CBC French to drop the word Canada from their name..

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by GGG

I agree with your post but Little Mosque on the Praire was a terrible show. It was one of the most prejudiced and insulting shows I have ever watched. Prejudiced and insulting to small town Saskatchewan. It also wasn't a risk, it was a cheap copy of corner gas which the CBC rejected when Brent Butt first pitched it.

Aside from that I fully agree with of what the mandate of the CBC should be but the CBC due to all of our cuts behaves the same as the for profit broadcaster looking for profit over the promotion of Canada.

I rarely, if ever, watched LMotP, so I can't attest to how insulting it was to rural Canadians, but just the concept was RISKY. Putting Muslims as the central characters of a sitcom had all kinds of fail written all over it. Network television likely would never have touched the idea.

And I agree with your last paragraph. If we want the CBC to operate within a useful mandate we would have to pour MORE money into it. It is horribly underfunded compared to other national broadcasters, which forces it to operate similar to a for-profit broadcaster, making it pointless.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

I rarely, if ever, watched LMotP, so I can't attest to how insulting it was to rural Canadians, but just the concept was RISKY. Putting Muslims as the central characters of a sitcom had all kinds of fail written all over it. Network television likely would never have touched the idea.

And I agree with your last paragraph. If we want the CBC to operate within a useful mandate we would have to pour MORE money into it. It is horribly underfunded compared to other national broadcasters, which forces it to operate similar to a for-profit broadcaster, making it pointless.

How's that?

And compared to the majority of other countries broadcasters, they also sell advertising time, which most dont as far as i can tell.

The CBC is a money pit with zero transparency and a long list of wasteful spending....which is no surprise considering it is a crown corporation.

[ae118]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

Right now, from what I read, the new name is "Ici Radio Canada". The "Radio Canada" is still part of the name, but that wouldn't make the story so sensational and get the anti-Quebec people as riled up.

I haven't read much about this, but that's what they already say instead of "you're listening to CBC Radio" or "you're watching CBC television" with a little musical note (I can't remember what this is actually called - station sign-post or signature or something). "Ici Radio-Canada". So I'm not thinking it's a separatist conspiracy or whatever they're being accused of.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by transplant99

You are a caricature at this point....and very telling you didnt address a single thing about the topic....your act is very transparent.

Ironically, I somehow get both you and him mixed up, because you are each frequently at the extremes in your arguments, occasionally to the point of ridiculousness.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Ironically, I somehow get both you and him mixed up, because you are each frequently at the extremes in your arguments, occasionally to the point of ridiculousness.

Good for you...now what about the topic?

[DuffMan]

CBC should make public what the top executives earn, and they should probably cut a bunch of executive positions and French people should move back to France if they want to listen to French radio and TV.

but leave their strippers.

[rubecube]

Hold on...people actually give a #### about ######ed crap like this?

Also, certain Albertans bashing Quebec for being too self-interested and not playing a team game is pretty rich.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

I rarely, if ever, watched LMotP, so I can't attest to how insulting it was to rural Canadians, but just the concept was RISKY. Putting Muslims as the central characters of a sitcom had all kinds of fail written all over it. Network television likely would never have touched the idea.

And I agree with your last paragraph. If we want the CBC to operate within a useful mandate we would have to pour MORE money into it. It is horribly underfunded compared to other national broadcasters, which forces it to operate similar to a for-profit broadcaster, making it pointless.

I never looked at LMotP that way but you are right that putting Muslims as the center of a show was risky. I had always looked at it as a Corner Gas clone.

Before increasing funding we need to clean up the structure and get more transparency and reduce overhead but do actually produce quality like the BBC we need to pay more for it.

[Devils'Advocate]

Per capita government funding for public broadcasting:
Norway - $164 per person
Switzerland - $155
Germany - $147
Denmark - $142
Finland - $116
UK - $111
Sweden - $106
.
.
.
Canada - $34

Study conducted by Nordicity:
http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/_file...casting-en.pdf

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by transplant99

H

The CBC is a money pit with zero transparency and a long list of wasteful spending....which is no surprise considering it is a crown corporation.

http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/en/re...ccountability/

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by transplant99

The CBC is a money pit with zero transparency and a long list of wasteful spending....which is no surprise considering it is a crown corporation.

Easy there. It's not as if it is the Harper Government.

[Canuck-Hater]

Quick! Look away from the lack of CPC transparency and focus on this story!

[The Goon]

I'm willing to double that $34 if I could get CBC News Network in HD. Also, I'm happy to give money to help Sun News Network suck less.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by The Goon

I'm willing to double that $34 if I could get CBC News Network in HD. Also, I'm happy to give money to help Sun News Network suck less.

I am assuming you are with Shaw, the only major carrier NOT to have CBC News Network in HD?

[Nage Waza]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

You work for "free" until June? So you get absolutely NO advantage from police protection, you went to private school and have never seen a doctor?

Yes, that is correct. My income goes to the government and pays for those services.

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

As for the CBC and tax money.... MOST developed countries have a national broadcaster that is at least partially paid for from tax money. The purpose of the national broadcaster isn't to make money, but rather to an end that could not be met by a for-profit broadcaster. When you limit the profit motive, you can get away with "Marketplace". When you limit the profit motive, you can afford to take risks such as with "Little Mosque on the Prairie". When you limit the profit motive you can afford to promote young Canadian talent the way CBC Radio does while commercial radio sticks with the tried and true. And its not just new musicians that CBC and CBC Radio promote - it's comedians, authors, artists of all forms... And I think that is worth the drop-in-a-bucket that we pay for them. Actually, as we slash and burn the CBC, the more American and British shows they are forced to air as they become more profit-driven, taking away from their mandate. Which then makes people question why we have them it at all.

