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January 24, 2008

To This End (Bumped)

The CBC will announce shortly the firing of most middle and top-level management personnel, replacement of their entire editorial staff, and retirement of all television anchors and international reporters currently delivering the news;

Our very mandate is to provide Canadians with a view of their political life unobstructed by bias. To do that, we must be detached from partisan interest, and professional and dispassionate in all aspects of our reporting. We must be seen to be all these things as well.

More...
Far from restoring the credibility of CBC News, the Corporation's handling of the Erickson affair has managed to shred that credibility to tatters.

For starters, it confirmed the cozy relationship between the CBC and the Liberal Party, something everybody in the news business knew, but which the CBC always denied until now.

But, but. but...wasn't Krista acting on her own without CBC approval?

Well, that's what Cruickshank says---without an iota of evidence provided to Canadians to back up that contention. We're supposed to take his word for it.

Well here's a word --- NO.

[...]

Maybe Pablo isn't Erickson's boy after all and Cruickshank is laughing up his sleeve as reporters make an incorrect assumption. Or maybe Pablo is the Liberal that Krista Erickson was dating, according to one of our sources. Does pillow talk count as Principles, Section 3's " association or contact which could reasonably give rise to perceptions of partiality"?


Posted by Kate at January 24, 2008 8:07 PM
Comments

are the 22 minutes writers branching out?

Posted by: puddin and pie at January 24, 2008 3:27 PM

yeah, right puddin, maybe like writing the news? oh wait, they do that already.

Posted by: Doug at January 24, 2008 3:30 PM

Still a lot of good questions about this still unanswered by CBC.

http://blackrod.blogspot.com/2008/01/cbcs-coaching-plan-for-errant-krista.html

Posted by: roberto at January 24, 2008 3:35 PM

the Accountability Act now gives Parliament the authority to ask the Auditor General to perform a complete review of the CBC...

Sheila Fraser needs to look at the CBC's business dealings, analyze its management structure and above all else review the allegations of political bias in its programming and reporting...

these latest shenanigans by CBC News, in trying to connect Stephen Harper to the Mulroney-Shreiber Affair, are nothing new...

the current VP of English Media was in charge of Trudeau's communications for Gawd sake - the CBC's agenda is to defeat conservative opinion....

the CBC no longer pays for its own productions - they are financed by the CTF and Telefilm - so what exactly are we getting for $1.1billion per year besides a gay afternoon talk show?

I suspect that an audit of the CBC would reveal some arrangements and agendas that should not be occurring in a democratic nation....

Posted by: Beryl at January 24, 2008 3:49 PM

But our role at the CBC is different from the private media whose obligation is, ultimately, only to their shareholders.

I'm a CBC shareholder. Why am I not allowed to sell my share? They take my money and are as biased as hell. Why do I have to pay for Krista's re-training?

Posted by: Mississauga Matt at January 24, 2008 3:50 PM

So she says she BB'ed the questions to Pablo. That sort of makes him out to be a liar, as he says he staid up all night writing them. did anyone notice if he was reading the BB during the session?

Posted by: skuleman at January 24, 2008 3:51 PM

CBCpravda All Liberal All the Time.

'nuff said.

Posted by: cal2 at January 24, 2008 3:52 PM

Roberto's link to the Black Rod says a Tonne !!

http://blackrod.blogspot.com/2008/01/cbcs-coaching-plan-for-errant-krista.html

Did the CBC not fire her because they were afraid she would 'sing'?

Posted by: ron in kelowna at January 24, 2008 3:54 PM

CBCpravda All Liberal , All the Time

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/01/24/review-liberals.html

she was reporting to the liberals not the minister ,

'nuff said.

frig, its so simple even a biased liberal reporter should know.

Posted by: cal2 at January 24, 2008 3:54 PM

What a load of crap.

Motherhood statements to hide the fact that nothing has or will change.

The reporter wasn't fired, she was re-assigned. No other accountability on this or any of the other complaints will be had by anyone.

Strip the CBC and sell it for parts. It's no good as a whole.

Posted by: Warwick at January 24, 2008 3:57 PM

When a socialist brother or sister goes wrong ..... they are sent to the appropriate facility for re-education.

Krista got to go to the central committee offices ... others may have gotten the Gulag treatment.

Posted by: OMMAG at January 24, 2008 4:05 PM

I think one would find the CBCpravda at the receiving end of adscam payments as well.

CBCpravda All Liberal , All the Time.

Posted by: cal2 at January 24, 2008 4:11 PM

"When a socialist brother or sister goes wrong ..... they are sent to the appropriate facility for re-education."

In her case the only 'wrong' she's done is to be caught.

Posted by: GreenNeck at January 24, 2008 4:19 PM

Did anyone else notice this?

"In this case, our reporter provided questions to two Liberal MPs using her BlackBerry in the hope that these would be put to the former prime minister during the committee hearings."

Two(2) Liberal MP's? Pablo and ...

I may have missed that part of the story. Does anybody know the other?

Steve

Posted by: A Steve at January 24, 2008 4:22 PM

I had the same observation as you did Mississauga Matt. I am a shareholder in that Bolshevik outfit and I am not a Commi - the CBC NEVER reflects my view! I say sell the assets and fire the staff - ALL of them. Mrs. Fraser should be given the task to investigate all reporters, fairy tale tellers etc. to ensure that they were not bribed by their Puffin masters and seize all funds that they may have been party to...CTV seems to serve the same 'birds' (Puffins) as the CBC - if there is collusion between those two 'news' outfits that should be corrected also and all Conservative Canadians refunded - the Puffin ilk have already had their representation aired over and over and over on the airwaves.

Posted by: Jema54 at January 24, 2008 4:23 PM

I would like to see Peter Pansbridge, anchor of fantasyliberalcbcpravda.com interview Jason Kenney or someone else on this. I know PMSH has no time for the sillies.

