Public broadcaster crucial to providing Canadian perspective, says CBC chair

CBC chair Carole Taylor made a case for Canada’s public broadcaster in the 500-channel universe during an address late last month to the Canadian Club of Regina. She said that despite a plethora of choice, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. still has a major role to play in bringing a Canadian perspective to the country. She also noted that the CBC has changed from the one viewers knew 10 years ago. Below is an excerpt from her speech. And so the question is: The CBC/Radio-Canada: Why bother? Do we need public broadcasting any longer in Canada?...The point being, that much of the world is now seeing international events through American eyes. If I am sitting in Europe, hearing about an earthquake or relief program in South America, CNN tells me about it. When I was traveling in Asia on business, CNN told me about the Asian flu. And on Sept. 11, CNN told the world this story. In fact, in Australia, the public broadcasting system simply preempted its programming and ran American pool footage – and – the Australian politician who came to visit me and look at our public broadcasting system, asked why we hadn’t done the same! This is not good enough for Canada...I live in Canada, and it is imperative that, if we are changing policies or directions as a result of Sept. 11, that we do our own thinking and analysis, and fully understand the issues before us...I have heard, as you have, those voices suggesting the CBC be sold, suggesting, with hundreds of choices, there is no longer a need for the public broadcaster. While I acknowledge their position, it is emphatically not mine. Those who believe the debate is only about receiving transmission, any transmission, have missed the evolution of the public broadcasting mandate. It is no longer a question of simply providing a signal, as it may have been in the beginning; it is a question of providing content – Canadian content. And if anyone thinks that, were the CBC to disappear tomorrow, some private network would step forward and fill in the gaps, they wouldn’t. Personally, I don’t believe we have ever had a time where public broadcasting mattered more to our country. It’s interesting, isn’t it, those saying Canada doesn’t need a CBC...There is no question that CBC/Radio-Canada has not been perfect...but the one core thought that I want you to leave here today believing is: This is a new CBC. There is new leadership at the helm (Robert Rabinovitch in management and me as chair). There is an absolute acknowledgement that we are using "taxpayer" dollars, and we must earn them every day.That we are doing programming that no one else is, in a way that no one else can, better than others could. And finally, we are an essential part of Canada’s future. So, how are we changing? For one thing we are better managed. A decision was taken before I arrived, but one that I wholeheartedly support, to take a critical look at all our property assets: protect and improve those that are important, and sell-off or lease out those that are unnecessary, taking that cash and putting it back into programming, where it belongs. Why not sell off those properties, which are often in out-of-the-way commercial parks, integrate our media lines (French/English, radio/television), downsize to our real space requirements, furnish with new digital equipment (which we are going to have to do anyway), and locate ourselves back in the community where Canadians can once again see and feel their public broadcaster. Why not do this? If you can make the business case, that the dollars from selling the property and downsizing, cover the cost of rebuilding and upgrading...Two years ago, the man who had been running CBC radio for many years, Harold Redekopp, was asked to take on the responsibility for English television. The result is what we call transformation. We have increased our children’s programming and made our mornings a commercial-free zone for children. We have cut ads in our supper newshour shows in half. CBC Television now has "themed" evenings...For instance, if it’s comedy that you enjoy, tune in Friday night where you will find 22 Minutes, Air Farce, Made in Canada.

Public broadcaster crucial to providing Canadian perspective, says CBC chair

News | 07/18/2002 4:00 am EDT

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