Proposal to Fix the CBC Being Debated in Parliament

Now might be a good time to write, or re-write your Member of Parliament

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC

and Heritage Minister James Moore

Hon. James Moore
Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
15 Eddy Street
Gatineau QC K1A 0M5
(819) 997-7788
moorej@parl.gc.ca

Via Inside the CBC: Ministers are currently debating an opposition motion that would prevent the current round of cuts to the CBC and fix it for the long term. The motion address' specific points in terms of CBC content and would provide considerable additional funding for the public broadcaster.

The text of the motion can be found here but just in case it should disappear someday it reads (in total):

RECOMMENDATION 1.1

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recommends that the CBC/Radio-Canada continue in its role as Canada’s public broadcaster, an institution at the center of cultural, political, social, and economic life in Canada, and a key component of Canada’s broadcasting system.

RECOMMENDATION 1.2

The Committee recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada continue to be predominantly and distinctively Canadian.

RECOMMENDATION 1.3

The Committee recommends that prime-time hours, from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 pm, Monday to Friday, on the CBC/Radio-Canada’s television networks, should be reserved for Canadian productions.

RECOMMENDATION 1.4

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recommends that when services cannot be distributed directly, CBC/Radio-Canada should negotiate fair and equitable agreements with its affiliates to ensure that all Canadians have access to their national public broadcaster.

RECOMMENDATION 1.5

The Committee considers that CBC/Radio-Canada should increase the number of programmes that reflect all regions of Canada, including prime-time programming.

RECOMMENDATION 1.6

The Committee recommends an increase in the variety, drama, news, public affairs and documentary programming produced by the regional CBC/Radio-Canada stations and independent producers.

RECOMMENDATION 1.7

The Committee recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada devote a greater share of its programming to the arts (music, books, film, dance and theatre performances) and that these programmes reflect the cultural diversity of the regions.

RECOMMENDATION 1.8

The Committee calls upon the television and radio services of CBC/Radio-Canada to meet the needs of official-language minority communities more fully and to offer programming that better reflects their reality.

RECOMMENDATION 1.9

The Committee calls upon CBC/Radio-Canada to develop an accountability framework, in conjunction with official-language minority communities, setting clear qualitative and quantitative objectives for CBC/Radio-Canada for content of news, drama and variety programming.

RECOMMENDATION 1.10

The Committee wishes to stress how important it is for CBC/Radio-Canada to contribute to shared national consciousness and identity, as stipulated in subparagraph 3(1)(m)(vi) of the Broadcasting Act.

RECOMMENDATION 1.11

The Committee supports CBC/Radio-Canada in its efforts to reflect Canada’s cultural diversity and gender balance. We encourage the Corporation to pursue new initiatives allowing contemporary Canada to be represented among all its creators and contributors.

RECOMMENDATION 1.12

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recommends maintaining the current provisions of the statutory mandate of the CBC/Radio-Canada as set out in paragraphs 3(1)(l) and (m) of the Broadcasting Act, notwithstanding recommendation 2.3, which adds the role of the new media.

RECOMMENDATION 1.13

The Committee recommends the ratification of a seven-year memorandum of understanding between the Government of Canada and CBC/Radio-Canada, setting out the respective responsibilities of the signatories. The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage would be responsible for reviewing the memorandum of understanding and will conduct public consultations as required.

RECOMMENDATION 2.1

Recognising the need for Canadian public spaces in the online environment, the Committee recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada continue to develop its Internet presence and to make its content accessible online for Canadians.

RECOMMENDATION 2.2

The Committee recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada build on its new media foundations and continue to pursue new and innovative ways of connecting Canadians of all ages to each other and to their national public broadcaster.

RECOMMENDATION 2.3

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada should amend the Broadcasting Act to include digital media and emerging technologies as an integral aspect of achieving CBC/Radio-Canada mandate and reaching out to Canadians.

RECOMMENDATION 2.4

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada include a clear role for digital media and emerging technologies in achieving the CBC/Radio-Canada mandate as part of the proposed seven-year memorandum of understanding.

RECOMMENDATION 2.5

The Committee agrees that innovative use of new media is fundamental to the future relevance of CBC/Radio-Canada. We therefore recommend that CBC/Radio-Canada develop a digital media strategy to be submitted to the Department of Canadian Heritage. The plan should include cost estimates for the development and expansion of the Corporation’s new media endeavours relative to the goals of its mandate.

RECOMMENDATION 2.6

The Committee recommends that, in consideration of CBC/Radio-Canada’s global funding needs, the Government of Canada recognise the need for increased funding toward the development of new media initiatives to pursue the objectives of its mandate.

RECOMMENDATION 2.7

The Committee notes the ongoing New Media Initiative undertaken by the CRTC. We recommend that, in its review, the Commission give consideration to the social and cultural, as well as the economic impact of internet broadcasting on the objectives of the Broadcasting Act.

RECOMMENDATION 2.8

The Committee recommends that, in its New Media Project Initiative, the CRTC give consideration to the role of public broadcasting and of CBC/Radio-Canada in particular, in the delivery of Canadian content across all platforms, and the extent to which public broadcasting should contribute to the development of a vibrant, sustainable Canadian programming environment.

RECOMMENDATION 2.9

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recommends that the CRTC, as part of its New Media Project Initiative, consider the need to protect the neutrality of carriage of Canadian public broadcasting content, and of CBC/Radio-Canada content specifically, over new media platforms.

RECOMMENDATION 2.10

The Committee recommends that Canadian Internet services Providers be encouraged to voluntarily embrace the spirit of Section 3(1)(t)(i) of the Broadcasting Act in their approach to Canadian public broadcasting content delivered over the Internet.

RECOMMENDATION 2.11

The Committee recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada submit a revised plan for the conversion of its current system of OTA transmitters that includes options for possible partnerships and costing to extend its digital transmission signals free-to-air to all Canadians who currently receive its analogue transmission signals.

RECOMMENDATION 2.12

The Committee recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada prepare a detailed programming plan for the roll-out of its French- and English-language television HDTV. The plan should include the rationale and an explanation of how its plans connect with corporate objectives with respect to Canadian priority programming.

RECOMMENDATION 2.13

The Committee recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada submit an updated financial plan to the Department of Canadian Heritage for the transition to HD/DTV.

RECOMMENDATION 2.14

The Committee recommends that the Department of Canadian Heritage prioritize its response to the CBC/Radio-Canada plan and provide one time funding for the capital costs associated with the transition to HD/DTV and recurrent funding to cover the increased operational costs of transmission and distribution of HD signals.

RECOMMENDATION 3.1

The Committee encourages CBC/Radio-Canada to explore the possibility of developing partnerships with the National Film Board of Canada.

