opinion by Angelo Persichilli
It’s time to rethink the CBC BC license is up for renewal C and the debate is (again) on. Is it fair to keep public funding for this broadcaster? Or, more bluntly, do we need CBC?
Before dealing with CBC, we should ask another question: do we need the CRTC? Considering the globalization and the new technology, the CRTC looks more and more a Don Quixote of modern time. Its mandate is to make sure that Canadian broadcasters operate according to the Broadcasting Act, Telecommunications Act and Canada’s anti-spam legislation. Their mission is to ensure “that Canadians have access to a worldclass communication system.”
Over the course of many years, I had the opportunity to deal with many people working hard, diligently and with passion to fulfill the CRTC mandate. Their job had a purpose when they had to regulate “Canadian highways” of distribution over the air or the Cable System. But the Internet is out of the CRTC’s reach. With this in mind, let’s go back to the CBC and its role in the Canadian broadcasting.That is, forget for now the carriage and let’s talk about content.
talents need to move to the South to pursue their international quest for stardom. I’m not engaging in the frivolous debates about the CBC being a Liberal mouthpiece or the producers of programs considered, by some, the only essence of Canadianism. Programs perceived to be tailored for snobbish, cultured, and socially hypersensitive viewers and not for those insensitive couch potatoes watching House of Cards or other shows on Netflix or Amazon (not to mention the hundreds of channels bringing shows in every language and from every country on this planet.)
Canadians are already flooded with programs from all over the planet and the CRTC has no power to make sure they are “world class”; furthermore, we just need a computer connected to the Internet and anyone can become a broadcaster with more viewer than the CBC.
Unfortunately, the mandate and the mission were shaped years ago, according to the social and technologic environment of the past. Nowadays, with a box bought in the black market and a satellite dish, Canadians are already flooded with programs from all over the planet and the CRTC has no power to make sure they are “world class”; furthermore, we just need a computer connected to the Internet and anyone can become a broadcaster with more viewer than the CBC. Not to mention the mandate to implement to antispam legislation, the laughingstock of duct cleaning telemarketers bothering Canadians with phone calls generated from India. 24 OTTAWALIFE WINTER 2020
There is no doubt that the CBC has a rich history of accomplishments since its creation in 1936, in terms of production of quality shows and as a springboard for worldwide renowned artists. However, since the beginning of the eighties, the game has changed, and the CBC has increasing difficulties to play a significant role. They are losing ground domestically and our Canadian
Let’s pretend that the CBC has more quality programs and the best product representing Canada. The question remains: why the CBC viewership is shrinking? True, the shrinkage is common to the entire broadcasting sector, public and private, but for the CBC this is a chronic, old and more serious disease that predates the new technology.
Some argue that the production of quality programs comes with a price, so public funding is justified. Fine, they have public funding, but the question remains: why do they have less audience then most private broadcaster? Because, they say, private broadcasters can resort to more foreign programs
