@CBCWatcher: CBC’s Carney cheerleading reaches peak propaganda mode

CBC’s Ashley Burke filed a glowing report on Mark Carney’s New York pitch to US investors: “Be absolutely clear, Canada strong will help make America great again.” The piece frames Carney as the savvy dealmaker touting investment, autos, aluminum, critical minerals, and energy cooperation… complete with optimistic quotes from the Trade Minister about finding a “path forward” in weeks. It’s all presented as smart, forward-looking diplomacy that Wall Street and Trumpworld should love

Buried deeper (and quickly passed over): Canada’s former top trade negotiator admitting they’re “pretty firmly stuck,” no sign of actual CUSMA review talks, Mexico already doing bilateral rounds while Canada waits, and the U.S. ambassador publicly airing frustration with Canada.

That’s slightly unfair to the CBC, this is hardly their “peak”.

In related Sharp Elbow developments… By midsummer we’ll probably be told the fastest way to strengthen Canada is to mow North Dakota’s lawn and rotate its tires.

This is fast becoming a train wreck for the CBC.

The fake production company acting on behalf of CBC, involved in setting up conservative critics, including Lindsay Shepherd and Frances Widdowson, in bogus interviews, attempted to also lure Conservative MP Aaron Gunn with the promise of “reclaiming the legacy of Sir John A Macdonald.”

Internal correspondence from Gunn’s office shows staff were told the project was being prepared for CBC, which was allegedly “under pressure to provide a balanced view surrounding John A. Macdonald.

Two producers, using the aliases “Olivia Goldman” of “Nova Frame Productions” and “Pam Gibson” of “Forge Media,” repeatedly portrayed the project as an effort to “reclaim” Macdonald’s legacy, defend Canadian heritage and provide a national platform for conservatives who felt censored or demonized for challenging prevailing reconciliation narratives. Pam Gibson was later identified as Molly Gore, an American producer who has worked on left-wing ecosocialist documentaries.

The newly uncovered email chain shows the operation spent months cultivating trust with conservative organizers, video producers and eventually Gunn’s parliamentary office by carefully mirroring conservative concerns about free speech, Indigenous land disputes and attacks on Canada’s founder.

This is outrageous.

I found out recently that I was deceived by social activists in an elaborate scheme dating back to January. A production group with what I now know has a fake name and fake identities gave me a friendly interview about my book A Day with Sir John A, and about Sir John A Macdonald, back in Feb.

They connected me with a fake company called Heritage Figures Canada with a fake website and “hired” me to perform consulting work for them. We had what I now know were fake meetings, fake documents, fake commercial shoot, fake prototype of a Sir John A collectible. Then in a second filmed interview last week, they turned on me, and it was revealed to have all been a setup in order to demonize Sir John A and smear me.

It turns out this is a taxpayer-funded CBC and APTN project. There is so much more, I will make a video. They also deceived [Frances Widdowson].

And this is scary: when I was signing the release form, one of the chatty producers was trying to distract me from reading it – but I obtained a copy, and they include a clause about using AI – so I can expect they will doctor the footage and create deepfakes…

They took a run at Vancouver MLA Dallas Brodie, too. What is going on here @CBC? We want answers! This to me looks like you kidnapped Frances Widdowson – I think the police need to get involved here.

More… the CBC has confirmed that the public broadcaster was behind the media sting on notable political commentators. The project also received significant media grants from Canadian Heritage.”

They have served the paymaster well, but the new Governor may be tiring of them.

The subsidy party for Canada’s media isn’t exactly coming to an end, but heads up, newsroom employee: the pencils are sharpening.

That’s because, as we enter the seventh year of the “temporary,” five-year Journalism Labour Tax Credit (JLTC), its also temporary three-year increase to its benefit to publishers is looking like it might actually be as transient as advertised.

When the JLTC was first introduced in 2019 under the Trudeau government, it was built to pay 25 percent of newsroom salaries up to a maximum of $55,000. That translated into $13,750 per employee earning at least that amount. But in the years leading up to and including the last federal election, that was increased to 35 percent of salaries, up to $85,000, translating to $29,750 per eligible employee. […]

But now, and alas for those who have benefited from the federal tax credit, the belts are tightening because the credit will be returning to its original 25 percent. Applied to a maximum $85,000 salary, that puts the benefit at $21,250 or $8,500 less per worker. In a newsroom with 20 qualified workers, that’s a $170,000 loss to their bottom line, which likely means jobs will disappear—potentially a 10 percent cut in the workforce.

While the Department of Heritage is soliciting input from stakeholders and experts (I was not asked) to figure out what to make of this mess, the forecast for the subsidized is grim.

Former CBC anchor Travis Dhanraj is testifying before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, speaking publicly about his time inside Canada’s taxpayer-funded broadcaster and the events that led to his departure.

(*Juno stream began glitching, so feed switched to Rebel News.)

If you believe what you read in the papers, try getting interviewed sometime.