RECOMMENDATION 3.2

The Committee recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada play an increased role in the development, promotion and distribution of Canadian feature films.

RECOMMENDATION 4.1

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recommends that the Government of Canada commit to stable, multi-year funding for CBC/Radio-Canada, indexed to the cost of living. Funding should be for a period of not less than seven years and be established by means of the proposed memorandum of understanding.

RECOMMENDATION 4.2

The Government of Canada has approved additional one-time funding of $60 million annually since 2002. The Committee recommends that this parliamentary appropriation be permanently added to the Corporation’s core funding.

RECOMMENDATION 4.3

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recommends to the Government of Canada that any broadening of or addition to the mandate be appropriately reflected in CBC/Radio-Canada’s parliamentary appropriations.

RECOMMENDATION 4.4

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada’s core funding be increased to an amount equivalent to at least $40 per capita.

RECOMMENDATION 4.5

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada give the regions greater prominence in all its services.

RECOMMENDATION 4.6

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage supports the strategic plan submitted to the Minister of Canadian Heritage in January 2007, which is designed to improve programming for local communities on CBC/Radio-Canada’s English- and French-language radio services.

RECOMMENDATION 4.7

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada retain guaranteed access to the various existing public funding sources, including the Canadian Television Fund, in order to support the production and broadcast of Canadian audiovisual content.

RECOMMENDATION 4.8

The Committee recognizes the current necessity and value of advertising revenues from television and on new platforms, and accepts that the CBC/Radio-Canada continue to pursue those revenue streams. However, the Committee also recommends that the Government of Canada and CBC/Radio-Canada work toward decreasing CBC Radio-Canada’s relative dependency on advertising revenues for television programming.

RECOMMENDATION 4.9

The Committee recommends, as part of the proposed memorandum of understanding, that negotiations between the Government and CBC/Radio-Canada should address the reduction of the Corporation’s relative dependency on advertising revenues for television programming, without compromising service.

RECOMMENDATION 6.1

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada develop qualitative and quantitative performance indicators and clear targets for all six priorities and strategic areas identified in its Corporate Plan.

RECOMMENDATION 6.2

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recommends that all financial and accounting information be reported in the same way by both the French and English language networks, to render comparisons between the two entities possible.

RECOMMENDATION 6.3

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada take inspiration from the British Broadcasting Corporation’s accountability model, rooted in results-based management. It would include the publication of an annual report and financial statement reporting details, both qualitative and quantitative, on all activities of public interest and its budgeting plans. In these documents, CBC/Radio-Canada would provide a comprehensive report on its programming and financial information for each of its individual services. This would facilitate objective, rigorous and transparent evaluations.

RECOMMENDATION 6.4

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recommends that all reports produced by the CBC/Radio-Canada, particularly those prepared for Parliament and especially the chapters about its operations, should be a comprehensive source of information, transparent, relevant and informative. This reporting should not, however, go so far as to compromise proprietary information that would put the Corporation at a competitive disadvantage.

RECOMMENDATION 6.5

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recommends that the CBC/Radio-Canada report to the Committee, at its earliest convenience, on its progress pursuant to the recommendations made in the 2005 Special Examination Report carried out by the Office of the Auditor General.

RECOMMENDATION 7.1

In the interest of greater distribution and availability of Canadian content, the Committee recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada give greater priority to negotiating with artists and producers a fair and equitable sale and broadcast rights agreement over new and emerging platforms.

RECOMMENDATION 7.2

The Committee recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada move rapidly to acquire effective and operational captioning technology in order to offer captioning for 100% of its programming in real time.

RECOMMENDATION 7.3

The Committee recommends that CBC/Radio-Canada build on its efforts to preserve the thousands of hours of radio and television programming broadcast by its national, regional and local services, so that Canadians have access to this audiovisual heritage.

RECOMMENDATION 7.4

Given the importance of the Office of the Ombudsman and the need for fair decisions, the Committee recommends that the individual be selected from persons other than current CBC/Radio-Canada employees, or persons who have not been employed by the Corporation within the five years prior to the proposed date of employment.

Saving the CBC for the long term:

Another Save the CBC Facebook group has formed. It's too bad that it had to get to the point where it is for people to take all this seriously. The chances of anything changing now are slim but by all means join the group
Save the CBC. Over the long term though the CBC needs more constant support. If people are more involved with the CBC on a day to day basis hopefully we can strengthen it for the long term, rather than trying to pull things together in a crisis.

I'm sure there are way more than this but these are some good places to get started. Some of these, by the way, are official and some are created by fans:

ON FACEBOOK

CBC Generally:

• CBC Communications(page)


• Friends of the CBC (group)


• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Fans United (group)


• Lovers of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (group)

CBC News

• CBC News (page)


• CBC News: Marketplace (page)


• Peter Mansbridge (page)


• Save CBC News (group)

CBC Television

• the Being Erica Fan Club (group)


• the Border (group)


• This Hour Has 22 Minutes (page)


• Geri Hall, 22 Minutes extrodinaire (group)


• Shaun Majumder (group)


• Rick Mercer Report (page)


• Little Mosque on the Prairie (group)


• Little Mosque on the Prairie (page)


• Being Erica (page)


• Being Erica (group)


• the Hour (group)


• the Hour (page)

CBC Radio

• CBC Radio (page)


• CBC Radio 1 (page)


• I love CBC Radio One (group)


• CBC Radio 2 (page)


• CBC Radio 2 (group)


• Definitely Not the Opera (group)


• the Debaters on CBC Radio One! (group)


• Go! on CBC Radio One (group)


• Nightstream CBC Radio 2 (group)


• Jian Gomeshi (page)

CBC Radio 3 (internet and satellite radio)

• Radio 3 (group)


• CBC Radio 3 (page)


• Radio 3 Liberation Front (group)


• the R3-30 FC (group)


• CBC Radio 3 Sessions (group)


• I Want My Radio 3 TV (group)


• CBC Radio 3 Sessions (page)


• Amanda Putz (page)


• Defenestrate: The Lanarama Fan Club (group)

CBC Sports

• Hockey Night in Canada (group)


• Hockey Night in Canada (page)


• Don Cherry (page)


• NHL Hockey in Punjabi (group)

CBC Other

• CBC Digital Archives (page)


• CBC Northeastern Ontario (group)


• CBC Shop (page)

CBC ON TWITTER

• CBC Blog Watch


• CBC News


• CBC Radio


• CBC Radio 3


• SparkCBC


• the Current

Conservative Party Sets It's Sights On Student Groups

The Conservative Party is a strange beast. The entire goal of the party seems to be the accumulation of power for the sake of having power. While Harper has hardly been a progressive on any issue he is certainly not a fiscal conservative, and although he has expressed support for social conservative issues he is not currently pushing a social conservative agenda either. He doesn't like the CBC so he punishes the CBC, he does like the oil sands so he rewards the oil sands. The entire conservative party agenda seems to be about gathering greater power so they can reward their friends and punish their enemies (real or perceived).

