The Opening Theme Song for "Dallas", circa 1978:
The new CBC Hockey Night in Canada contest song:
Showing posts with label CBC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CBC. Show all posts
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Reality Bites
"Canadians are world leaders in online engagement. Look at the numbers, not your assumptions and act accordingly."
-Wayne MacPhail, "Canadian Internet usage quiz -- surprise answers inside!"
-Wayne MacPhail, "Canadian Internet usage quiz -- surprise answers inside!"
Wayne MacPhail has some very interesting statistics for your online reading enlightenment on Rabble.ca. He writes:
"Canadians are the most engaged online audience on the planet. And, more Canadians, by percentage of population, are online than any other country. The Internet has the highest penetration in Canada of any G7 country. Seventy two per cent of all of us use it on a monthly basis."
"So, we are the most highly penetrated country, view the most content and spend the most time."
"That's a trend that's been growing, not just among young folks, but right across the age spectrum. According to 2007 NADBank data, time spent by Canadians on the Internet (as a percentage of time spent with all media types) has at least doubled in every age group, including 55+ since 2001. The one bright indicator for television? About 46 per cent of Canadians browse the Web and watch TV at the same time at least once a day. That said, at about 8 p.m., the Web's reach exceeds prime time television's in Canadian households." -
Dear ______,
Thank you for your email of March 28 regarding our decision not to renew jPod for another season. I appreciate the time you have taken to write.
It is clear that you strongly support this program. And I agree with you. It was an excellent program, well scripted and well acted. All of us had great hopes that the program would find the audience it deserved on CBC Television.
Unfortunately, not enough television viewers shared our opinion. Throughout its season, jPod attracted a devoted, but very small following. And while it is true that, for a public broadcaster, audience size is not everything, you also cannot be a public broadcaster without a public. If too few Canadians are watching, we are irrelevant. And, if we are irrelevant, Canadians are right to ask why they are investing the money they do in CBC Television. In addition,"the Internet is not a medium that pays for the kind of production values people expect on TV. Until the reality catches up with what people watch on line, you can't justify it." -
Reality catches up. In his article, Mr. MacPhail ends with "Canadians are world leaders in online engagement. Look at the numbers, not your assumptions and act accordingly."
In February 2008, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage (a committee comprised of various MPs) produced a report entitled CBC/Radio-Canada: Defining distinctiveness in the changing media landscape. The purpose of the report was to study the future role of public broadcasting, and to present the Committee’s findings and recommendations. All of the below statements, taken directly from the report, play straight into jPod’s strengths. From the Committee’s report:
“[CBC] must constantly keep up with new technologies and reach out to audiences where they are, including young people who seek content on the Internet.” (p.5)
“We are asking CBC/Radio-Canada to be original, of high quality and innovative” (p.9)
“Mandate of the CBC/Radio-Canada as stipulated In the Broadcasting Act (1991, c. 11, B-9.01, [Assented to February 1, 1991)(i) be predominantly and distinctively Canadian […]” (p 18)
“Dwindling audience share is not unique to public broadcasting, and audience measurement will need to adapt alongside the transition to digital media. Internet broadcasting, downloading and streaming content, PVRs and on-demand and pay services mean that the same film, television episode or news broadcast will be seen by many more viewers than those who tune in for ”appointment television”.” (p55)
“CBC/Radio-Canada’s online presence will be fundamental to its relevance to Canadian audiences in the future.” (p57)
"The Hour" Host, George Stroumboulopolous:
"Online is rapidly becoming king, not traditional TV platforms."
....so they're not going to come to television - they're going to watch it however they want."
"Ten years from now, the cable channel isn't going to be nearly as important as the domain name. CBC.ca, that's the television channel of the future. We don't worry about where people are watching us, as long as they're watching us." -
I may not be a Fan of George, but he gets the point across. Maybe he should have a chat with Kirstine Layfield.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The 'Corp(se)
I did a lot of venting on here regarding the CBC, but after my concerns just got continually passed around between the CBC, their Ombudsman, and the CRTC I had to step back for a bit. The Mothercorpse I have realized, must answer to no one. They have Carte Blanche and Canadians will like it, damnit. We have no recourse, we can complain and complain but it is all for naught. King Richard and Princess Layfield will do whatever the hell they want - and get away with it. So you might as well leave the muzzle on, because while we can speak our minds, no one who truly has the power to change anything will sincerely listen and take the appropriate action.
