It’s time for Harper to do something about the CBC. No more excuses, Mr. Harper — being nice to the Left doesn’t inspire them to be fairer or more honest. The CBC simply sees it as a sign of weakness and they slant the news even more to disparage anyone who refuses to submit to “progressive” ideology. Mr. Harper, you have to understand that these people think like sociopaths — they have no sense of justice or moral conscience, they will only respond to power.
Firstly, the CBC is violating its diversity mandate as a taxpayer funded institution by only embracing the point of view of the Left and being Partisan to the NDP or Liberals, for example. As such, the CBC is a political lobby organization, not a news organization.
Either the CBC gives fair representation of the diversity of views and news items covering the broad political spectrum of Canadian opinion, or they should be taken over by the Government as an official Government voicebox. Or alternatively, the CBC should be sold and privatized.
I have no problem if they are taken over as an official Government voicebox either — reflecting the policies of the Government of the day — because then at least Canadians will know who the CBC is speaking for (there is no hidden agenda). Or if they instead follow their diversity mandate and reflect the political voices of all Canadians — I have no problem with that either. Or if they privatize instead — I have no problem with that either.
But the CBC does NONE of the above legitimate options — they pretend to be an arms-length Government media institution, financed by all Canadians, but they only represent one political voice: the Canadian Left. And in election time (which seems to be all the time these days) they are unashamedly Partisan against conservatives. In effect, the largest media org in Canada gives free election advertising to any Party that opposes Conservatives, hence breaching election finance laws by misappropriating taxpayer money for the pet personal political lobbying of CBC bureaucrats.
Don’t be afraid to do the right thing, Mr. Harper — they will call you a “Nazi” anyway, no matter what you do. Don’t let name-calling and smears stop you from doing the right thing.
BTW, anybody see the CBC report on election fraud in the U.S.? It focused on alleged fraud by Republicans only — not a word about the Obama/Acorn scam. The CBC does not represent political diversity at any level — Nationally or Internationally — it is clearly a Left lobby organization that has little to do with objective journalism.
Why should Canadians have to pay for that? Freedom of the press and media is guaranteed under our Charter and the CBC violates that freedom by allowing only one voice although all taxpayers are forced to fund it.
Originally posted by Ricardo here.
Vik: “Yea, we wouldn’t want the Small Dead Animals crowd to be exposed to anything that might conflict with the Tory talking points. That would really hurt.”
Good point, if it weren’t for the CBC, we would only hear from the “corporate media” AKA the media that funds its own way with viewership/advertising revenue.
What a pathetic excuse for subsidizing mindless moonbat leftist crap. When the CBC actually does a piece on the Chretien/Rae/CSL/Strong linkage, perhaps they may have some credibility with people who are not left of Che.
It ain’t gonna happen. Instead we get the CBC telling “our” stories by people we’ve never heard of to nobody watching.
Heheheheheheheeeeee. Point proven by Robert McCl,phil,sun lover,etc. We ask for facts to disprove our accusations,and the poor babies go all ad hominem. And one poor soul says “have no problems with the concept of a state run broadcaster per se. But there should NEVER be any editorial content,”Boy. The teachers got him good. Like they say,you know you are on target when the other side has no response but lies,whines,name-calling, and out right blubber.
And that IS a FACT,something they can’t seem to find.
Ezra Levant explains the orchestrated astroturfing that is at work here.
Despite its non level playing field—$1.1 billion of our tax money—in 2009, CBC TV’s audience share was, apparently, 8.9 %. That number also had a lot to do with the fact that the CBC runs Jeopardy and other American shows.
CBC’s audience share is pathetic. Most Canadians, as we can see, ignore it. I gave up CBC TV for Lent one year and never went back. I always tell the Conservatives no more $$ from me until they move very hard on the HRCs and the CBC.
Hey Vik, you’re not from Toronto by any chance, are you?
I only ask because virtually every foaming-at-the-mouth commenter who spouts the sort of received wisdom that the CBC dispenses and uses an unimaginative low-blow slur as a nick is posting from Toronto.
I have no idea why that should be the case, but hey, there it is.