Now, according to the Ryerson Free Press the CPC seems to be setting its sights on Student Unions and other campus organizations.

"At a session held in early February by the Ontario Progressive Campus Conservative Association (OPCCA) and the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, campus Conservatives, party campaigners, and a Member of Parliament discussed strategies to gain funding from student unions for the Conservative Party and ways to run for—and win—positions within student unions.

The leaked materials were posted on WikiLeaks.org over the weekend and add to the growing body of evidence that the Conservative Party has a strategy for interfering in campus student unions. In early 2002, the campus press first learned of a secret Millennium Leadership Fund that the party’s campus wing used to fund candidates in student union elections. Now it appears that strategy has evolved into a campaign to falsely obtain student union funding and destabilize student clubs with a social justice mandate."

Apparently the plan is to build up a power base that will last for decades, so they can continue their agenda of bullying people they don't like. It is all made even stranger by the fact that higher education is one of the Conservatives perceived enemies. Can we have a new government yet?

the Juno Awards Have Become a National Embarrassment

Someone really has to do something about the Junos. It is horrifying to think that anyone, anywhere, even for a moment think that they represent the best Canada has to offer musically. They don't. The Junos are not really Canadian and they are more about marketing and distribution networks than they are about music.

Once a year the most industrial side of the American recording industry's representatives in Canada get together and give awards to the people their marketing departments did the best job of pushing on people who don't know much about music. Scrolling down the list of nominees you notice two things. First alot of corporate sponsors and second the name of an American record label next to each artist - Universal, EMI, and Warner primarily. It is no coincidence that these are companies with the largest international distribution networks and the companies that spend the largest slice of their budgets on marketing. It is not surprising then that the Junos, most of which are decided by sales, are awarded to these companies. It is the exact equivelant of having culinary awards and saying the "Meat Dish of the Year Award goes to McDonalds for their new Bacon Double Cheeseburger." (It was the dish that sold the most, so obviously it was the best.) Personally I think the musicians should stay home and they should just give the awards to the marketing departments behind them - that is who the awards are really for anyway.

Some awards, it is true, are not decided by sales. Awards that are based on a vote are voted on by members of Caras and a membership in Caras is $52. So if you have the money you and your family and your friends, all of your co-workers and your cat can be voting members of Caras.

I won't even get into who won what, all but a few of them are nauseating and there is no reason to bring them up again. I will, before closing, mention what must be the quote of the night from Tim Fletcher of the Stills who, despite three critically acclaimed albums going back 6 years won Best New Group of the Year Sponsored by Factor and Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters. Fletcher apparently told CBC Radio 3 "I'm going to put my Juno on top of the magazines beside my toilet." Personally I can't think of a much better use for a Juno than as a bathroom paperweight - unless you can find a way to turn it into a toilet paper dispenser.

Next year the Juno's will try to spread their illness to St. John's Newfoundland. Part of me hopes that Newfoundlanders will rise up in revolt and prevent the show, but someone must put a dent in them next year. I'm thinking of some kind of shadow awards that in some way reward people who deserve recognition and perhaps an organized boycott of those companies that choose to sponsor the Junos. Canada is the most musically talented country in the world and we need to stand up to the Junos and the impression they give - at home and abroad, that we are thin on talent and really care more about marketing campaigns anyway.

cross posted to nxew.ca

Why Did the CBC's Allies Wait?

Over a month ago I urged people to write their MPs about the CBC's money problems and created a petition for the same reason. Of course I was operating without staff or a budget and there was only slight response to these. I wondered aloud a few times where the CBC's allies were? Where was CMG? Where was Friends of Canadian Broadcasting?

Last week the announcements were made - dramatic cuts to just about every part of the CBC, 800 layoffs expected, shows cancelled etc., and suddenly opposition MPs are upset, Avaaz has a petition, Friends of Canadian broadcasting says It's Time to Invest in Public Broadcasting - so my question remains where were they? Why did all of the CBC's 'allies' wait until decisions were made before doing anything? Everyone saw this coming, but no one tried to preempt it. Everyone knew that Harper wouldn't give anything to the CBC unless pressured and everyone who has been paying any attention to politics knows that Harper is very unlikely to change his mind after the fact - so why did they wait until it was too late?

Is the plan to giver Harper a black eye rather than actually prevent damage at the CBC? I have no problem with giving Harper a black eye, he is completely incompetent as PM, and who knows, maybe, just maybe he'll do something to help the CBC - especially if he decides he wants to help the private broadcasters. But the time to actually prevent the damage to CBC was a month ago, or two months ago, or even when Harper tossed the extensive report compiled by the Heritage Committee in the trash. Now is just a good time to thump your chest and complain about something that you knew was coming for a long time.