I must admit , I saw Pansbridge interview Borat Dion about the invasion of Pakistan , he was forceful and got Dion to get the sheep in the headlights look. but had Stockwell Day made such a statement (which he never did) CBCpravda would have been all over him like a fat boy on a twinkie.

Posted by: cal2 at January 24, 2008 4:28 PM

Dear Mr. John Cruickshank, Publisher CBC News,

You expressed your views about how your CBC reporter had provided Liberal MPs with [ Heavily Biased],written questions to pose to the former prime minister.

Without any analytic effort at all, your own words leave you open to dozens of justified complaints about ethical reporting.

The reporter you demoted was operating under accepted standards that you personally set for all your CBC reporters.

Your warped standards have been causing distress to *thinking Canadians* for some years now.

Were you at the helm during the *Seniors should be terrified of Harper*s hidden agenda*?

Were you at the helm when the BC noon CBC talk show re-played a tape of a lady in frightened quavering voice who asked the moderator if she would lose her pension if Harper got elected? ... more than one play? Do you think we are less perceptive / more stupid in British Columbia?

No need to bore readers with dozens of similar accounts. Suffice to say that you should resign in shame and a PROFESSIONAL CBC news director who understands the meaning of Neutral Bias in factual news reporting should be hired.

You said . . . **we took the reporter off the story and turned to our Journalistic Standards and Practices guide to help us deal with this matter.**

You self incriminated by that statement. No professional news director needs to consult an *How to Guide*.

You know full well the basic rules you thrashed on so many News and Opinion reports and you willfully broke those rules on an almost daily basis.

Liberals have gone easy on you in these comments, but the facts are that left leaning bias at the CBC is a huge disgrace in a fair democratic country.

A graceful resignation on your part would be the classy thing to do. Not likely to redeem your reputation much, after such a long history of *Spun News*. = TG

PS: I always try to be polite and diplomatic. No intent to offend, you understand.

Posted by: TG at January 24, 2008 4:31 PM

The admission by Cruickshank of CBC wrongdoing is commendable but far from comforting as Canadian taxpayers are concerned.

The deeply embedded leftist socialist culture is obviously so deeply ingrained that one internet posting in its self is meaningless.

Trust as an unbiased news disseminating voice has been lost.

CBC needs privitization of ownership.

Posted by: Joe Molnar at January 24, 2008 4:32 PM

ya gotta love the further training bit & i agree whats the part about 2 liberal MP's i hope the committee members pickup on that one. I guess though Pablo(i write these questions No One Else, Duffy live) has some explaining to do.
Do you think she knows the smoking lounge in the toronto office is closed, its now a cocktail lounge open during the hours of 6am to 11pm.

Posted by: bryanr at January 24, 2008 4:33 PM

After seeing a picture of the CBC reporter (Ms. Erickson) in the National Post, I can understand why Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez followed her directions and asked the questions she gave him.
I would do anything she asked of me. Anything! In fact I think she should replace the bald one, Mr. Mansbridge, as anchor of the National. It would give them at least one new viewer because I would certainly tune in nightly.

Posted by: Tim G at January 24, 2008 4:42 PM

I'm waiting (still) for CBC to do a multi year investigation of former Liberal Pm Jean Chretien for his role in the Shawinagate affair.

Abuse of power, maybe getting a federal agency to fund people who happend to owe him money so he could get payed. Forcing the RCMP to ruin the life of an innocent man - a job that was savaged in court by a Quebec judge.

CBC investigate Cruton ??>


We are still waiting . . . .


Posted by: Fred at January 24, 2008 4:48 PM

a Steve, I had the same question...who was the second MP?

If it was Paul Szabo, the committee chair, then he must be removed as the chair of this committee immediately for allowing the committee's business to be hijacked for purely partisan purposes.

Posted by: john g at January 24, 2008 4:52 PM

Just posted a comment on the CBC site but I don't think it will see the light of day. I mentioned that Ms. Erikson was dealing with two Liberal MP's and that if the CBC were truly unbiased they would have chased the Liberal Party for having these two MP's involved in this unethical episode. Remember all the air time over the Stronach comment but a Liberal MP lying to the people that elected him doesn't even get a 15sec sound bite on the National.

Posted by: Antenor at January 24, 2008 4:53 PM

cbc started out broadcasting from the attics of the big hotels, they over time, moved to the closets and soon emerged from the closets, time to stick them back in the attics. It is where the term bats in the bellfrey came from I'll bet.

Posted by: bartinsky at January 24, 2008 4:55 PM

The CBC blog accepted and posted this comment:

"our reporter provided questions to two Liberal MPs"

2 Liberal MPs? I haven't seen that reported anywhere else. Who was the "other" Liberal MP besides Pablo Rodriguez? Was it Paul Szabo, the chair of the ethics committee? The one who got to decide if the questions were in order or not?

If so, then the other half of this scandal is being buried by the CBC, whose "mandate is to provide Canadians with a view of their political life unobstructed by bias". These Liberals were responsible for hijacking a parliamentary committee's proceedings for purely partisan purposes. If Szabo was the other MP, then he must be removed as the Ethics Committee chair immediately.

Will the CBC fess up the name of the second MP?

Posted by: john g at January 24, 2008 5:03 PM

here is a story for CBCpravda to follow up on, why Iran, S. Africa, Libya are the headliners on a conferance on racism would be obvious to a 10 year old. even they could tell a hijacked agenda.


http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iRJdUgsFtaFsAe3RizpRA4_gX3rg

Posted by: cal2 at January 24, 2008 5:10 PM

Isn't this how it was predicted by Orwell in '1984'? The department of truth spewed lies, that the entity coming to steal your freedoms would label itself as protecting your freedoms. Just as the Anti-Racism Conference is nothing BUT racism, the CBC is nothing but bias, partisanship, unprofessionalism and prejudice.