The public broadcaster would get more support from a more diverse segment of the population if they were not so politically leaning, bottom line. That is the problem for much of Canada, they are more of a publically funded Liberal tool than a public broadcaster. I don't want my money spent on them in any way shape or form.

[Nage Waza]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

I never watched it, but Little Mosque on the Prairie was a huge ratings hit for the CBC, and they were even able to sell its rebroadcast rights to networks in many other countries. Isn't that exactly what the CBC-haters here want? For the network to produce popular, profitable programming?

I don't think you understand what the 'CBS-haters' want at all. The network should not produce profitable programming in any way shape or form since they are subsidized by the tax payer. They need to stay out of the way of independent broadcasters (who otherwise compete in a free natural market). For example, Hockey Night in Canada, although they do a great job, is certainly unfair for them to have.

Let the CBC stick to national news that is free of political bias or fold them, simple as that. Even that is cutting it close since there are already news networks that have to complete. If they want to promote canadian business, artists, etc, then go for it, but they should not be competing with the private sector.

I am not a supporter of the CBC and would be quite happy to see them fold.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Nage Waza

I don't think you understand what the 'CBS-haters' want at all. The network should not produce profitable programming in any way shape or form since they are subsidized by the tax payer. They need to stay out of the way of independent broadcasters (who otherwise compete in a free natural market). For example, Hockey Night in Canada, although they do a great job, is certainly unfair for them to have.

Let the CBC stick to national news that is free of political bias or fold them, simple as that. Even that is cutting it close since there are already news networks that have to complete. If they want to promote canadian business, artists, etc, then go for it, but they should not be competing with the private sector.

I am not a supporter of the CBC and would be quite happy to see them fold.

As a supporter of CBC this is exactly what I want as well except for the last line. HNIC being on the CBC is stupid. All it does is make hockey rights more expensive for private broadcasters. What they should do in their sports portfolio is start broadcasting womens hockey, lacrosse and amateur olympic sports in non olympic years. They should be funding upstart Canadian television and selling it off to private networks if it turns a profit. They shoud produce factual news rather than opinion pieces.

If you look at CBC radio it provides a real alternative to other for profit radio. Quirks and Quarks, DNTO, etc all are programs that no for profit station would touch, provide excellent Canadian cultural programming and provide an alternative. They need to provide a different service than the private broadcaster.

[John Doe]

Originally Posted by Nage Waza

I don't think you understand what the 'CBS-haters' want at all. The network should not produce profitable programming in any way shape or form since they are subsidized by the tax payer. They need to stay out of the way of independent broadcasters (who otherwise compete in a free natural market). For example, Hockey Night in Canada, although they do a great job, is certainly unfair for them to have.

Let the CBC stick to national news that is free of political bias or fold them, simple as that. Even that is cutting it close since there are already news networks that have to complete. If they want to promote canadian business, artists, etc, then go for it, but they should not be competing with the private sector.

I am not a supporter of the CBC and would be quite happy to see them fold.

So, just make it a news channel? How would it then promote Canadian artists, etc.?

The CBC is the only reason that shows like SCTV, The Kids of Degrassi Street, The Kids in the Hall, etc. ever got to be successful. If it was left to the private sector, these show would not have the resources to develop into what they became. There are a number of quality (in my opinion) shows that were broadcast on CBC (Road to Avonlea, This is Wonderland, Becoming Erica, He Shoots, He Scores, etc.) that have had varying degrees of success, as well as a number of poor quality (again in my opinion) shows (Little Mosque on the Prairie, Air Farce Live, etc.) that were surprisingly somewhat successful. Most of these shows would not have been broadcast nationally without the CBC.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by John Doe

So, just make it a news channel? How would it then promote Canadian artists, etc.?

The CBC is the only reason that shows like SCTV, The Kids of Degrassi Street, The Kids in the Hall, etc. ever got to be successful. If it was left to the private sector, these show would not have the resources to develop into what they became. There are a number of quality (in my opinion) shows that were broadcast on CBC (Road to Avonlea, This is Wonderland, Becoming Erica, He Shoots, He Scores, etc.) that have had varying degrees of success, as well as a number of poor quality (again in my opinion) shows (Little Mosque on the Prairie, Air Farce Live, etc.) that were surprisingly somewhat successful. Most of these shows would not have been broadcast nationally without the CBC.

There are over 30 million people in this country. How many are really watching those shows and how many really benefit from it? Road to Avonlea could be the greatest show ever made but if only 2% of the population is watching it what's the benefit to taxpayers as a whole propping it up?

[John Doe]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

There are over 30 million people in this country. How many are really watching those shows and how many really benefit from it? Road to Avonlea could be the greatest show ever made but if only 2% of the population is watching it what's the benefit to taxpayers as a whole propping it up?

The benefits to taxpayers are that there is a chance to watch quality television on a Canadian station (where you would watch commercials from Canadian companies rather than US companies); the Canadian artists can develop their talents freely rather than trying to emulate the formulaic crap that is much of US TV; the Canadian viewers can watch shows that are relevant to them; the Canadian taxpayer can benefit from the shows being filmed in Canada, the actors/cameramen/writers/producers/stuntmen/etc. being employed in Canada; etc., etc., etc..

I agree that it would be preferable if people would quit watching the crap on a lot of the main US networks and watch more "quality Canadian" television, but I don't think that pulling the plug on CBC will accomplish that. I also don't think that it helps when the Government of Canada (oops, the Harper Government, I forgot that this taxpayer supported entity took "Canada" out of their name) continually insults and belittles the CBC for political purposes.