The CBC is facing major cost-saving measures "that would change the very nature of our service to Canadians" as it copes with its deepening financial crisis, the national broadcaster's president said yesterday.
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"More American programs on CBC-TV and commercials on CBC Radio won't help to define it as Canada's national public broadcaster," ACTRA's Waddell told the Star.
Oh! The horror! The horror! American programs! More commercials! How can we define our Canadianess?
(Slap!) Get a hold or yourselves. If Air Farce, Little Mosque on the Prairie and the Beachcombers are the glue that holds this country together we're in a lot of trouble. Isn't that a little embarrassing? These are lousy shows folks.
(I'm still searching for that person, under the age of 65 who genuinely thinks Air Farce was funny. But I digress.)
I watch some of the news programs, but they can compete with everybody else.
It's hilarious that the American programs will make it more profitable. You know, because more people will watch it.
I don't get how government funding for the CBC gets popular support. They certainly don't have a popular viewership, except for hockey.
Hat tip: Strack Attack who rants:
"I HATE the fact all these f*ckers, CBC, Actor's Union, etc... not only take our tax dollars for granted but they demand it."
UPDATE: The New York Times reports that CanWest is pretty much bust.
I remember seeing a lot of bumper stickers stating, I support the CBC. This was a few years ago, I believe during some government cut backs. I mean that`s great, but just don`t ask me to pay for it. The funny part is if they did get their billion dollar funding cut off, they might actually start producing programs people would want to watch and or listen to. I will say no one does a better job on hockey coverage then the CBC. The CBC likes hockey, because they use the profits,to subsidize other programs. How screwed up can you get. I have always wondered what the ratings were on those horse jumping competitions, that can only be seen on CBC.
ReplyDeleteTheir hockey coverage could be better. It's sacrilege to say, but Cherry is a cartoon whose analyst skills are almost non-existent these days. West coast games have Kelly Hrudy at intermission, who is low key but breaks things down better. Give Cherry a talk show, where he give his opinions on the issues of the day, but when I watch hockey, I prefer concentrate on hockey. In fact Cherry had a talk show, The Grapevine, which was pretty good from what I remember.
ReplyDeleteCherry is popular because almost everybody on TV is a phony. He is the Archie Bunker of Canada. I hate Hrudy, he looks like he should be on show about interior decorating. During the play-offs, whenever Hrudy is on I switch the channel.
ReplyDeleteTry watching some US hockey coverage and you will realize how good Canadian coverage really is.
This CBC story just makes me puke. Just line up and the government will give you more money.
I would respectfully disagree. Cherry himself has admitted it's an act. He's Carrol O'Connor, he plays Archie Bunker. He's a blue collar guy, but he knows his sound bites. He was popular in Boston which has a blue-collar, Irish, rough around the edges fanbase. He knew how to make people laugh, and cheer. I don't want to use the word "phony" but he's a clever guy, and has an entertainers instincts. Maybe if he hadn't have spent so much time on his schtick, he wouldn't have gotten nailed with the Too Many Men on the Ice penelty in 1979 that cost them against the hated Habs in Game 7 of the semis.
ReplyDeleteTSN provides much better hockey coverage. Pierre "Monster" Maguire can be annoying (his man-love for Ovechkin and Crosby can be disturbingly over the top) but overall, TSN has taken over as the best program for hockey. They even have the Hockey Night in Canada theme song.
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