Harper attempting to take control over CBC.

[Natt]

A section of the budget bill gives the federal cabinet the explicit power to give Crown corporations orders as to how they should negotiate with employees, both unionized and non-unionized. Further, the bill gives the government the power to have a Treasury Board official sit in on collective bargaining negotiations at Crown corporations.

The union representing employees at the CBC warns the new powers are a “ridiculous” infringement on the independence of the CBC.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle11645749/

Harper has introduced a budget bill that would give the Conservative government more control over CBC.

Does this toe the line of censorship or is Harper justified in his actions?

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Natt

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle11645749/

Harper has introduced a budget bill that would give the Conservative government more control over CBC.

Does this toe the line of censorship or is Harper justified in his actions?

I suppose you haven't thought far enough ahead to realize a new Liberal or NDP government would inherit these theoretical powers of censorship.

There was a time in the late 1990's, if I recall correctly, when a poll of CBC radio staffers revealed about 70% of them had voted NDP in the previous election.

If there is one organization that would benefit from more even-handed hiring policies, it would be the bloated and tilted CBC.

Go for it!!!

Cowperson

[Fire]

Good, hopes this leads to the government selling them off. The unions need to stop gouging the taxpayers.

[LIP MAN]

This current administration is just so abhorrent in its meddling in censorship, public broadcasting and the media in general. There's a reason no other administration has touched the public funding this closely, it's that ideologically they believed in a public news broadcaster. This is just one in a long line of unethical practices, which also includes the muzzling of scientists, media "freezeouts", etc. Not to mention we are now an embarassment on the World stage.

[GGG]

The thread title is terribly misleading.

All that is being done is giving government power to negotiate will all crown unions. It doesnt give any more control over the CBC. They could just cut the CBCs budget and do the same thing.

They arent excercising any sort of control over the corp

[GGG]

Originally Posted by LIP MAN

This current administration is just so abhorrent in its meddling in censorship, public broadcasting and the media in general. There's a reason no other administration has touched the public funding this closely, it's that ideologically they believed in a public news broadcaster. This is just one in a long line of unethical practices, which also includes the muzzling of scientists, media "freezeouts", etc. Not to mention we are now an embarassment on the World stage.

I am confused how the above issues relate to both Via Rail and the Post Office union negotiations.

[SebC]

I'm hardly a conservative supporter, but I don't see the big deal. The government, which ends up footing the bill, wants influence in labour negotations. As long as their not taking editorial control, I am fine with this.

[CaptainCrunch]

Good move by the government, the Crown corporations are taxpayer funded therefore the government should have a hand in on negotiations. Plus the CBC's management seems to be single handedly incompetent, expense hungry and entitled, I'd rather see the Cons take a big axe to their budget.

[Zulu29]

It's just the cons maneuvering to ensure that they can stick it to the unions during the next round of negotiations. Hardly surprising.

[Zulu29]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Good move by the government, the Crown corporations are taxpayer funded therefore the government should have a hand in on negotiations. Plus the CBC's management seems to be single handedly incompetent, expense hungry and entitled, I'd rather see the Cons take a big axe to their budget.

I would have less of an issue with the government taking the proverbial axe to certain departments funding if they were a little more competent in their own backyard. Somehow being unable to account for 3.1 billion in anti terrorism funding and paying over 200 million to Irving shipyards just to DESIGN new arctic patrol ships when they already bought plans off the Danish for 5 million is troubling to say the least.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Zulu29

I would have less of an issue with the government taking the proverbial axe to certain departments funding if they were a little more competent in their own backyard. Somehow being unable to account for 3.1 billion in anti terrorism funding and paying over 200 million to Irving shipyards just to DESIGN new arctic patrol ships when they already bought plans off the Danish for 5 million is troubling to say the least.

Yup, I have no problems with what your saying, but the CBC is pretty much a poster boy for entitlism and waste, this move also allows the government to directly deal with Union negotiations in other crown corporations. I believe its a prudent move especially since these companies are taxpayer funded.

I don't like the boondoogle over the terrorism funding, I'm waiting to see how that one develops.

I haven't spent much time on the ship building, so I don't have a stake in it.

[Azure]

Time to sell off the TV portion. Keep the radio part, as I'm pretty sure they could make money with it.

There is no reason a taxpayer funded organization should be bidding for the right to show the taxpayers the NHL playoffs when private organizations are also involved.

[Zulu29]

At the end of the day I think the viability of certain crown corporations need to be examined. As the poster above said perhaps its time to sell off the TV portion of the CBC for example. My grandpa had a pretty straightforward attitude towards government owned entities, which was; if it was necessary for the public to have access to something (transit, healthcare, heat, electricity) then it should be government responsibility, if not, then free enterprise. Maybe a bit simplistic but I think it's a good base to start from.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Azure

Time to sell off the TV portion. Keep the radio part, as I'm pretty sure they could make money with it.

There is no reason a taxpayer funded organization should be bidding for the right to show the taxpayers the NHL playoffs when private organizations are also involved.

The point of a public broadcaster is not to make money it's to provide consistent, quality programming on a national basis. I think Radio in its current format does that well and hopefully can stay commercial free. I hate to think of what a dumb place the airwaves would be without it.

I have less sympathy for TV. I also have less sympathy for those who simply say it's not essential, therefore privatize - it's not that simple. It' similar to the arguments for cutting off arts funding.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by LIP MAN

There's a reason no other administration has touched the public funding this closely, it's that ideologically they believed in a public news broadcaster.

Probably because the CBC is little more than a propaganda arm of our left wing parties?

Not that that is a bad thing, mind you. The CBC acts as a reasonable counter balance to Quebecor/Sun Media in this respect, but one should expect greater neutrality from a publicly funded media entity. (not that this is necessarily relevant to what the government is doing. This looks more like a continuation of the war on unions rather than on speech.)

[GGG]

I think the TV side should be more like the radio side. Provide a service that isnt provided by the private sector.

For example in Sports they should cover sports that improve our national identity that arent profitable for other broadcasters. So dump the NHL which can survive on its own and start showing Womens hockey or Lacross or olympic sports in non olympic years. Yes you are going to lose more money but you wont be competing against te private sector and you will be promoting Canadian Athletes.

In news you could reshape how news is done by just providing information instead of editorializing. No more panels, arguments, discussion, just facts and impacts from both sides. No analysis. It would be providing a service that isnt available. Ratings would likely be terrible but it would be unique.

For regular TV programming I think they have done an okay job and their shows are distinct from the mass market offerings.

So what I would do is clean up the union expenses then get the cbc to lose more money on programming because any show on the CBC that is profitable should be sold off to the private sector.

[troutman]

Scrap CBC TV - make it like PBS, with pledge drives.

Increase funding to CBC radio - amongst the best programs and podcasts on the planet.

[Makarov]

I don't understand the point of this? Doesn't CBC/Canada Post etc. already have managers and lawyers? Isn't it the responsibility of those managers and lawyers to collectively bargain with their employees? And don't those managers and lawyers ultimately answer to Parliament already?

Just seems to be adding a redundancy. This will no doubt enrage anti-government-waste-conservatives all across the country, right?

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Probably because the CBC is little more than a propaganda arm of our left wing parties?

Evidence?

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Evidence?

I'd agree they have a bias, but to call CBC a propaganda arm for the left is pure hyperbole. Ex. Rex Murphy is careful to bring in all perspectives on his Sunday phone-in show. On any CBC political panel, they bring in a rep from every major party.