Sun Lover @5:48 – well no worries then. If the ceeb is so popular and so in tune with what all decent Canadians think, then you won’t have the slightest problem funding it even when you are no longer able to use the money of people who can’t stand the damn thing.
Left, right, centre … who cares? We do not … repeat … not need a public broadcaster, especially to the tune of $1 billion plus tax dollars annually. Even if the views of the CBC were somewhere to the right of those of Ghengis Khan, I would still argue for privatization. There are literally thousands of ways to better spend $1 billion per annum. Health care, the military, aging infrastructure, etc.
If the general public only knew the amount that the CBC gobbles up year after year, PMSH would be hard-pressed not to do something about the problem.
As for the latest pathetic batch of trolls who believe that the CBC has an enormous following and is wildly popular with Canadians, what can one say? These types are not influenced by little annoyances like facts.
You realize that the sort of people who are trolling this thread actually do think Genghis Khan was right wing, don’t you?
biffjr. -you nailed it.
Harper isn’t going to do anything with the cbc. Maybe rub them with a little sandpaper occasionally. Muldoon tried to annoy them by appointing one of his buddies as president……
The cbc should become a subscription service. Those that want them should subscribe and let the rest of us subscribe to the services we want. End of story. They then can talk directly to their base free of political influence.
Remind me what this sinkhole CBC thing is that you talk about?
Oh,yes. I am remembering now. It was a television network long ago before the coming of the more realistic and watchable FoxNews and SunNews.
Have not seen it for years and my life is better for it.
I will vote exclusively for any party that promises to defund the CBC. My previous hallmark issue was the elimination of the gun registry, which thankfully will soon end.
There are literally thousands of ways to better spend $1 billion per annum.
Practice what you preach, biffy. Get your sorry freeloading arse out of the public trough. There are thousands of ways to better spend the over $5 billion wasted on welfare bum plow jockeys.
These types are not influenced by little annoyances like facts.
All I’ve read from the small dead minds thus far amounts to nothing but the usual teabaggin’ gumflapping.
Irony of the day.
Listening to Sportsnight wit Drew Remenda just now. Podcast here. He’s got someone on there who used to work at CBC Sports.
They’re talking about Grapes and his latest outrage. Dude on the radio says that he’s been arguing for years “about the need for ‘balance’ to counterpoint Don Cherry.”
He said something along the lines that it’s their own fault the CBC can’t get rid of Cherry because they didn’t provide balance before, and so there are whole generations of people who would rebel thinking that Cherry is the be-all end-all of hockey.
So there’s the game plan. Get Cherry fired, then shut it down.
A good idea, but dismantling the CRTC and its myriad of CanCon and other regulations is a softer more rewarding target. Going after Moby CBC seems a waste of time. It’s not going to happen.
Two Points:
One….Right on Ricardo, up to a point….cut off tax payer money to the CBC and get rid of it, they are beyond reforming.
Two…I don’t know what is on the CBC, I quit watching it years ago….it wasn’t good for my blood pressure or my anger management concerns.
Maybe he’s using the frog in water theory. Cut 10%of the C.B.C.’s budget until it is gone. Nobody will notice it missing. If he cuts the total budget at once, everyone, especially the Liberals will scream about it right through the next election campaign.
“You realize that the sort of people who are trolling this thread actually do think Genghis Khan was right wing, don’t you?”
Judging by the quality of trolls who visit this site to dispense witty and original comments, they have probably never heard of Genghis Khan, never mind his political leanings.
Ricardo: “Wrong comparison — North Korea doesn’t have an independent free media at all, ONLY Government media. All free democratic countries have independent free media, plus Government media, and contrary to N.K. the gov media under democracy is usually controlled by democratically elected Governments and answerable to the taxpayers who fund it.”
But I return to your term “official government voicebox.” Can you name one in a free democratic country? CBC isn’t an example, or BBC, or NPR. European countries? Some of these govt.-funded broadcasters have aided in the downfall of the governments themselves.
I think you’re using language too loosely and aren’t thinking about what your words mean.
I love my name, Babysitter, that’s why I use it. I tend to agree with those that find anonymity a cowardly thing, especially as no one is really anonymous on the Internet.