Posted by: grok at January 24, 2008 5:42 PM

Good points GROK,

At least we are aware and alert and so have options of choice. = TG

Posted by: TG at January 24, 2008 5:52 PM

Has the CBC really come fully clean on this matter?
From the National Post January 9, 2008:
“Mr. Rodriguez, a Montreal-area MP who seldom speaks English in the House, suddenly began questioning Mr. Mulroney with the precision and erudition of a trial lawyer."Mr. Mulroney, you said you made no presentation to Maxime Bernier [the former industry minister in the Tory government and now Minister of Foreign Affairs] on the wireless spectrum issue," Mr. Rodriguez declared in English. "While he was the industry minister, have you ever had a private or public dinner or lunch with him in Montreal, or any other city? Have you ever met with him at all? If so, how many times, in which city? Have you ever placed a telephone call to him, or has he called you? On any of those, did you discuss the wireless spectrum issue?" http://www.nationalpost.com/most_popular/story.html?id=226831
The National Post story was headed “We want a name”. But is one name really enough? Perhaps Krista Erickson has the training and skills that would allow her to draft questions “with the precision and erudition of a trial lawyer”, but should we be left to assume she was operating all on her own out of an “excess of journalistic zeal”? From the Winnipeg Free Press, January 22, 2008:
“Erickson, a graduate of Vincent Massey High School in Fort Garry and Red River College's Creative Communications program, worked at the CBC in Winnipeg as a researcher and reporter prior to taking over the anchor position for Winnipeg's suppertime newscast in 2004.
She began covering Parliament Hill in 2006 and was soon the target of political blogs and the satirical periodical Frank, which documented escapades, including a very public spat with a cameraman from Canadian Press at the Supreme Court building. Her photo is even on the cover of the current issue of Frank, a magazine she has threatened repeatedly to sue.”http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/story/4111828p-4708296c.html
Is this the level of education and experience that would allow one to draft questions like a trial lawyer? Should we really be eliminating the possibility that someone else at the CBC helped stage-managed this event? Is Krista taking one for the team?

Posted by: felis corpulentis at January 24, 2008 5:53 PM

Reminds me of pedophile priests, who when caught are moved to another church.......for more training I guess.

Posted by: Joanne at January 24, 2008 5:58 PM

Blah, Blah, Blah!

Posted by: Gypsy at January 24, 2008 6:13 PM

There is something unique about this Cruickshank squirming post and the mostly *nay* comments.

In case they happen to vanish i have a wps file with comments up to 5:52 or so.

Easy to Email if needed. = TG

Posted by: TG at January 24, 2008 6:14 PM

Following CBC links;

[quote]Two days after the proposed sale was announced, the parent company, ContentFilm, was bought by Toronto-based Peace Arch. CBC executive Fred Fuchs was a senior vice-president at Peace Arch before coming to the CBC.[/quote]

That sure looks like an inside JOB. CBC selling public assets to connected insiders, outside the bid process. I wonder how many CBC Exec's hold shares in Pease Arch, or suddenly have an increase in wealth.

Posted by: Slap Shot at January 24, 2008 6:28 PM

[quote]Reminds me of pedophile priests, who when caught are moved to another church.......for more training I guess.[/quote]

Yes Joanne, It's slealth training.

Posted by: Phillip G. Shaw at January 24, 2008 6:42 PM

That's a little bit premature- it isn't April 1 yet! (And if pigs had wings, they would fly.)

Posted by: Sheik Yerbootie at January 24, 2008 6:56 PM

Even the New York Slimes, as hard as it for me to say it, would have fired this reporter immediately. They may not be motivated by ethics, but, they would be smart enough to understand that an ethical breech with that much public exposure isn't defensible. That's the difference between private for profit versus public funded MSM parasites.

The CBC's response is totally unacceptable.

Ethical journalism requires a firewall making a reporter a neutral vessel. If you are covering a murder trial you don't text message either the dependent or the plaintiff, common sense.

The parasitic CBC and the BBC can't die fast. enough

Posted by: penny at January 24, 2008 7:17 PM

"But our role at the CBC is different from the private media whose obligation is, ultimately, only to their shareholders."

How gratuitously insulting and condescending to suggest that the CBC somehow has higher ethical standards than free media that are not funded through forced taxation.

Posted by: Richard Ball at January 24, 2008 7:20 PM

The Black Rod needs to change his site name to Lightning Rod 'cause -damn- if he isn't one of the best for this sort of stuff.

As for CBC... meh. Can't say I honestly expected anything else than excuses and cover-up. And I'm definitely not surprised at the collusion. (Who is?) I stopped watching or listening to CBC years ago out of principle. I'm just waiting for a government, regardless of stripe, that will privatize CBC.

Posted by: mark peters at January 24, 2008 7:24 PM

The idea of an unbiased media is the heart of the problem we face in Canada. It gives rise to an elite class of mutually-accrediting experts who get to decide who is extreme and who mainstream, i.e. what range of opinions need to be balanced. We certainly need disinterested elites in the academy, judiciary, etc., but this requires that we recognize that disinterested judgment properly belongs to a limited domain of our culture. Much of what we do in thinking, speaking, reporting, is inherently political and the media should admit as much, admit their bias, and compete in the marketplace as people who can act honorably and intelligently, despite their stated bias, not pretend it doesn't exist. In other words, the only way to justify a state-funded media is to believe in the liberal paradigm of an elite class that is above politics. It ain't so and can never be. The CBC cannot be reformed.