Coming Up in Toronto

Friday, March 27
Best of SHORT SCRIPT Readings - Fri. March 27th 7pm at the NFB
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TWM: Skullians, Revolvers, Cursed Arrows, The Boo
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MONSTERS OF SCHLOCK - Gladstone Hotel - March 27, 2009!
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picturesound @ annex wreckroom
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Major Maker w/ Craft Economy at The El Mocambo Friday, March 27!
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The House Music Experience
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Saturday, March 28
Earth Hour 2009
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Howie Beck In-Store Performance
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The Attar Project featuring Parmela Attariwala + Shawn Mativesky
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RADICAL ART HISTORY SERIES presents
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Producer NIV FICHMAN Moderates Best of SHORT FILMS - Sat. Mar. 28th NFB 7pm
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TWM 37: Broadcast Radio, Mirrorball, Union City & Jeffrey Pinto!
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Don't miss the Saturday dance
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SONIC DELI PRESENTS FOURTH ANNUAL BENEFIT CONCERT FOR EPILEPSY TORONTO
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Jimmy Hogg’s Comedy Onslaught
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DJ BARLETTA & FAMOUS PLAYERS & NASTY NAV @ WRONGBAR
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Sunday, March 29
WL456 w/Adam and the Amethysts, Kidstreet, Rich Girl
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Monday, March 30
Awkward Show & Tell: WEIRD WORK/SCHOOL STUFF (free)
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DOCUMENTARY AND AUTHENTICITY: Films by Philip Hoffman and Ryan Feldman
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Impro A la Carte Reloaded: The Annex Live!
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Tuesday, March 31
Toronto Greenhouse Launch Event
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Wednesday, April 1
Sideshow Classes at Sunnyside tattoos (until June 1)
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2nd Annual Gravity Wave APRIL FOOL'S SPECTACULAR
Volunteer Appreciation Night
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Squiggfest Re-mixed 2009
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April Fools Wednesday
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Thursday, April 2
The Phonemes and Laura Barrett
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1950's GHOST SHOW- "CHASM OF SPASMS"
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Second Annual Feast of Authors
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Alright Alright play Kensington Market
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Friday, April 3
Throbbin Hoods at Duffys
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Transfigured Night
A Sinfonia Toronto Masterpiece Concert
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NO SHAME : The Whitsundays / Pick A Piper / The Superstitions @ Sneaky Dees
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TWM Presents: The Bad Guys, We Take Lovers & Sandman Viper Command
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RokENDRoll Mayhem @ Rok Boutique!!!!!
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Saturday, April 4
daps all-ages vol. II! - BONJAY, KATBURNS, BOXES&BAGS, PIXELATORS, MORE
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Persist live at the Hard Rock Cafe
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TWM: William Del Ray & the Sexy Moving Parts, Jay Crocker & Cheap Speakers
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VIDEODROME
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Pay It Backward Day
Help Toronto Break The World Record For Acts of Kindness
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Wednesday, April 8
Amir ElSaffar's Two Rivers Ensemble
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Thursday, April 9
See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard - Toronto release party!
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Friday, April 10
mission 70: fps vs. lee's palace 04.10.09
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TWM 38: Azeda Booth, Braxton Clover, Sound & Structure
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DIRTY DALE | NICK HOLDER| TYRONE SOLOMON @ WRONGBAR
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Saturday, April 11
Wavelength & Images Festival present: CLOUD EYE CONTROL + AMMO FACTORY
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spread the laughter
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TWM Presents: Your Volunteer (CD Release), Racoon Wedding & Rep By Pop!
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Friday, April 17
Steam Whistle Presents: WOODHANDS + THE CARPS + FAMOUS PLAYERS + MORE!
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Saturday, April 18
Better Day Gala Fundraiser 2009
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WWF CN Tower Climb woo!
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Tuesday, April 28
Mountains (Thrill Jockey DRONE duo) + Doc Dunn + Ayal Senior
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Thursday, April 30
No Shame: GREEN GO 'Borders' CD Release Party THURS April 30th
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Sunday, May 3
Paula Poundstone in Toronto
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Friday, May 8
FAITHDOWN live @ Hard Rock Cafe- Club 279, Toronto
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Saturday, May 16
LUE ASH ... '71 POWER-POP TYME WARP!
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Avaaz Launches Last Ditch Effort for the CBC

Avaaz has launched a new campaign to Save the CBC.
And they have gathered over 14,000 signatures in the last 4 hours.

The Petition Page reads:

"The Canadian government has refused to provide loans to the CBC to cover its budget shortfall this year.

This is forcing the CBC and Radio Canada to drastically cut over 800 jobs as well as programming.

The CBC is asking for temporary loans amounting to just $6 per Canadian, or less than 2 pennies a day for each of us. We can make this happen, so let's pull out all the stops to deliver a massive petition to Parliament and Save the CBC!

 
Petition to Prime Minister Stephen Harper: The CBC and Radio Canada are a national treasure, and play a vital role in our culture. We urgently call on you to grant the CBC's request for a bridge loan to cover its budget shortfall this year, and commit your government to supporting our public broadcasters."

I think it would have been far better if they had done this a month ago. Stephen Harper doesn't strike me as the kind of a person who changes his mind. But, it can't hurt.

The Petition is at http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_cbc/?cl=211537420&v=3118.

CBC Cuts go Deep, But Radio 3 Lives On

Steve Pratt has a Radio 3 site outlining the changes coming to CBC Radio 3 but the important part is that it will go on.

Live recordings will be less, the budget will be lower and there may be staff reductions (they won't know until May) but the important part is that Radio 3 will remain. Thanks to everyone who chimed in, emailed the CBC, joined up on Facebook, signed the petition, posted to your blogs and did whatever else you did to help make this happen.

From Steve's post (do read the whole thing for details on the changes):

"This is a bad day for CBC Radio 3. There is no doubt about it.  However, it could have been much worse and for that I think we are all thankful.  We are moving forward with a very strong radio station, a brand new version of the website coming within a couple months, and a powerful, passionate community of artists and music fans.  Despite today’s bad news, I’m personally very confident that Radio 3 will continue to grow and prosper in the future and that impact of the cuts to our budget has been minimized at best as humanly possible.

I would personally like to thank each and every one of you who raised awareness online about the risks to Radio 3 since the infamous ‘unload Radio 3’ quote was seen in the media.  Your support and the visibility of that support was heard loudly inside the company and I hope was a factor in making today’s news considerably less than it might have been otherwise."

The rest of the CBC is also sharing the pain. Cuts are coming to news, radio, sports, drama and regional programming. A full list of the damage is available at http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/03/26/cbc-layoffs.html?ref=rss.

NxEW.ca

Whatever Happened to CMG?

Does anyone remember the 2005 CBC Lockout? I do. I was there. There were rallies, demonstrations, protests and concerts. Alot of unions and various organizations sent representatives out to support the CBC. All of this was organized and run by the Canadian Media Guild. At this stage I'm wondering what happened to them?

When the problems began in the auto industry there were rallies and demonstrations, with most of these directed at the government (not their employer.) Canadian Autoworkers spokespeople were all over the news and the media responded with intensive coverage of the issues.

But when the media problems started - when news organizations started laying off people the CMG (who, in addition to the CBC, represent employees of APTN, Canadian Press, Can West Television, TVO, and Thompson Reuters amoung others) was silent. They remained silent when the CBC shortfall was announced, remained silent through the process as individuals tried to persuade the government to intervene and are still silent now.

Ok they aren't totally silent, there are a few notes on their website and some good reads on the blog of CMG President Lise Lareau. But with 800 people about to be lockout out of the CBC permanently, that appears to be it. One of the headlines on Lareau's blog reads "The fight to save local news is on" - cool! Where? The first headline on Lareau's blog reads Radio silence on media crisis - it's about the lack of media coverage of the crumbling media but her 'About Me' section reads "President of the Canadian Media Guild - a union representing 6,000 media workers in public and private broadcasting and news services - and a TV producer."

So why has there been no coverage? You evidently have some good media contacts in the rolodex, all you have to do is give them something to cover : rally? press conference?

I know, from 2005 that the CMG and Ms. Lareau care about these issues, but I do not understand why they have opted to stay out of it.