And I totally agree with you, Don Cherry for 5 minutes on Saturday night and Rex Murphy for 2 minutes on Thursday certainly bring the world into balance.
Course, given the arguments from the other side, it isn’t like anyone needs much time to de-construct them. In fact, as Cherry doesn’t really talk about politics, then I guess we’re just down to 2 minutes on Thursday counter-balancing the rest of the CBC.
I must apologize to Robert McClelland for calling him the babysitter. Upon further review of the comments made by the “babysitter”,I know realize it is actually his mother commenting,and phil’s aunt.I will know follow bluetechs excellent advice,and henceforth ignore the scum trolls. You know,it would be fun if we all ignored them,just to watch them fighting with each other,or crying in the corner.
Two…I don’t know what is on the CBC, I quit watching it years ago.
Yet you know ricardo knows whereof he speaks. Sheeesh. Hard to argue at that imbecilic level.
But YOU, small dead minded, are the ones making the assertion. So define your terms, and bring forth some “facts” to back up those assertions.
I enjoy watching CBC covering the campaigning for the Republican nomination. I may have a vivid imagination, but I detect their icy polite manners
ending in a sort of cynical tone in their voices.
I knew certain of the CBC women were enamoured of Barack Obama, during the last presidential election.
They may as well have thrown their underwear at the man. This is to say nothing of the leg tingles felt by men of that same CBC.
With 80,000 ex pat Americans in Canada, many of whom could vote in that election, one wonders at our tax dollars being spent to shill for Obama.
As if expat yanks watch the CBC …. !!!
Good for you Ricardo …. a regular string of critiques like yours should be sent to the CBC and to the broadcasting council … CC your PM and MP.
Does SDA get results …?
Ricardo’s comment was great and right.
The time to eliminate CBC was last budget to give 4 or 5 years to digest. There are no half measures. Simply eliminate the whole thing. If some bits need to survive – anyone hear of public television.
Just a little point to “Sunlover”
If a majority is illegitimate with less than 50%, then I guess the CBC shouldn’t exist… it was formed by Bennett, whose majority government had 49% of the vote in 1930, and Mackenzie King, whose majority government had 44.4% of the vote in 1935.
Perhaps you’d like to research a little history before you spout your little sore-loser talking points?
TJ said: “Was at a party recently and one of the people I met must have called Harper “a total fascist” about 20 times. Said individual was a complete idiot.”
Queston for you, TJ. Did you confront or at least refute the unfounded claims of the “complete idiot”? It seems that using such opportunities is least we can do to honour the courage of Andrew Brietbart.
I used to remain silent at such moments, especially in gatherings where you don’t want to cause discomfort or make waves. Not anymore.
I would rather be respected than liked and feel self-respect than walking away knowing I should have spoken.
We are all Breitbart now.
The Knackered Babysitter said: “Yea, we wouldn’t want the Small Dead Animals crowd to be exposed to anything that might conflict with the Tory talking points.”
And I’m pretty sure in your perfect world, watching the CBC would be mandatory.
It’s been my experience that the least well informed people tend to be on the left. Because their world view is incongruent with reality, they tend only to watch/read those sources that confirm their bias.
What do I base this upon? I’m part of a discussion group that meets monthly. We talk about international, national and local issues – all of which have a politcal component. I can say without equivocation that those with more conservative views are more widely read. Whereas they will watch CBC/BBC or gasp, MSNBC and read the Guardian and well as the Nat. Post, those who tilt left claim they wouldn’t even consider sources that don’t comport with their preconceptions.
Sad, but it’s true.
Phil wrote: “What you call left is anyone who doesn’t buy into your tedious teabagging hypocrisy.”
So you’re a centrist then, Phil? Riiiiight.
Excellent commentary Ricardo.
In the 200-plus channel universe it is legitimate to argue for cutting loose the ceeb TV side.
Immediately privatise ceeb TV.
Radio? Meh…just dont let it grow.