We really have to get our heads inside the inherent liberalism of "fair and balanced" because as we can now see it is institutionalized in our human rights law, by the higher courts, which positively requires it or else you can end up like Maclean's on the hot seat. We will become a country that must forever defer to centralized elites for arbitration of our differences, unless we renew our ideas about self-ruling democracy, about sharing a national covenant to guarantee individual not group rights.

I want a Canada where ordinary people can usually negotiate their differences without one or the other being addicted to Nazi-Jew metaphors of victimization which by their very nature can only be mediated from on high.

We have a judiciary that thinks it can perform great balancing acts for us, weighing all kinds of competing claims and rights. And maybe they can in their own universe of elaborate metaphysical gymnastics. What they forget is that the very means they must use to serve their putatively noble ends cannot guarantee a free society, for they are its very erosion: their means are deferral to an accredited elite for even the most minor of disputes: oh you offended me with those words!

Our elites are so blinded by the myths of their own mission to serve the people, not aware that in this day and age the means are the ends. This is what we have to emphasize now, now that we are getting a little attention over this "human rights" scandal. Because our constant deferral to an "unbiased" liberal elite is now well institutionalized in law. And getting out of it will not be a simple matter but must require constant effort for some time, engaging politicians not just bloggers. But it all starts with questioning the idea that the media can or should be unbiased. Politics should be worn on the sleeve and no one has a right to public nudity.

Posted by: truepeers at January 24, 2008 7:50 PM

I wrote requesting that all CBC staff with political affiliations or activities should be fired. Also, that the CBC employee structure should reflect, proportionately, the representation of gays, lesbians,etc... and Christians, in Canadian society.

Fat chance either will happen. Sell them to the "Friends of the CBC" for 1$ (One dollar) and watch them die. Rather, like me, don't watch them die :-)

Posted by: Wimpy Canadian at January 24, 2008 7:52 PM

Well, I mean, no one should have a right to public nudity, heh heh.

Posted by: truepeers at January 24, 2008 7:55 PM

Did the prime minister hire Cruickshank and was it not too long ago?Please someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Posted by: h.ryan. at January 24, 2008 8:02 PM

h.ryan, I dunno, but perhaps that is why you are seeing even this tiniest of little cracks in the establishment's armour.

Posted by: Wimpy Canadian at January 24, 2008 8:05 PM

[deleted. Either respect the rules here or leave. ED]

Posted by: missing link at January 24, 2008 8:05 PM

CBC clearly does not get it.

He says:"I am convinced that the Canadian public is sophisticated enough to realize it is well served by the intense and proper competition for news scoops that exists at every parliamentary, legislative and municipal bureau across the country."

This seems to me to be code for "if you can't appreciate our need to go after the most sensational and salacious material, then you are really stupid."

If we disagree with this supposedly exalted purpose of the media, does that mean we aren't "sophisticated enough"? Liberal bias, anyone? Nah. Impossible.

And then there's this one:

"But our role at the CBC is different from the private media whose obligation is, ultimately, only to their shareholders."

"Only to their shareholders"???? What do you think my tax dollar are? At least a shareholder can cash in his shares if he's disgusted with what the company is giving him. WHY CAN'T I DO THAT!!!!!!!

Nope. They just don't get it. Perhaps they aren't sophisticated enough.

Posted by: Louise at January 24, 2008 8:35 PM

What a joke the CBC has become.

Last year it was Ms. Lawland.
Now, Krista Erickson.

Who's next in the smear-the-conservatives agenda from the CBC?

Tories have been in power for less than 2 years and already 2 CBC reporters have been slapped down. What a disgrace. It's clear the CBC is a hotbed of leftards of which I wouldn't care about except my tax dollars are going to them.

Posted by: OttRob at January 24, 2008 8:43 PM

"Did the prime minister hire Cruickshank and was it not too long ago? Please someone correct me if I'm wrong."

The Prime Minister does not--to my knowledge--hire anyone at CBC. h.ryan., I don't know this officially, but I do know that there was no firestorm regarding the hiring of John Cruickshank.

Can you imagine the moaning and shrieking and worse, on and on and on . . . if the PM had had any influence re the hiring of an important CBC position?

The Prime Minister's Office has a lot of power--thanks, PET and Chretien, who finessed it--but I don't believe hiring CBC head honchos is one of the prerogatives he enjoys!

If I'm wrong, please, someone, let me know.

Posted by: lookout at January 24, 2008 8:51 PM

I do not know where I got the notion of Cruickshank's hiring but if it is the case then I would have expected a different response so you are probably right lookout.

Posted by: h.ryan. at January 24, 2008 9:04 PM

more from CBCpravda - the only mention of the climate plan is the "critics say "part. and they wonder why they are shutout of press conferances.


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2008/01/24/alta-environment.html

CBCpravda All Liberal All the Time

Posted by: cal2 at January 24, 2008 9:45 PM

does this look right.?


federal politician responsible for the CBC, Heritage Minister Bev Oda

Posted by: cal2 at January 24, 2008 9:54 PM

CTV(tass) serving up the same pap. critics say.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080124/afghan_prisoners_080124/20080124?hub=TopStories

they never say much about this torture- from the most of the referances you would get hurt more in a college hazing or a bad night in Amsterdam. In fact the stuff going on is Abu Garib was something that Order of Canada nominee Ashley MacIsaac bragged about doing with his underaged boyfriend. sure makes the talk of outrage from some of these dippers and liberals look out of plance.

Posted by: cal2 at January 24, 2008 10:01 PM

Very good post Truepeers. The media’s highly successful weapon is to shut down dissent because they are the ones “who get to decide who is extreme and who mainstream.”

Their tactics have been to immediately refer to the dissent as “American style … health care … or warmongering … or economic imperialism … or capitalist greediness …or whatever”. Using that “American style” method of faux debate has for decades caused many of us to shrink from discussing the matter further … thinking to ourselves … why waste my time?