Writer's Guild Supports the CBC

Denis of Dead Things on Sticks has posted the statement from the Writer's Guild of Canada on today's cuts to CBC.

"THE WRITERS GUILD OF CANADA is extremely disheartened by the CBC’s announcement today that it will cut 800 jobs in order to balance its budget. The WGC asks: why has it come to this? We have known for more than a decade, through successive governments and through a variety of official reports, that the CBC is underfunded – the economic downturn and the resulting decline in advertising revenues have only exacerbated what was already a tenuous financial situation."

read the whole thing here. They point out, quite rightly, that this has been coming for awhile. There have been repeated calls by private and public studies, boards and commissions for years and that no government has done much about it.

The problem isn't that the CBC is biased, the problem is that the CBC does journalism and investigative journalism. They ask questions and analyze answers and this can be problematic for those in power, whoever they are. So those in power tend to not want to give them more money so that they can do even more reporting.

Personally I believe that the extra money for the CBC should come from Conservatives since they are the ones who get the most benefit out of it. What would conservatives do for entertainment if they didn't have the CBC to bitch about?

NxEW Still Looking for Contributors

So far the new NxEW.ca Canadian music blog is off to a great start. It has 28 contributors signed up and 3 people who have said they are interested but have not actually signed up yet. Out of those people 20 have sent in their bios so we know that we have 20 people representing 11 cities in 7 provinces.

That is still nowhere near the level that I want the site to get to. The goal is to have people in every nook and cranny of the country talking about their local music scene as well as the national scene so we can make sure that we miss as little as possible.

If you think you might be interested check out the site at nxew.ca and read the about page. You don't have to be a great writer, or know everything there is to know about music. As long as you know what you like and can string together a few paragraphs about it, post a few links etc., you can contribute.

If you're interested drop an email to beach.justin [at] gmail.com

Warning for Writers: Be Careful When Replying to Ads

I'm sure you've seen them on sites like Craigslist and Kijiji: Ads that offer money for articles, people looking for freelance writers. Many of them will ask you for sample articles.

Well it turns out that in many cases that those aren't job postings. They are just looking for free content for other people's web sites and they are getting paid for your sample articles.

Have a look at this message board:

"Heyya peeps, haven't been on in a long while since the hack attacks, but got into this AC thing. So far its shit cause they're real big bloody assholes about what kind of articles they want; kinda like a little kid who picks at his food.

Well I guessed they couldnt turn professionally written articles down so here's what I did short and simple. I went to craiglist put up a job listing in suburbs and shit like that (since the cities cost $25), it was for a writing position on how-to's and guides. I instructed them to send me a newly written sample 500 word article on a topic that I chose for each ad. I also asked for a resume to make it look more authentic.

Took about 4 days, but I got maybe 10 to 20 articles on good subjects that I submitted to AC and got paid a good $35 bucks total for the articles since they were very nicely written.

Try it out and enjoy!"

Remember that if it seems too good to be true it probably is. Be especially wary of job sites that don't charge for posting (Craigslist in particular is primarily a spam board now.) Do not apply for jobs unless there is a legitimate company attached to it. Even if it is through an employment agency they should have a website somewhere that you can look at.

Don't give them anything, not even a resume (which could aid in identity theft), if you don't know who they are.

It Is Time to Bring Down This Government

I understood when Michael Ignatieff passed the Conservative budget. It was important to get money flowing. Brining down the government one the budget would have delayed for months improvements to unemployment insurance (as slight as they were) and infrastructure dollars. But the budget is done.

Todays announcement of layoffs at the CBC was entirely preventable. Never mind that the majority of Canadians support additional funding for the CBC, never mind that last year the Heritage Committee, before the current economic crisis started, after an exhaustive study called for additional funding for the CBC. The CBC didn't even ask for more money. They asked for bridge financing - essentially they asked for a loan against next years budget. Not only did the Harper government said no to all of it but it is clear now that Heritage Minister James Moore irresponsibly leaked the CBC's plans. (It should be noted though that the same government may be willing to give your money to private broadcasters.) This is just the latest in a series of attacks arts and culture.

The CBC layoffs alone are surely not enough to bring down a government, but this is not the only reason, only the final straw.

This government has refused to act on poverty, refused to act on environmental issues, refused to act on employment insurance, and has given only tepid support to infrastructure and economic stimulus.

After refusing throughout the last election to acknowledge that there was an economic problem they have continued to downplay it and pretend that it wasn't as bad as we thought.

This is, in short, an irresponsible government that refuses to govern or even acknowledge reality. The thin infrastructure spending and small extension of unemployment benefits are all that the Harper Government is going to deliver in terms of economic stimulus.

It has been over 3 years since Harper took over the PMO. In that time unemployment is up, the deficit is up, poverty is up, crime is up, just about every major industry in the country is down, the stock market is down, the environment is worse, commodity prices are down, the trade surplus is down, and arts and culture is broken and bloodied.

The Conservative Party of Canada has, in short, in their first 3 years as a governing party brought no new ideas to the table and has accomplished nothing at all except for rewarding their friends and punishing their enemies.

So, we need to get a new government. It is time for Mr. Ignatieff, Mr. Layton, and Mr. Duceppe to bring down the government and call an election.

This is not an endorsement of any of the parties, but it is time for the candidates to hit the campaign trail and lay out their plans for Canada in what is bound to be a very long economic downturn.

Please join me here.

Exposing The Bias at the CBC

Ok so the CBC's conservative detractors continually say that the CBC has a left wing bias. It's the same stuff that conservatives in the states say bout the media in general and PBS in particular.

These same people claim that the majority of the public doesn't support the CBC - never mind that the polls disagree - that a slim majority of Canadians, including 41% of conservatives support more funding for the CBC. These people will still say that the overwhelming majority of Canadians think the CBC should be shut down.

These Canadians come from the Fox News school of reality. The Fox News school of reality goes like this: Rather than do research, or read a book, or even think about things much you just say the first thing that pops into your head. It should be something short and punchy that sounds good and that reinforces what you already think. (government is bad, tax cuts are the only thing governments should do, hand guns are a good toy for toddlers etc).

Then you repeat this silly thing, whatever it may be, over and over again and get your friends to do the same (in the states they refer to said friends as dittoheads - they are called this for a reason.) So once you have repeated your invented 'fact' often enough that you and your friends all firmly believe it's true. Then you go on the offensive against anyone who disputes them.

So, if you turn on the CBC and they say thing like

Evidence suggests that the world is more than 6,000 years old

Evidence suggests that toddlers should not play with hand grenades

Apparently there were no WMD's in Iraq

According to recent polls the majority of Canadians think the government should do more to end poverty

This means that they are obviously biased against conservatives - obviously. Because you know the 'facs' and they ain't reportin em. And you know that no Canadians support the CBC because you axed your dad, your mom and your sister and neither of them like it.