>EBD’s culture warring is amusing. Good luck with that. We’ll still have the CBC in 2015, but we won’t have the Tories — or Stunned TV, for that matter. The CBC has a huge following in this country. Its viewership dwarfs STUN TV. Its web site gets millions more hits than SDA and all the other Tory talking point web sites. Seriously injuring the CBC would split the Red Tories off from the Reform rump. It would galvanize Liberal voters and get them to show up at the polls this time. The more the Tories move forward with EBD and the SDA Winged Monkey’s culture war fantasy, the more they alienate everyone outside rural Alberta. So go for it. Have fun. And enjoy 30 years in the political wilderness. Even Carl Rove-style push polling and voter suppression won’t save you in 2015.”
You really dissapoint me. How could you leave out George Bush.
But don’t worry about the CBC. Once we get the Northern Gateaway Pipeline built, the current pipeline to Vancouver twinned and the Keystone pipeline expanded we will be making so darned much money there will be plenty to keep on funding the CBC.
“Practice what you preach, biffy. Get your sorry freeloading arse out of the public trough. There are thousands of ways to better spend the over $5 billion wasted on welfare bum plow jockeys.”
Whoa, someone seems a little pissed about the dismantelling of the Wheat Board. Thank you Harper. Lets see, got rid of the long gun registry, got rid of the Wheat board, curtainled the HRC’s, defunded the SOW’s (status of women)—clipped the wings of the CBC next———
Let’s at least keep the CBC around until it can be demonstrated that the Liberal Party set up the robo-calls. That, you must admit, would be an excellent final act of this tragic comedy.
I’ve long held that the CBC’s employment policy should be to represent socialists and homosexuals with the same proportion as within Canadian society as a whole … Oh the irony.
@ No Guff at 12:22 am..
You’re absolutly right..”WE ARE ALL BRIETBART NOW”.
I make it a point to challenge all leftard talking points at any/all gatherings I attend, I don’t hold back and I don’t care if any feelings are hurt, one host thanked me later for putting the load mouth liar in his place.
We Are All Breitbart Now…!!!
Robert of Ottawa, that was a great suggestion.
Margaret Wente has a common sense article in the Grope and Flail. I did not read all comments to the article, but Big Bad Jim had a great comment and I contributed a few of my own.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/margaret-wente/robo-calls-get-a-grip-were-canadian/article2359578/
Wow, the trolls are quite active here on this thread. That usually only happens when a topic bruises their delicate psyche of the world according to make-believe.
Anyway…
Whenever I come to Canada to visit my girlfriend, I am amazed at the bias on CBC. It is like I am at home watching MSNBC. It is naked unabashed bias as well which is why it must be of the same vein as MSNBC
That being said, I do not watch CBC longer than about 5 minutes before I get the same queasy feeling I get watching the MSM here in the states. My girlfriend is starting to enjoy Sun News, and has found FOX on her satellite radio.
The spew coming from CBC, and to a lesser extent, CTV is amazing.
I guess they think that the general population is that stupid.
Oh wait… 🙂
If the cbc wa so good they would survive on their own without my money. End all funding. Give it over to the employees. No golden parachutes for anyone. Sink or swim on their own merits. Or lack thereof.
To all those trolls who think the SDA crowd is advocating shutting down the CBC, lest we have to endure dissenting views, read again what Ricardo and others have actually said. (I know, facts are annoying when you already have your opinions.) We are asking PMSH to defund the CBC. They can spew their hatred for all things conservative all they want. Just don’t force Canadians to pay for it. If they want to go PBS style, or by cable subscription, or free market, go for it. That is what companies in FREE countries do. However, remember that true Canadian culture is not what some ivory tower self-proclaimed intellectual dictates to the rest of us – Canadian culture is what real Canadians are willing to spend their own time and dime on. CBC has 8.9% of the viewership, which means they DO represent a certain portion of the Canadian cultural and political landscape. However, said 8.9 should be the ones footing the bill. It is the funding, not the existence, of the CBC that we object to. (P.S. – Melwilde @ 4:08 – thanks for the amazing thoughts. You make me proud of my heritage, something the CBC has tried to avoid whenever possible.)
Just don’t force Canadians to pay for it.
So the SDA crowd is upset their hard earned tax dollars are going to things they don’t like. Well join the f**king club. Just reimburse me for your war on drugs, religious tax exemptions, “investment” income tax exemptions, pro sport subsidies, political contribution write offs and rural conservative welfare bum farmer subsidies and I’ll gladly be one of the 8.9% footing the bill for the CBC.
facts are annoying when you already have your opinions.
