CBC and the rest of the broadcast industry.
Read the full story here.
Hubert Lacroix, president and CEO of the CBC, prefers the comfort of the tony Chataeu Laurier hotel when travelling to Ottawa on business. The Chateau, located next to the Parliament buildings, is a place to see and be seen for Ottawa's power brokers. It also charges rates at least $100 per night higher than many hotels in the same area that cater to business travellers.
Lacroix billed taxpayers for $24,505.29 worth of travel and hospitality expenses in the first six months of this year. That's compared to $17,292.13 in the first six months of 2010.
Among Lacroix's claims, a $242 lunch with CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein, the chief regulator for the CBC and the rest of the broadcast industry.
Read the full story here.
CBC should compete on LEVEL playing field ...
QMI Agency has had only limited success in attempting to pry information out of the state-owned CBC as to how it spends taxpayers' money.
Journalistically, the CBC has done some wonderful stuff over the years, but that hasn't necessarily made me a fan because the conservative side of me has never been able to escape the nagging feeling that this country does not need a state-owned broadcaster.
I just can't see pumping $1.1 billion of taxpayer money a year into a corporation that goes head-to-head with the private sector in the marketplace.
I believe that at a time when this country is deep in debt and has no idea where the world financial crisis may take us, that we can't afford the luxury of being in the television and radio business.
Actually, even without our deep debt and world financial crisis, I don't believe we should be in such a business.
I don't believe any government-owned operation should ever be in direct competition with the private sector.
Read the full story here.
PS - What do YOU think?
Journalistically, the CBC has done some wonderful stuff over the years, but that hasn't necessarily made me a fan because the conservative side of me has never been able to escape the nagging feeling that this country does not need a state-owned broadcaster.
I just can't see pumping $1.1 billion of taxpayer money a year into a corporation that goes head-to-head with the private sector in the marketplace.
I believe that at a time when this country is deep in debt and has no idea where the world financial crisis may take us, that we can't afford the luxury of being in the television and radio business.
Actually, even without our deep debt and world financial crisis, I don't believe we should be in such a business.
I don't believe any government-owned operation should ever be in direct competition with the private sector.
Read the full story here.
PS - What do YOU think?
You don't have to hate the CBC to demand transparency ...
Unfortunately, the call for disclosure originates with the CBC’s rival, Quebecor. Quebecor is no friend of the CBC, and its demand to see their spending is a petty campaign to create scandal and to discredit. Quebecor’s obvious goal is to arm itself with proof that the CBC is irresponsibly wasting the money we give them- ammo for their argument that the CBC should therefore be deprived of funding completely.
Quebecor is probably half right–the CBC’s spending habits are likely shameful. The public broadcaster’s secrecy over the documents in question suggests that they do indeed have something to hide. Their rationale–that to disclose Strombo’s salary or the budget of their 75th anniversary self-promotion campaign would be a violation of journalistic sources–is ridiculous. If profligate executives are hiding behind journalistic ethics, then journalists themselves–CBC journos included–should be leading the charge to pry the documents from their fingers.
Read the full story here.
Quebecor is probably half right–the CBC’s spending habits are likely shameful. The public broadcaster’s secrecy over the documents in question suggests that they do indeed have something to hide. Their rationale–that to disclose Strombo’s salary or the budget of their 75th anniversary self-promotion campaign would be a violation of journalistic sources–is ridiculous. If profligate executives are hiding behind journalistic ethics, then journalists themselves–CBC journos included–should be leading the charge to pry the documents from their fingers.
Read the full story here.
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