Fortunately the majority of Canadians do read books, listen to scientists on questions of science and clergy on issues of spirituality and not the other way around and the majority of Canadians do support the CBC (and health care, and welfare, and employment insurance etc.)

This rant has been brought to you by the National Post - not the article itself, but the comment section where there is so much venom and so little knowledge that I didn't know where to start.

But by the time the current economic depression recession is over I'm pretty sure that 3 things will be true:

1) The CBC will still be around (though it may be bloodied)
2) The National Post will not still be around.
3) CBC News will still be biased in favor of reality!

Official Canadian Response to Fox

No it didn't come from Harper, or McKay - they are too concerned with cozying up to the states to issue the official response - the Official response to Fox comes from the true representatives of the Canadian people This Hour Has 22 Minutes (tonight at 8:30).

What Does Internet Radio Mean: Technological Implications for the Larger Media

I have written a couple of times now about the arrival of internet radio: The devices that look like old school radios and use a wi-fi connection to deliver tens of thousands of radio stations from around the world. Similar solutions are hitting the streets for iPhones and other portable devices.

The arrival of internet radio and the looming death of satellite though is not what media companies need to focus on. It already happened and, if their planners know what they are doing, they've made the necessary adjustments and are already there.

The important thing to look at, as with all new technology, is what it means. What does it imply for what's coming down the road? The answer here is a fairly easy and obvious one. First it will shortly mean internet television : television delivered directly via the internet (and of course the ability to use your television to access other internet services). If it can be done with radio it can be done with TV - to a 'television' or a mobile device but internet radio and television delivery is just the start.

The more important signal here is the end of the need to store media on a portable device. Customizable audio and video libraries and playlists stored in the clouds and accessible from anywhere will shortly follow. This means unlimited storage capacity and much smaller portable devices.

For content producers this is great news. It is a huge opportunity and maybe the last shot at redemption for 'big media.' Because none of the media people consume will be stored locally people will largely get their content via streaming. They will be able to have their own libraries of media and stream it to themselves but you may be able to save them the work.

Think of the cable model, with a provider giving consumers access to hundreds of 'channels' for a fee. This could work on the same basic model, with content producers bundling their content into libraries and a content provider providing bundles of those libraries to consumers who can then pick and choose from the available content and access it via customized playlists or on demand.

Yes consumers could do this on their own but if you can save them the time of downloading everything and storing it somewhere you will have an audience. If you can provide them a library containing everything and available all the time most consumers, I believe, will pay a monthly fee for that service rather than creating their own. The pitfall to be aware of though is overplaying your hand.

1) Do not overcharge. The more you charge the more consumers will go around you.

2) Don't try to strengthen your position by blocking out your competitors and/or smaller companies - the idea here is to offer consumers everything they are looking for and trying to strengthen your hand by limiting their choices will be fatal - it's the kind of priggish arrogance that caused the problems you are facing now.

Who gets paid how much is something that producers and distributors will have to work out between them. It is also important to remember that technology will continue to change and something could happen that alters this. However, there is finally the semblance of a potential business model emerging. Old/traditional/big media has, over the last few decades, acquired a well earned reputation for being slow to move, for turning opportunities into liabilities and for trying to legislate their way back in time. Can we take a shot at breaking that mold?

Bad Media! No Cigar

I'm still working on the best way to create that forum on the future of media but a flurry of recent media news, from Canada and abroad, gives me the impression that the brains behind 'media' still don't have a fragment of a clue in most cases.

First 'old media' or 'main stream media' (whichever you prefer) needs to get over the idea that changes are coming. I mean more changes are coming but there is not going to come a point where it stops changing at least in the foreseeable future.

The future is now, the changes have happened and are continuing. All you have to do is read blogs like Technology Futurist, mediacaster and NewTeeVee to know how much things have changed and how rapidly the changes are happening. I listened to a (web) radio show recently where they asked about people's television habits and none of the people under 30 who weighed in still owned a television. They all still watched television programs, but they downloaded them and watched them on their computers. If you are waiting for some kind of order to emerge, for some 'new reality' to show itself you're in for a long wait. The fragmentation of the audience isn't only happening between different channels, it's happening among different modes of media consumption and it's accelerating. Wait and see simply isn't an option.

If you want to play by the old rules you can, but to do that you have to accept that your audience is primarily going to be 45-50+ and be prepared to age with them.

The second thing that old media has to accept is that they are not going to get special treatment. Robert Heinein said, in 1939,

"There has grown up in the minds of certain groups in this country the notion that because a man or corporation has made a profit out of the public for a number of years, the government and the courts are charged with the duty of guaranteeing such profit in the future, even in the face of changing circumstances and contrary to public interest. This strange doctrine is not supported by statute or common law. Neither individuals nor corporations have any right to come into court and ask that the clock of history be stopped, or turned back."

But that is exactly what much of the established media seems to be asking for. According to Ad Age big media companies now want special treatment from Google:

Many publishers resent the criteria Google uses to pick top results, starting with the original PageRank formula that depended on how many links a page got. But crumbling ad revenue is lending their push more urgency; this is no time to show up on the third page of Google search results. And as publishers renew efforts to sell some content online, moreover, they're newly upset that Google's algorithm penalizes paid content.

"You should not have a system," one content executive said, "where those who are essentially parasites off the true producers of content benefit disproportionately."

The Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC) still wants a levy on your internet connection to pay for downloads though they don't say how they would decide who got paid or how much, they don't say what would happen to musicians who weren't members of SAC, they don't say what would happen with other media (such as movies or tv shows) or whether these would require their own levies.

(As an aside a fair - across the board, accountable, trackable levy for everyone might be doable.)

Basically though you can't legislate your way back in time. None of the proposed solutions - from Digital Rights Management (DRM) to traffic shaping, law suits, taxes and levies have proven effective in changing public behavior or in aiding the survival of old media that refuses to adapt.

It might be helpful to consider the possibility that people don't 'decide' how to consume media. Some people might give it some thought, but for the most part people do what works for them, what is most convenient, they consume media in the way that gets them the content they want with the least effort. They may say that they 'never download illegally' but if they get home from taking the survey and realize they've missed the season finale of their favorite show, they will download it. Your task is to find a way to deliver that option.

I'm tired of the headlines and the hearings though. You have to adapt to the world, the world is not going to adapt to you. The revenue streams you have access to are government grants and subsidies, advertising and getting consumers to pay for content (if you can swing it). How you survive though is not going to be settled in Ottawa, it will not be by an act of parliament, or the CRTC it will be by finding a way to deliver good quality content to consumers in a the ways that they want it.

