BS: What's happening to the CBC News

Subject: BS: What's happening to the CBC News
From: number 6
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 10:50 AM

I don't think it's just me .... but has anyone noticed how the CBC News (used to be the voice of Canadians) has been evolving into entertainment format news, much like CNN,Fox etc. It is becoming more right wing in opinion. And what's with Rex Murphy, becoming more like the loud mouthed Ted O'Rielly. All this must be part of the Harper regime. Let's face it kids, I think we have lost our CBC

But the CBC still has Jian Ghomeshi thank god .... but then again his relm on the CBC is somewhat less threatening to the political/economic infrastructure.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: What's happening to the CBC News
From: gnu
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 12:11 PM

Well, sIx, at the CBC, ya got a choice... toe the line or get sold.

We need The Warrior Princess to wield her sword.

Subject: RE: BS: What's happening to the CBC News
From: Bobert
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 12:12 PM

What is happening to CBS has already happened... Same with ABC and NBC... They are corporate entities and peddling propaganda...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: What's happening to the CBC News
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 12:24 PM

Rex Murphy, Conservative??? do you have a clip of that? I'd be very interested.

Subject: RE: BS: What's happening to the CBC News
From: Crowhugger
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 12:39 PM

Not a new phenomenon, just edging further down the slippery slope, away from quality information and towards oblivion.

I concluded that CBC news was on its way to becoming a lost cause when years ago Peter Mansbridge started replacing "the" with "that" in opening sentences of news items. Like, "when we come back, more about that forest fire north of The Pas." Really even before that, when they started putting ads into the news. Remember when there used to be 20 minutes of solid news, and then a big hoopla when they decided to put ads 10 minutes into The National? The start of selling out.

Some of the local (radio) news is still decent; I rarely see TV news, partly because I rarely watch TV that isn't DVR-ed so I can skip the commercials, so my programs never end at the top of the hour. But face it, a big corporation is not where one finds much beyond the corporation's own truth. CBC was nice while it lasted.

About US entertainment gossip posing as news--well Uncle Sam wanted to annex Canada back in the mid-1800s but Confederation and building of the CPR snafu-ed that, so maybe now finally they've figured out how to get their wish: First numb the minds...

Subject: RE: BS: What's happening to the CBC News
From: gnu
Date: 16 Dec 11 - 03:05 PM

In case any ferriners are wondering or even care, Rex Murphy is like Andy Rooney on steroids X 10. And The Warrior Princess... ahhh... no... ya gotta see it to believe it.

Gimme the GD clicker! Get dat CBC off! I can't take dat me!

Subject: RE: BS: What's happening to the CBC News
From: Crowhugger
Date: 17 Dec 11 - 10:06 PM

This Hour Has 22 Minutes was the only newscast I watched for several years; it kept me abreast of major headlines and typically cut to the heart of the week's issues. Somehow it always reminded me that plus ça change, plus c'est la mème chose.

For those who don't know The [other] Warrior Princess, here is some footage from a few years ago: Hey gnu, don't click this! Princess alert!
.

Subject: RE: BS: What's happening to the CBC News
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 18 Dec 11 - 01:43 AM

Rex Murphy is a lot smarter than Andy Rooney.

I like Rick Mercer's rants better though.

Subject: RE: BS: What's happening to the CBC News
From: Crowhugger
Date: 18 Dec 11 - 01:06 PM

As do I. I come away from Mercer rants with the sense that we've shared an understanding of the absurdity of life. I come (or came) away from Rooney rants with the feeling that I've been told, spoken down to.

Murphy used to leave me with an "included" feeling similar to Mercer's but far less so lately. Sometimes I still like him (Murphy) on Cross-Country Check-up, though sometimes he's rather too self-important and pedantic. Part of that I guess is that to make a living in broadcasting you sort of have to be in love with the sound of your own voice; I just prefer those who can make me believe they've set aside that trait. And sometimes the tone of caring about, or interest in, callers' views in Murphy's voice sounds considerably contrived. What can I say, I'm a choosy audience. It'll be a sad day in Canadian broadcasting when Gian Ghomeshi reaches that level of complacency.

Not related to mainstream newscasting, but Shelagh Rogers and Eleanor Wachtel never leave me feeling they wanted to put one over on me or prove something, always that they're pointing me toward a journey. (Can you tell I listen mainly to arts news and newsmagazines? Also sometimes As It Happens.)

Subject: RE: BS: What's happening to the CBC News
From: gnu
Date: 18 Dec 11 - 03:49 PM

Smarter than Andy? I doubt that. Fact is, Andy was playing a role during his last years and he played it well. His earlier career was varied and vibrant.

I like Rex... a LOT do not. Then again, I don't go out of my way to listen to him. Mercer's rants are top notch. As well as many interviews he has done over the years. I will never forget when he said something to Jean about his book "Straight From The Heart" (which I recommend) and Jean said, pointing at Rick's chest, "Next time, straight tru da heart!"

Sorry for the thread drift.

Fact is, sIx is well and true in his OP. It's about "entertaining" and "controversey" for ratings. Sad, but there it is.

Subject: RE: BS: What's happening to the CBC News
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 18 Dec 11 - 04:46 PM

Well they could always move Don Cherry over to the newsroom. That Santa tie he was wearing last night would look good on The National!

Subject: RE: BS: What's happening to the CBC News
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 18 Dec 11 - 05:04 PM

Don Cherry could be the Bill O'Reiley of the CBC.

Subject: RE: BS: What's happening to the CBC News
From: Crowhugger
Date: 18 Dec 11 - 09:20 PM

I figure the fact that we're talking about editorializing entertainers in terms of news puts us right on topic.

I only very rarely see CBC TV news any more; if I do it's a quick flip through Newsworld. However I do often get CBC radio news in the car, although only rarely The World At Six (full 30 minutes of news, no commercials other than teasers for the newsmagazine immediately following). A big part of my bottom line with all TV news as well as print news is that I don't trust content that is paid for by advertisers.

I'm not saying news gathering and distribution should be done for free, but for example I don't expect balanced coverage of climate change or public transit when auto makers and petroleum companies foot the bill.

As I write this post I realize the reason I hear radio news but don't see TV news is that for at least 5 years now, almost exclusively I watch specialty digital stations. I used to watch BRAVO!'s arts news regularly, but since CTV bought Chum-City, the content on BRAVO! has become ever more American--there is always a certain amount of Hollywood & NYC that passes for arts in Canada but it became absurd. Used to be that a lot more indie acts got exposure but there seems less and less of that. Okay, I'm drifting the thread probably, but I normally I pay attention only to arts news; the rest I filter out because I already know that people are bombing and shooting and robbing each other, starving or otherwise becoming victims of natural disasters or machinery or greed.

Subject: RE: BS: What's happening to the CBC News
From: ollaimh
Date: 18 Dec 11 - 11:18 PM

my complaint against the cbc is the same as the other canadian media. they have abandoned critical thinking. the great journalist james travers wrote a long piece about this before his death.


the conservatives came to power and abandoned fiscasl responsibility without serious media comment. now we have piled up the two largest deficits in canadian history and no end in sight. we will soon exceed italy in government debt as a per centage of gdp and no jouralist seems to notice.

the wall street financia; debacle was perdicted by many because the financial securities issued were junk bonds. the junk bonf guys learned from the drexel and millikan scandals that they have to control the bond rating agencies, the regulators and the congress and then the same fraud becomes "too big to fail"". without journal ist comment. serious economists noticed and historians like nail fergeson, but this is still largely unreported.

they just no longer question things nor have the experience or education the put things in their proper context.