But it is not time wasted to point out to the CBC intellectually lazy elite who oppose us, that much of the dissent revolves around ideas that are not American ideas but ideas that started 800 years ago with the Magna Carta and have been refined and fought for until recently. Recently our elite have decided that liberty is no longer worth fighting for, because their goal is moral relativism and they are willing to surrender our sovereignty for their transnational goals.

The CBC is infested with a Toronto centric groupthink who have lost the ability to think … period. “The CBC cannot be reformed.” So we will get a majority, we will close them, they know we will do that and thus they are rational in their viciousness against all things conservative. It is OK to be biased, I’m biased. But it is not OK to tax me to pay for the bile of the CBC bias. Only private money should pay for those ideas, not my money.

Posted by: nomdeblog at January 24, 2008 10:13 PM

"Minister Bev Oda seems to have been looking for corporate-board experience, rather than a background in media or the arts, with the appointment of the new chairman of the CBC.


Montreal-born Timothy Casgrain, 58, who is currently chairman of the aviation company Skyservice Investment, was named the CBC’s new chairman Friday.

When asked about an affiliation with the Conservative government, he said that he supports the Conservatives in his local Toronto riding of Eglinton-Lawrence.

“My role as chairman is working with the board, working with Mr. Rabinovitch and his team, and helping move the whole CBC mandate forward,” Mr. Casgrain said Friday. “I’ve always had a great love of the CBC…It’s there. It’s part of our fabric.”

As whether he foresees any major changes at CBC, he said, “I’m not in a position to answer that question just yet. Ask me in six months’ time, when I hope I’ll be well versed and able to give a good response.”

Posted by: anon at January 24, 2008 11:00 PM

A shake up at the cbc by the cbc?

~snicker~
Yeah, right.

Meet the new hosers, same as the old hosers.

Posted by: ldd at January 24, 2008 11:03 PM

So then I can assume that minister Oda brought Cruickshank on board.

Posted by: h.ryan. at January 24, 2008 11:11 PM

Or has he been at the helm for a long time?

Posted by: h.ryan. at January 24, 2008 11:14 PM

Brilliantly argued, Truepeers. The notion of an unbiased media, or unbiased anything else, is a myth, always has been, always will. Biologists have a word for unbiased, they call it dead.

Having got that out of the way, and while I'd like to see the CBC disbanded, because I don't want state-funded media on principle, it remains the case that the CBC is above all else a bureaucracy. It is in that sense that when reading Mr. Cruickshank's propaganda I was reminded of Sir Humphrey's response, in Yes Prime Minister, to Hacker's question as to whether or not Humphrey would answer a simple question. Humphrey said:

"If I am pressed for a straight answer I shall say that, as far as we can see, looking at it by and large, taking one thing with another, in terms of the average of departments, then in the last analysis it is probably true to say that, at the end of the day, you would find, in general terms, that, not to put too fine a point on it, there really was not very much in it one way or the other, as far as one can see, at this stage. Without resorting to crude generalizations or vulgar over-simplifications, in due course, in the fullness of time, at the appropriate juncture, when the moment is ripe, when the requisite procedures have been completed, all things being considered, and making all possible allowances, I shall do my utmost to oblige."

Cruickshank speaks with forked tongue.

Posted by: Vitruvius at January 24, 2008 11:17 PM

Vitruvius...sounds like you are channeling Paul Martin.

Posted by: h.ryan. at January 24, 2008 11:24 PM

In the very early days, most Media Organizations were just arms/inventions of Political Parties, not ?

Nothing is new.

Posted by: ron in kelowna at January 24, 2008 11:28 PM

Not Paul Martin, Ryan, Sir Humphrey Appleby:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yhN1IDLQjo

Posted by: Vitruvius at January 24, 2008 11:31 PM

CBC reporters are in fact perfectly gd'ed overt, perfectly unlike Sir Humphrey.

Susan Bonner performed a brave little Liberal promo tonight on The National. Once again, it wasn't anything resembling news, it was inflamed, blatant comment from a Liberal critic of the Conservatives, leading other Liberal critics of the Conservatives.

Tonight Bonner had to have gotten a leg up from the producers and management and writers, or from whoever wrote this intro:

"It's an issue that's dogged the government, led to bitter exchanges in parliament, even suggestions by the prime minister that the opposition sympathize with the Taliban. Now the government admits that there's evidence detainees were tortured in Afghan custody, and that the evidence was so strong it quietly stopped transferring prisoners months ago! Today, critics suggested this government can't be trusted to tell the truth about Afghanistan. Susan Bonner reports."

Bonner: "Canada's federal court became a legal battlefield today over the treatment of prisoners in Afghanistan. It followed yesterday's stunning news that almost three months ago Canadians soldiers secretly stopped handing over captives to Afghan authorities because of evidence of torture..."

At one point in her report -- and I wish there was some way to communicate here her bitter, sarcastic, preachy, resentful tone of voice -- Bernier is shown speaking in the house; the clip freezes on the word "transparent", and an ominous pan-in begins as Bonner says --(seriously)-- "TRANSPARENT??! Bernier said not a word about the halt of prisoner transfers, a policy change that happened nine days earlier! The opposition today accused the prime minister of misleading Canadians about the mission:"

(Duceppe: "He, he just lied to the house when he said...there was not such a thing as torture." Dion: "When they will be honest with Canadians, (sic) how can we believe this government..." Layton: "When the government stops telling the truth to its people about a war, you've got a serious problem...")

An image of a handcuffed man is shown, as Bonner says "The government won't answer questions about the handling of detainees now -- not where, or how they're being held, or how many there are."

U of Ottawa's Amir Attaran, who appeared to be on the verge of a smirk, says "Even the United States at Guantanamo will tell you who they're holding, and the people have lawyers. We may be doing something worse than that."