Indeed, what ricardo and others have said are assertions about the CBC, not facts. The onus therefore is on you to back up those assertions.
Phil and Vik – Believe it or not, I agree with much of what you say regarding government funding and skewing of our spending and investing. I am opposed to government bailouts and subsidies of all businesses, whether the businesses be news networks, car manufacturers, or farms. We should pay fair prices for what we purchase without governments getting involved by subsidizing chosen companies. I agree with you; I think we should be paying for our own food, hockey rinks, religious and political activities, and so on. We should also be investing based on what companies we believe in, not where the best tax breaks are. Policing and the military, however, are not companies, and it is a government’s job to uphold those necessary activities. Just how they do it will always create debate, and we are fortunate that we can have that debate in a public forum.
Why do we need state TV?
We don’t.
Shrink this year’s deficit by a billion in one easy line item deletion.
The compounded cost to society of this socialist agitprop apparatus is many times more the reported $1.1MM
And who is stuck with that bill? Hmm?
Do it, for the children.
Believe it or not, I agree with much of what you say regarding government funding and skewing of our spending and investing.
Then you are part of an insignificant minority around here, hypocrisy being the sine qua non of the small dead hive mind.
hypocrisy being the sine qua non of the small dead hive mind.
See eurefugee at March 6, 2012 2:57 PM
Progholes like phil mccrackin never stop with the stupid do they?
When I feel the need for the application of troll repellent at social functions I ask the anti-American leftards to answer two questions starting with the following preamble.
In all of recorded history, with one exception, every militarily strong country has kicked the snot out of any neighbour who did not have a strong military and then they “took their stuff”.
Q1) Which powerful country did not kick the snot out of their militarily weak neighbour and then take their stuff?
Hint for socialidiots. A1) United States of American (Canada 1867 Ltd.)
Q2) Name one socialist utopia that did not immediately halt freedom of the press once they had attainted power?
Hint for socialidiots A2) None
With respect to Question 1) the leftards will under no circumstances acknowledge the unprecedented pacifistic posture of the US with respect to Canada and will invariable say something infantile such as “why should the US take Canadian resources when they give them to us for free”. The price of free Canadian oil is, although less than the world price, now around $80 a barrel which pays the welfare payments for our socialist troll friends and their army of non-thinkers.
With respect to Question 2) the leftards will not even throw up an infantile argument because even their beloved Amnesty International says this is true in every instance. It must be hard to be an American-hating leftard when your premises are just wrong. But our trolls and their pathetic ilk either fail to see the truth or refuse to see the truth. If ignorance is bliss we will not have to wish our troll friends a happy life.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the trolls are connected to the CBC. The CBC’s getting their butt kicked “real good” by Ezra Levant et al. over at SunTV and the poor CBC darlings just aren’t used to being treated this way.
They’ve had a monopoly for so long, they’re — or so they thought — the Alpha Male on the block (despite I’m-Peter-Mansbridge-and-you’re-not being their front man). How dare this pipsqueak of a media company, aka sun news media, show up with razor-sharp, incisive commentary to cut their crap and challenge them? It’s just not done.
They’re lucky that Prime Minister Harper’s no Jean Chretien. If the CBC had treated him and his Librano$ with the same contempt with which they’ve treated PM Harper and the CPC, Chretien would have given them the Shawinigan Handshake — and it wouldn’t have any money in it.
It’s time for the CBC to be defunded. They serve no useful purpose except to act as cheerleaders for Leftards while they tear down honest, hard-working Canadian c/Conservatives.
‘Funny how there’s silence on the contents of SunTV commentary. It’s ripping the precious, sheltered, no-competition, monopoly, CBC to shreds.
And, SunTV’s doing it without any government money. The predictable, partisan, boring, bullying CBC’s fat and complacent and is getting its butt kicked and handed to it by the unsophisticated but informed SunTV crew.
I like the David and Goliath story. I like the Cinderella and the Snow White story. I also like the Emperor Has No Clothes Story.
Funny how my post on Stunned TVs crappy numbers has been censored