So Long and Thanks for All the Tea

Back in 2005, during the 2005 CBC Lockout, CBC Management and the nations media critics were caught by suprise when employees on both sides of the line took to the internet with blogs and podcasts. It would appear that the age of the CBC Blogs is coming to an end.

At one point there were scores of them, even I had one. Since the start of april though, the last three have called it quits or gone on hiatus. Usually, in the blog world, hiatus means goodbye. Today the longest running and most read of those remaining Teamakers also made an exit.

They're right. Times change. I've changed. You've changed. We've changed. I never thought this blog would last 3 days. I've been going on nearly 3 years.

I've decided to take a break from this site. I'm not sure when I'll be back. It might be a while.

I want to thank you for ever reading, ranting, contributing, cheering, commenting, complaining, conspiring, bookmarking this site or removing it from your bookmarks, falling for a prank or pulling one on me. I'm going to miss all of you, each and every one.

It's been a lot of fun, and you made it worthwhile.

What is ironic about the timing is that it comes just as a new round of labour negotiations are about to begin and a 2009 lockout seems likely at this point.
 
It should be said that a few things remain from 2005. Inside the CBC is certainly a by-product of the CBC lockout and publicbroadcasting.ca was actually started during the lockout, as was meant to be a part of the discussion - but I've since expanded it to include a wide variety of non-CBC related things.
 
It is true though that much has changed. Most of the faces at the top of the CBC have changed including the President the general attitude toward blogging. The Government certainly seems to have changed it's attitude and the audience is more involved if not necessarily onside.

Changes to television, radio and online are coming so fast and furious that it is hard to digest them and assess whether they are positive or negative. That said, I don't think I'd still be at it if I was just talking about the CBC - You can only cover the same ground so many times without repeating yourself. I also realized early on that there is alot happening in Canadian media (old and new), arts and culture and that much of it simply isn't represented or reflected on the CBC. When I wrote daily about the CBC that was what I was really interested in. Not just the CBC, or the lockout but the CBCs role in Canadian art, media and culture (all broadly defined.)

I, obviously, am pressing on. There will be no 'hiatus' note that pops up on this site. And I would invite Ouimet and the others who've stopped, to feel free to join me here if they'd like to (even occasionally) weigh in on the CBC or other topics close to their hearts.

Hopefully Ouimet will return, and hopefully it will not be a new labour dispute that brings about that return. In any case I applaud him or her and the others for hanging in as long as they did and speaking their truth.