I'm not sure there is a right way for this and I'm certainly not sure my opinions are right in this matter. In the end, I'm all for defunding the CBC. It has become a very dangerous voice in this country and something I would like to see gone.
https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/defund-the-cbcYour voice needs to be heard, even if your MP is a Liberal or an NDP. Everyone needs to be heard. The more people who present their opinions and reasoned arguments to politicians, the better the chances that the CBC will be sold off. Politicians go with what they hear. They wish to be reelected, so constituents who voice their opinions are the ones they listen to, even if they don't personally agree.
Being a grump doesn't cut it. Letters matter.
This was forwarded after my MP received it. I posted it here a couple of years ago. Repetition is important. It went with many others voicing dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. It is important to remember that the CBC is a legal business, so dismantling it or selling it off is an involved process.
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The CBC Has Outlived Its UsefulnessCopyright 2022 - Stephen Redgwell
The CBC was born in 1936. Back then, it was only radio. The corporation was modeled on the BBC which was created 14 years earlier.
Its purpose was to provide all Canadians, no matter where they lived, with news, entertainment and coverage of important events. Back then, only the government could afford to build the broadcasting towers, run endless miles of cable and open radio stations. It was appropriate for the time, and few thought of the cost. After all, the government was paying for it!
But that was 86 years ago.
Since then, television, international radio broadcasting, satellites, the Internet and digital media have entered the picture. The CBC hasn't properly amended its mandate, but that's little surprise. The corporation isn't closely monitored by the CRTC. Worse, Canadians don't actually know the CBC's purpose, how they spend the money we give them or why they even exist. In short, the CBC is a mystery. It's been around for a long time, and people are used to them being here. It's time to ask why they are still in business.
CBC is a crown corporation. That means it is a commercial business, owned and controlled by the federal government.
Since the 1970s, more Canadian coverage by private broadcasters has started up. They do a better job of looking after regional and national needs. A CRTC poll shows that only 28% of us see the CBC as important, preferring private broadcasters. That should tell Ottawa something.
It also seems that CBC's senior management doesn't feel they need to explain their actions to anyone, or why they make the decisions they do.
Private sector broadcasters aren't eating up Canadian tax dollars like the CBC! Could it be that they have to be more fiscally responsible?
The CBC is given about 1.3 billion dollars annually. I’ll say that again. 1.3 billion. Why? Ottawa no longer needs to fund construction of remote radio towers. The days of maintaining millions of miles of cable are over. Satellites do this now. That 1.3 billion dollars would be better spent on education, healthcare or the environment.
But what about the Canadian voice? No worries. It is not in danger of disappearing, although this has long been the argument CBC used to keep itself alive. If anything, having more Canadian media outlets has strengthened us and provided more jobs. In that regard, the CBC is archaic.
For years, remote communities have enjoyed a vastly improved information network thanks to private industry money and the Internet, not the CBC.
But it isn't just about money. There is also the latest news about Tara Henley leaving the CBC. Her story is enlightening and demonstrates CBC's continuing downward spiral, as told by an insider.
“To work at the CBC is to embrace cognitive dissonance and to abandon journalistic integrity.” Tara Henley wrote.
We should expect more information from her in the coming months about the internal politics and unusual work environment.
Private businesses serve us better. It’s called progress. After 86 years, the too high cost of operation, management troubles, declining listenership and plunging ad revenues, clearly shows the CBC is redundant and has to go.