That's bad, no?

Bonner concludes: "The federal court is not expected to render a judgment for at least several weeks, but the political judgment is happening now, as the parties return to the hill, and an inflamed debate over how the government is handling the Afghan mission and the larger question of the mission's future. Susan Bonner, CBC News, Ottawa."

Amazing that just a few days after the Krista Erickson incident is "resolved" the CBC broadcasts a piece as blatant as any previous piece of broadcast Lib-work. Incredible.

Posted by: EBD at January 25, 2008 12:30 AM

Sorry folks, but I'm with Krista on this one. She was doing her job ... period. To me, it shows that there are more weak-minded libs to prey on than Conservatives ... not a surprise.

Why go after the hunter for taking the easy shot? BTW: I agree, the CBC should be shut down.

Posted by: ural at January 25, 2008 12:48 AM

Yes of course CBC reporters are perfectly overt, EBD, I've understood that for a
long time. I was comparing Humphrey to Cruickshank. Sorry I wasn't more clear.

Posted by: Vitruvius at January 25, 2008 1:03 AM

I love the Humphrey/Cruickshank comparison Vitruvius, but their use of language shows what a huge difference there is between the two of them: Sir Humphrey is vital, calculating, intelligent and alert; poor old Cruickshank, on the other hand, is dull, earnest, and plodding; apparently exhausted by the effort needed to summon a few routine banalities. One is like a fox surveying its terrain for opportunities and threats; the other is like a brick that's been knocked off the side of a building and is just lying in the dirt waiting to be kicked.

Posted by: GDW at January 25, 2008 1:33 AM

Point taken. But then, it is the CBC.

Posted by: Vitruvius at January 25, 2008 1:35 AM

lookout at January 24, 2008 8:51 PM, yes, the PM does appoint the CEO. That's one of the biggest flaws of the organization. Consider the number of times a Conservative PM has had the privilege. I don't know the answer to that question. Maybe it's none. But certainly, given our propensity to be blessed with Liberal governments, the number of times the office becomes vacant during a Liberal mandate is huge. Little wonder the bias is so oriented toward the Liberal Party. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. Don't tick off the man that gave you the cushy position.

Posted by: Louise at January 25, 2008 6:42 AM

The issue of shareholders in referencing ownership in government departments is far more important in Canadian politics than most people understand.

One of the most important structural changes the Liberals wrought on government in their last two sessions was corporatization,but with one important difference - the corporate models they put together were not that of the public corporation, but that of the private corporation, in which the Liberal party was the majority shareholder. Literally. Shareholders have never been a topic of discussion in departmental goals and plans.

Rather, the Liberals canonized the concept of stakeholders. In most cases, the stakeholders are the parasitic industries and political friends that feed on the productivity of the departments. The most egregious example of this is the Canada Revenue Agency in its present form, led by a management board of provincial hacks, and run by a executive suite. The minister's function has been reduced by legislation to mostly reporting to parliament what the commissioner tells him - he has very little authority to make changes. When the agency was created, the HQ sales force was asked, during discussions about the new synergy with the "stakeholders", "what about the shareholders?". This was greeted by a dismissive sneer by the presenter, and quickly dismissed as irrelavent.

These perverse changes are rampant throughout the bureaucracy that is the Liberal legacy. CBC is only one fairly minor example of the politicization of the bureaucracy of government by the Liberals.

As soon as the word "shareholders", or more likely, "stakeholders", turns up in any conversation by a government bureaucrat, you know you are looking at a department co-opted by the Liberal party. The complete dismissing of the concept of "shareholders" is the signal flag that should make your ears prick up. The Liberals see no role of citizens in ownership of Canada's democratic institutions, only the pesky part about having to call elections.

In a recent party (last week) held for the benefit of middle managers in Niagara Falls (over a week, at a cost exceeding a half million dollars, in a department that can't find funding for necessary staffing needs) The managers were required at one point to stand up and salute the commissioner with "hail to the commissioner", three times). This is not allegiance to Her Majesty, in Right of Canada, this is supporting the corporate ivory tower of an autocracy.

Along with the incredible incompetence, this is is the legacy of the "natural governing party" and the near destruction of a functional bureaucracy democratically serving the needs of Canadians.

Posted by: Skip at January 25, 2008 7:43 AM

Re: Canadian troops not handing over any more prisoners to the Afghans... could it be they don't take prisoners anymore? After all, dead men tell no lies.

Posted by: Texas Canuck at January 25, 2008 7:45 AM

Luc Schulz Online on his blog exposes CBC's high standards. He remembers the photo that the CBC has used in a recent article about detainees was one taken in 2001 when Chretien and the Liberals were in power.
http://lucschulz.blogspot.com/2008/01/yellow-journalism.html

Posted by: muttsrus at January 25, 2008 8:50 AM

Anyine here belong to a professional society who would not decertify you for breaching professional ethics this badly?....be nice to be simply "reassigned" if an engineer was caught in industrial spying or a doctor in drug dealing or a lawyer in jury tampering....if you work for a chushy crown corp you get "reassigned".

I don't think we have had a more glaring display of the 2 tiered class structure in Canada...the exclusive privilege of public employees and civil service and the burden of responsibility the private sector worker must bear.

Posted by: WL Mackenzie Redux at January 25, 2008 9:11 AM

If you find a news source isn't credible you can vote against it in the marketplace by not purchasing.

We do not have that choice with the CBC.

Regardless of initial good intentions, this situation had to happen eventually. The CBC had to become corrupt because it's not exposed to the corrections of capitalism.

It's in fact a cave, gathering and protecting socialist moonbats from objective and free market reality. It's become a fortress where they're not just permitted, but flagrantly commanded to and rewarded for promoting a Liberal leftist agenda and propoganda.