Yes, this all seems quite defeatist, but I just got so tired of not being taken seriously. I don't have any fancy titles in front of my name, I'm just a Stay-at-Home Mommy who foolishly thought my opinion counted for something in this country. My foray into trying to make a difference ended up in a big heaping pile of disappointment.
Maybe that's where I went wrong. I expected that as a Canadian, a Canadian Taxpayer, that my voice counted for something. That my suggestions or ideas counted for something. Don't get me wrong, I didn't ever think that I was going to change the world or anything, but I did trust, and wrongly so, that I would at least be heard.
But the Mothercorpse doesn't do that. Oh no. The Mothercorpse does whatever it pleases. The CBC doesn't care what Canadians think or want or deserve. As long as the big wigs are gettin' paid, pullin' in those big checks that we're all paying for, the Exec's at The Ceeb will continue to do whatever they please. It's very sad. This is our National Broadcaster but you might as well rename it "Television and Radio Corpse That You'll Pay 1 Billion Dollars a Year For No Matter What."
"Why does this bother you so much?" you may ask. After all, it's "just" TV and Radio. What I can answer is this. I was born in 1973 and became aware, very early on, of the Media around me. I grew up in a time that saw the explosion of Television for the masses. Pretty much everyone now had a "Tee Vee Set". While Canada was still over-exposed to American content, there wasn't so much that Canadian content got lost in the abyss of it.
I paid attention to home grown programming, my Parents made sure it was made readily available to me, and for that I will always be thankful for. One of my earliest memories was watching Cookie from the Original Kids of Degrassi Street go to the hospital for an operation, and when I went in for an emergency appendectomy at the age of 10 it was what I learned in that episode that chased away my terror. I loved watching the King of Kensington and feeling that connection of "Home" because Kensington was only a short drive away. It was familiar and comforting. It was Canadian.
Without even realizing it, the CBC fell off my radar. The extent of what I watched dwindled down to one, yes one, show, and that was Hockey Night in Canada. I was a Teenager in the 80's and early 90's and when I look back that's when I stopped watching. It seems that The CBC likes to forget there is a whole generation of viewers that exist between the ages of 12 and 40.
I became aware of this when a couple of years back I was surprised to find myself in love with a cheeky comedy called "The Tournament". It was funny and witty, well acted and had that once familiar feeling of "Home." It then dawned on me that "The Tournament" was the first Canadian produced programme I had watched on the CBC in years. Probably since The Edison Twins. I was surprised that The CBC was behind this production, and then even more shocked when The CBC canceled it.
For the first time in my life I wrote to the CBC. I let them know that I really enjoyed The Tournament and was disappointed at their decision to cancel it. Nothing ever came of it though, and I moved on... spilled milk and all....
When I caught a promo for jPod during a HNiC , I made a point to watch it when it premiered because it seemed right up my ally and hey, it was Coupland. People who know me will tell you it takes quite a bit for me to "get into" a show. I'm picky and not one to watch what is usually considered "Fluff". I'm not saying I don't escape into the odd show that would make some lift an eyebrow, but that is attributed to the "Train Wreck" factor. You know it's cringe-worthy but you just can't seem to look away.
Maybe it's because my parents exposed me to what I consider wonderfully produced shows when I was growing up. The Beachcombers, Read All About It, SCTV, W5, Bizarre, Hill Street Blues, St Elsewhere, 60 Minutes, Archie Bunker, Barney Miller, 20/20.... I'm glad they took an interest in what I viewed, and doubly glad that they always tried to first and foremost, "Keep it Canadian".