I am all for arts subsidies, for an increased budget for the CBC, and I don't even mind networks get extra help during the recession, as long as it's everyone (including the CBC) and not just the Tories picking the media they like and bailing them out. But all of the subsidies, grants and bailouts in the world will not help traditional media if they don't find a way to adapt.

Fox News Commentator Cancels Edmonton Visit

I'm sure you've all seen the lovely video from Fox by now. After 8 years and 116 (to date) deaths in Afghanistan facing armed insurgents, booby traps, ambush's and suicide bombers the brave people at Fox news decided to ridicule Canadian Soldiers for 'taking a break.' The reality is we're not taking a break, we're leaving - Canada's mission in Afghanistan will soon be over.



Fox News has now apologized for the comments and one of the commentators, Doung Benson, has cancelled an April 2-5 appearance at the Comic Strip in Edmonton. Apparently he needed a break.

Edmonton, by the way, happens to be where Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is based.

Laura Barrett & the Phonemes Tour the West in April

Sometimes Hidden Camera and Adorable and the woman recently voted Canada's Sexiest Musician at the CBC Radio 3 Bucky Awards - Laura Barrett is heading west with her friends the Phonemes who are fresh off of a Wombatty Winter.

The places you need to be are:

8 Apr 2009 Duck Creek Gallery Salt Spring Island, British Columbia
10 Apr 2009 50/50 Collective Victoria, British Columbia
11 Apr 2009 Blim (Prairie Cat Will Be at This One Too) Vancouver, British Columbia
12 Apr 2009 Little Mountain Studios Vancouver, British Columbia
14 Apr 2009 TBA Osoyoos, British Columbia
17 Apr 2009 Broken Jug Calgary, Alberta
18 Apr 2009 The Hydeaway Edmonton, Alberta
19 Apr 2009 All Citizens Bruno, Saskatchewan
21 Apr 2009 The Exchange Regina, Saskatchewan
22 Apr 2009 Lo Pub Winnipeg, Manitoba
23 Apr 2009 The Apollo Thunder Bay, Ontario

Laura Barrett - Sorting Hat



Cross Posted to NxEW.ca

Rock Plaza Central: Very Limited Edition EP

(cross posted from nxew.ca)

Toronto's Rock Plaza Central has released 'Neath the Lion's Paw' an EP featuring 3 songs from their forthcoming CD (to be released in may) and alternate versions of older songs.

Only 200 Copies are available - 100 they will sell at shows and 100 are available online (see myspace.com/rockplazacentral for details.

If you'd like to pick one up in person they are playing the Horseshoe Tavern with Key Witness and Alfie Jurvanen (of Bahamas and Feist's band) the Facebook Event is here.

Rock Plaza Central - Anthem for the Already Defeated

North by East West is Go

The new Canadian music blog NxEW is up and running. That means, to an extent, I'll be dividing my time and yes I'll still be posting music stuff here, but not as much as there.

NxEW is an attempt to bring together music lovers from all over Canada on a single blog. As I wrote in the 'About' section:

Canada has been called unworkable as a country, it has been said that a geographically impossible country. With a population roughly the size of California and a land mass larger than the U.S. or China Canada is divided by vast empty spaces, by immense mountain ranges, by harsh winters and of course by language. Add to all of that the fact that most major Canadian population centers are closer to the US than they are to the next major Canadian population center and there are very few things that unite Canada.

Much to the chagrin of Stephen Harper much of what ties Canada together is cultural. The CBC, certain Canadian authors and most especially music. CBC Radio 3's New Music Canada site houses profiles of thousands of Canadian recording artists from every part of the country. Cities like St. John's, Moncton, Charlottetown, Guelph and Sudbury (all of which are smaller than Springfield, Missouri) have thriving, vibrant music scenes. The large cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are essentially perpetual music festivals - a recent count in Toronto showed 326 musical acts playing 37 venues and that was just a normal week (the week before Canadian Music Week).

Thousands of Canadian artists criss cross the country, despite the geography, all year round serving as kind of cultural ambassadors between the maritimes and the oil patch, between the prairies and Ontario, between Ontario and the west coast and form a sort of disbursed community among Canadian music lovers.

NxEW, takes it's name from the NxNE and SxSW festivals but demonstrates both the geographical issues of Canada as well as the relative unimportance of Geography in the internet age.

The hope is to bring together music lovers from across Canada, from the east and the west, the prairies and the north, from small towns and big cities to talk about music - what's going on nationally and what's going on locally. In other words to create a Canadian music blog with "boots (or sneakers) on the ground" in every part of the country.

So, if you get a chance check it out. Also still looking for writers and the Facebook group is over here.