Why do you think ALL of the programming sucks? Do leftist/Liberal writers and producers have any imagination within the prison of political correctness? What if the plot is always the same?

I've been told from an important source that there's a lot more to this story that will be coming out. The Fifth Estate producers are involved, as well as a lot of others. It's a vipers nest that is in the process of being exposed.

And with any luck exterminated.

Posted by: irwin daisy at January 25, 2008 9:36 AM

CBC = 1.5B$/year

Solution: Dismantle?
Pull the plug and let it got private?

Or compromise: Half the budget is taken away to form a new news media source comparable to Fox news in the States. Call it "Lynx" news. (Fox, Lynx...Get it? And the wild feline is exclusively Canadian I believe)

But dont hold your breath, Right of centre Fox news is currently unnautorized to air in Canad'uh by the CRTC...When you think of it, it's even a wonder Stephen Harper's Conservatives are the current Government of this liberal highjacked landmass of ours.

Posted by: Grind a Grit at January 25, 2008 9:52 AM

Thanks, Louise, for the info that the PM appoints the CBC CEO, which, from anon above, I believe is Timothy Casgrain.

But I'm still not sure that Cruickshank, as Publisher of CBC News is a government appointee. I'd imagine that his position is probably an internal appointment.

More people should know about the CBC CEO being appointed by the PM: just one more reason that CBC is all Liberal, all the time. Let's hope Mr. Casgrain can have some positive influence, but it seems he's like a government Minister, who's very likely to be hampered by the bureaucrats who do the on the ground work.

Posted by: lookout at January 25, 2008 9:54 AM

One of these days, Kate's orchestrated campaigns of character-assassinations are going to come back to haunt her.

Posted by: CBC Fan at January 25, 2008 10:06 AM

"the private sector worker must bear." Krista's moving expenses.
No uncle's pick up truck and tarps for the elite mandarins either.

They have "people"

Posted by: richfisher at January 25, 2008 10:22 AM

"One of these days, Kate's orchestrated campaigns of character-assassinations are going to come back to haunt her."

Considering that "journalists" like Krista Erickson have paid their bills conducting character-assassinations, you'll excuse my lack of sympathy. Until the internet came along, these people had an enviable position - they not only had the power to pursue their personal political vendettas through the mainstream media, they were protected by the same machine. That day has ended. They are no longer the gatekeepers. Individuals like Ms. Erickson had better get used to it, because the day is long overdue that their conduct, their private alliances, and their political agendas were exposed to public scrutiny.

Posted by: Kate at January 25, 2008 10:37 AM

Check out the letter from Mulroney's lawyers to Paul Szabo, chair of the Ethics committee. References the CBC issue as well as Szabo's request to get Mulroney's income tax records made public, behind his back. Must read:

http://nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=261240

I repeat my question; was Szabo the second MP that Krista Erickson emailed her questions to? If so, then he must be removed as committee chair immediately.

Posted by: john g at January 25, 2008 10:43 AM

Allowing light into the darkness of CBC news manipulation is character assassination?

Allow me to shake my head until I become a CBC fan. = TG

Posted by: TG at January 25, 2008 10:58 AM

Note this line in the words from on high:

"But our role at the CBC is different from the private media whose obligation is, ultimately, only to their shareholders. Our very mandate is to provide Canadians with a view of their political life unobstructed by bias."

The irony is the very words display bias.

Thinking you are not part of the marketplace; that you are beholden to different 'standards' than others in the field, and above all, being dishonest enough to use unbiased & 'view' in the same sentence.

Views are always created only by seeing an object from specific point. As a wordsmith, you'd think he'd care.

Guess not as long as he keeps cashing his government cheques.

Privatize this sewer.

Posted by: Andrew at January 25, 2008 11:28 AM

'CBC fan' is a member of the fascist moonbat species that can't survive in the free and open marketplace of ideas. They require protected environments where a socialist agenda is guaranteed to prevail over objectivity, rational thinking and the truth.

They quickly wilt and die when exposed to competitive ideas, reason and facts.

You can bet they'll fight to protect their protected environments.

Posted by: irwin daisy at January 25, 2008 11:28 AM

I don't care what any of you guys say. Erikson is one of the hottest looking reporters on Canadian television today.

CBC bias will remain embedded in the editorial ranks. Like those that have gone on to wreak scandal at the CBC before her (Michael Enright, Neil MacDonald, Wendy Mesley, Avi Lewis etc), Erikson is destined for the promotional fast lane at the CBC.

Expect her to guest host the Current next week and fill in for Carole Macneil on CBC Slumday over the Summer.

Hell, if she plays her booty cards right, like the George Stroumbouloupoulooooos, she will be sleeping with her boss by the end of the month.

CBC is a legend in its own collectivist mind. To disagree is unCanadian dont cha know?

Posted by: Bill at January 25, 2008 12:02 PM

cbc fan should change his/her handle to: no fan of independent thinking.

Posted by: h.ryan. at January 25, 2008 12:13 PM

RE: Richard, and his CBC Cruickshank post question.

Richard,

Todays plot is to defame Harper because Afghans are found to mistreat some Taliban killers while in custody.

Afghan police are a force in training.

What is tomorrows CBC anti-Harper plot news item? = TG

Posted by: TG at January 25, 2008 12:55 PM

I have to laugh.

In most of the comments here, you could take the letters CBC out of the sentence and replace them with CWB, ie Canadian Wheat Board.

Most of the complaints made against the state corporation CBC are exactly the same as the ones Western farmers make against the Canadian Wheat Board.

Biased, narrowminded, intolerant, arrogant, one-sided, slippery, secretive, part of the Liberal re-election team, and of course, 'hands in our pockets'.