Coming Up in Toronto

Thursday, March 19
Ronley Teper's Lipliners CD RELEASE
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PRESENTLY ABSENT
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TWM: The Beautiful Taste, Thrillharmonic, Needlefoot
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RVCA CLOTHING FASHION WEEK PARTY THURSDAY @ STRANGELOVE!!(DanceLikeYouFuck)
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Trippin' Beats - Trip Fundraiser
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Friday, March 20
DINO BONES, ONFF, STILL LIFE STILL, ARIETTA
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Jimmy Hogg’s 33rd Birthday Show
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Whitney Spears!
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THE COBRASNAKE DANCE PARTY | AUTOEROTIQUE | NASTY NAV @ WRONGBAR
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24 CITY - a new a film by Jia Zhang Ke - only at The Royal
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Unknown Pleasures - (March Edition)
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** THIS IS NOT L.A **
official fashion week after party!!!!
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Saturday, March 21
Pillow Fight Toronto 2009
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TORONTO REALLY REALLY FREE MARKET
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Junkhead Blows The Roof Off Of The Smiling Buddha
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Marilyn Nonken: Solo Piano (Concert & Artist's Talk)
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PERSIST at the smiling budda
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TWM & REMG Present: Rock Plaza Central, Key Witness & Bahamas & the Shoe!
Rock Plaza's last show before their CD Release & Key Witness releasing their CD in one night!
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Dishpig : Sell-out Fringe Smash Hit returns to Toronto for one night only!
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DIRTY DALE & VIOLCA MANSION & NASTY NAV @ WRONGBAR
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Sunday, March 22
WL455 w/Pony Show, Steve McKay, Richard Laviolette
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Paprika Festival Mimosa Reception
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Hour of Power!
....Laugh Sabbath presents...wooo!
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Vinyl Tap/TWM Present: The Leathers, Fire Flower Revue, Eyecon, Anna Sudac
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Tuesday, March 24
Toronto Greenhouse Launch Event
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THE ASTEROIDS GALAXY TOUR @ WRONGBAR
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Wednesday, March 25
The Butterfly Effect
A SCENEandHEARD.ca initiative in support of GiveMeaning.com
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Exclusive Preview Screening of "The Haunting in Connecticut"
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PWYC Weds w/ The Skirt Chasers, The Quantum Jitters & The Odysseys
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Friday, March 27
Best of SHORT SCRIPT Readings - Fri. March 27th 7pm at the NFB
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TWM: Skullians, Revolvers, Cursed Arrows, The Boo
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MONSTERS OF SCHLOCK - Gladstone Hotel - March 27, 2009!
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Saturday, March 28
Earth Hour 2009
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The Attar Project featuring Parmela Attariwala + Shawn Mativesky
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RADICAL ART HISTORY SERIES presents
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Producer NIV FICHMAN Moderates Best of SHORT FILMS - Sat. Mar. 28th NFB 7pm
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TWM 37: Broadcast Radio, Mirrorball, Union City & Jeffrey Pinto!
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Don't miss the Saturday dance
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SONIC DELI PRESENTS FOURTH ANNUAL BENEFIT CONCERT FOR EPILEPSY TORONTO
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Sunday, March 29
WL456 w/Adam and the Amethysts, Kidstreet, Rich Girl
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Monday, March 30
Awkward Show & Tell: WEIRD WORK/SCHOOL STUFF (free)
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Tuesday, March 31
Toronto Greenhouse Launch Event
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Wednesday, April 1
Sideshow Classes at Sunnyside tattoos (until June 1)
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2nd Annual Gravity Wave APRIL FOOL'S SPECTACULAR
Volunteer Appreciation Night
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Squiggfest Re-mixed 2009
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Thursday, April 2
1950's GHOST SHOW- "CHASM OF SPASMS"
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Second Annual Feast of Authors
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Alright Alright play Kensington Market
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Friday, April 3
Throbbin Hoods at Duffys
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Transfigured Night
A Sinfonia Toronto Masterpiece Concert
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NO SHAME : The Whitsundays / Pick A Piper / The Superstitions @ Sneaky Dees
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Saturday, April 4
daps all-ages vol. II! - BONJAY, KATBURNS, BOXES&BAGS, PIXELATORS, MORE
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Persist live at the Hard Rock Cafe
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VIDEODROME
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Pay It Backward Day
Help Toronto Break The World Record For Acts of Kindness
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Wednesday, April 8
Amir ElSaffar's Two Rivers Ensemble
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See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard - Toronto release party!
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Saturday, April 11
Wavelength & Images Festival present: CLOUD EYE CONTROL + AMMO FACTORY
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Saturday, April 18
Better Day Gala Fundraiser 2009
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Sunday, May 3
Paula Poundstone in Toronto
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More CBC Math

Just some more number crunching in terms of the realities of CBC TV:

I said in the previous post that according to Richard Stursburg it costs 1 million dollars an hour to make original Canadian comedy and drama. I also said that, to the best of my knowledge CBC Radio 3 costs about 1 million annually: Full disclosure, that's the best number I have. Someone told me that once but I don't remember who or in what context so until I get a better number it's the one I'm going with.

That means that Radio 3 costs about the same as a single episode of Heartland. In exchange for that money Radio 3 provides 24/7/365 programming and several podcasts via the web and satellite radio. It falls firmly under the umbrella of 'arts and culture' (Canadian music) and provides airplay to artists who frequently get airplay nowhere else - or only on university radio. It's true that some of those artists go on to get airplay on commercial radio but that is a sign of Radio 3's success, it does not mean that they provide a service already provided commercially. If anything they provide a service to commercial radio. New Music Canada (a part of radio 3) houses music from over 10k Candian artists. Radio 3 filters it, tests it on the audience and allows some of those artists to gain a following - and then they are picked up by commercial radio. It makes it easy for commercial stations to know which new artists to play. The only downside to Radio 3 is it is not available on broadcast radio and is therefore threatened to an extent.

Now back to the television numbers. The cost of original comedy and drama is about 1 million, we're told. Now bear in mind that the CBC does not sell advertising on radio (so far) or during it's children's programming. So it gets no revenue back from those. As far as I know the only CBC (comedy and drama) programs that draw a million viewers are Rick Mercer Report and Little Mosque on the Prairie. Each of those is a half hour program which means that in Mercers case it costs 50 cents per viewer per episode to make, same goes for Little Mosque. That also means to break even the CBC needs to sell 50 cents worth of advertising per viewer per episode.

Now last year there was outrage when jPod was cancelled. (I was outraged) but the reality is that it was drawing between 2-300 thousand viewers per episode and it was an hour long show - which means it was costing $3-5 per viewer per episode to produce and the CBC would have to somehow get advertisers to pay $3-5 per viewer per episode to break even. The same can be said for Intelligence (which also caused unrest when it was cancelled.) People will say 'but the CBC is subsidized so they don't have to break even.' But as I demonstrated in the previous post most of the CBC's government subsidy goes to operating costs, beyond that it has to pay for commercial free radio and children's programming plus news and documentary - which rarely break even. So in terms of prime time programming there really is no 'subsidy' left at least not enough to cover shows that don't draw an audience. Prime time CBC shows need to break even, or almost, in order to stay on the air.

There is some evidence to suggest that some CBC programs get a number of viewers via bittorrents and the internet, but they don't really have a way to measure the number of viewers and so can't really include them in the totals when selling advertising.

It is true that things like Hockey Night in Canada make money for the CBC. Advertisers flock to that one, but the CBC also covers amateur sports and less popular sporting events that do not break even so sports doesn't really contribute money back to the overall fund. If people like our completely irresponsible Heritage Minister want to see more Canadian programming then Parliament needs to find more money for it.

Also, for anyone who missed it after a lengthy study the Heritage Committee last year release a report and a list of recommendations that would have addressed many of these issues but Stephen Harper dismissed it in total.

I'm not saying that the CBC doesn't need to make changes. It's a new world in terms of media and the CBC is going to have to adapt to it. What I'm saying is that in it's current situation the CBC does not have alot of options. Their government mandate and their financial situation do not give them much flexibility in terms of how they operate or what they do. Until Parliament decides to address the situation all the CBC can really do is try to do more with less annually and I think later this year, whatever that budget they passed contains, Canadians will really notice how much less the CBC can do in the situation they are in.

A few more little bits of info for you in case it comes up:

The CBC has said that it's budget for next year will not include advertising for radio.

There was some talk in my previous posts about all of those transmitters the CBC has to maintain for the few people that still watch/listen over the air. The total number transmitters the CBC maintains is 600!