Sane Canadians don't want to finance the CBC which has degenerated into a propaganda machine for the Liberals.

And sane farmers don't want to be forced to deal with the unabashedly Liberal CWB, (sort of a western Adscam, secret deals, two or more sets of books, elitism, inaccurate public statements, Liberal schmoozing/donations) for exactly the same reasons.

The Crooked State Corporatism Liberal Party du Canada sucks.

Posted by: rockyt at January 25, 2008 1:16 PM

re: CBC Fan's pathetic rant (threat) that Kate's words will come back to haunt her...

it is worth noting that the CBC has an entire department of bloggers who are paid to post anonymous comments on the internet in support of the CBC and its liberal secular-progressive anti-conservative programming....

and I am willing to bet that CBC Fan is a member of that team

Posted by: Beryl at January 25, 2008 1:29 PM

"I've been told from an important source that there's a lot more to this story that will be coming out. The Fifth Estate producers are involved, as well as a lot of others. It's a vipers nest that is in the process of being exposed."
Posted by: irwin daisy at January 25, 2008 9:36 AM

Irwin, no surprise if there is a whole nest of contributors to this type of faux journalistic endeavour. Your statement that it will be exposed is encouraging. I hope that will be soon.

Posted by: felis corpulentis at January 25, 2008 1:48 PM

john g at 10:43:
Mulroney's lawyer's letter paints a devastating picture of the actions of the so-called Ethics Committee. Does anyone here think enough citizens and denizens of the MSM are aware enough and concerned enough about natural justice to ensure that the bright lights of scrutiny and challenge will fall on this committee long enough to make a difference?

Posted by: felis corpulentis at January 25, 2008 1:59 PM

Well, we're in for real treat next week on CBC's Ancestry show called "Who do you think you are?", it's about Avi Lewis' heritage or whatever. I think a lot of us would like to ask that question of him and it has nothing to do with ancestry.

As long as we have the incestuous CBC and government bureaucrats who are Liberal to the core any Conservative government will be fighting off smears, lies and mischief making at every turn.

Posted by: Liz J at January 25, 2008 2:32 PM

One of these days, Kate's orchestrated campaigns of character-assassinations are going to come back to haunt her.
Posted by: CBC Fan at
=======
Yeah, well. The CBC can arrange it, for sure. They already have the conservative-bashing media market cornered, at least in Canada.

Posted by: Louise at January 25, 2008 2:44 PM

Mr. Cruickshank is also not above deleting comments that he does not like. I guess his fragile ego was hurt when I stated that what Canadians deserve is that he be immediately fired and the entire CBC be dismantled!

I can think of better places to spend our hard-earned dollars than on this Liberal mouthpiece.

Posted by: Gypsy at January 25, 2008 5:27 PM

remember CBCpravda fan.

Kate was one of five or so guest bloggers that made the CBCpravda cut. they do read this blog.

Posted by: cal2 at January 25, 2008 5:49 PM

forgot to post this link.

http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/forums/electionroundtable/2006/01/wow.html

Posted by: cal2 at January 25, 2008 5:51 PM

It looks like it's time to drag this out of the garbage can and show it to the CBC supporters:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_zolf/20060328.html
Quote "Harper sees this shift in mood as the work of the wicked media out to get him again.
For Harper, this go-it-alone approach is presenting problems, especially in Quebec with Afghanistan.
But with his total denial of access to the media that backed him in the first place, he isn't doing himself any favours.
Harper�s treatment of the media is that of an ingrate. The media made Harper. The media also first made Trudeau and Mulroney. Later, the media made both Trudeau and Mulroney and their parties suffer at the polls.
A similar fate awaits Harper if he doesn�t change his basic suspicion and hatred of reporters and news commentators."Unquote

Larry has no clue that having the media lie to Canadians could in any way be wrong.

Posted by: Stan at January 25, 2008 6:19 PM

But, what is wrong with a taxpayer-salaried journalist asking questions of the gov't?

Posted by: grok at January 25, 2008 6:40 PM

Im AMAZED I made a comment over at CBCPravda and they nuked it. Its shocking!!! I didnt swear or threaten or any of those things that might get you disallowed. All I did was ask questions. Goes to show you it really is time to sell off the assets and let these scum go find real jobs.

Posted by: FREE at January 25, 2008 7:37 PM

Vitruvius...sounds like you are channeling Paul Martin.

Or the current popular linguistic usage of "that being said" or "having said that" instead of saying "but" because the word "but" implies something negative coming up...

It's probably all good to go, though.

I hate weasel words and weasel phrasing designed to pop a pre-determined concept into minds.

Posted by: PiperPaul at January 26, 2008 4:27 AM

The Buckler incident provides an interesting contrast. Obviously the Tories and people on the Hill misspeak a lot. (I wonder if you are allowed to mispeak in court?). Erickson should be commended by for getting around all this misspeaking and showing some entrepreneurial zeal in filign what was an unbiased story. Much like a private sector reporter as I read elsewhere. If she had been a typical CBC reporter she would have galavanted to Eurpoe to talk to this source and that and filed some piffle..all at the taxpayers expense!!. Time to clean out the seniro staff at CBC!

Posted by: jonnycanuk at January 28, 2008 7:06 AM

The Buckler incident provides an interesting contrast. Obviously the Tories and people on the Hill misspeak a lot. (I wonder if you are allowed to mispeak in court?). Erickson should be commended by for getting around all this misspeaking and showing some entrepreneurial zeal in filign what was an unbiased story. Much like a private sector reporter as I read elsewhere. If she had been a typical CBC reporter she would have galavanted to Eurpoe to talk to this source and that and filed some piffle..all at the taxpayers expense!!. Time to clean out the senior staff at CBC!

Posted by: jonnycanuk at January 28, 2008 7:06 AM
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