But what in the world am I to do with my own children? Yes, it can be said that the CBC has quality children's programming, but that falls right in line with the same Canadian offerings found on TVO and Treehouse. My two oldest though are almost 12 and almost 18. What in the world is there for them on The CBC? Sophie? Being Erica? Wild Roses? Please, they're teenage boys, not 50 year old women.
The CBC has canceled "Street Cents" on them, and The Teenager realized himself that other than HNiC, jPod was the only other CBC programme he actually made a point of sitting down and watching with us every week. They'll be no more Marketplace for him either if he was so inclined, it's been moved to the "Friday Night Death Slot", and we all know our younger counterparts are usually not home on a Friday Night watching TV.
Needless to say, after the CBC made the decision to cancel jPod, dumped the CBC Orchestra and made big changes to Radio programming, the whole Hockey Theme debacle, and my questioning the state of todays CanCon (or lack thereof) I became deflated. I had tried my best, but in the end I got absolutely nowhere. Passed off from one person to another. "We're sorry, we can't help you, but these people can." And then when you talk to those people, they say "Oh no, we don't handle that" and then you're shuffled off to some other agency or department. My mind was left spinning and I realized that I could raise any concerns I wanted but it was falling on deaf ears.
I've asked the question before: If the CBC is our Nations Broadcaster, why is it that us regular citizens are not consulted about what content we would actually like to see and hear on the CBC? I'm not saying they have to send out a questionnaire to every household across the country, but wouldn't it be a natural thing to comprise a group of us regular Canucks that could contribute valuable suggestions and ideas to The Mothercorpse? (And that's not a typo, I say "corpse" because it might as well not even exist for me, as in dead.)
So here I am, just about a year after I woke up to all of this, and this is where things stand for me. Over the summer I watched the repeat of jPod, and then was subsequently disappointed when I bought the DVD for the season and found out that every disc produced was defective and had to be returned. I bought the "A Bear Named Winnie" DVD by CBC Home Video for my two youngest, only to discover on the back cover that they were 100 years off in their description of when the story began.
I have watched Hockey Night in Canada twice, and just the beginning. Once to see the Leafs raise Dougie's jersey, and once to see them hoist Wendel's. I caught the CBC's new hockey song after wondering why they first opened with that "Saturday!" one, and immediately thought I was watching a rerun of Dallas when I heard the "Contest Winner". I get my hockey fix on TSN , Leafs TV and The Score.
I now catch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune on ABC West. I watched Stroumbo once to catch Joshua Jackson, and shook my head because really, The Hour is just a terribly hosted show. George may try, but in my opinion he just doesn't pull it off. I actually felt embarrassment when over and over everything he spouted just fell flat. I'm done with the 'Corpse, and no longer wish to have anything to do with it. I feel it does not represent me as a Canadian, I'm taking it very personal.
I'm sure I'll always think of this, it will always be one of those things that just saddens me. It might not be something that is on every Canadians' mind, but its on mine. I'll probably dive in here and there, but for the most part I'm stepping away from it all, and hope that one day the CBC returns to that familiar feeling of "Home" for me.
Until then, I take solace in the fact that Sophie is dying a horrible death (BBM Canada Nielsen Media Research Ratings 268,000 viewers Feb. 10/09) - just as I predicted would happen when the WGA strike was over - and in hearing Dolores Claman's Hockey Theme on TSN every week. How awesome it will sound during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Duh Duh Duh Dah Dah Daaaah!
Yes, this all seems quite defeatist, but I just got so tired of not being taken seriously. I don't have any fancy titles in front of my name, I'm just a Stay-at-Home Mommy who foolishly thought my opinion counted for something in this country. My foray into trying to make a difference ended up in a big heaping pile of disappointment.
Maybe that's where I went wrong. I expected that as a Canadian, a Canadian Taxpayer, that my voice counted for something. That my suggestions or ideas counted for something. Don't get me wrong, I didn't ever think that I was going to change the world or anything, but I did trust, and wrongly so, that I would at least be heard.
But the Mothercorpse doesn't do that. Oh no. The Mothercorpse does whatever it pleases. The CBC doesn't care what Canadians think or want or deserve. As long as the big wigs are gettin' paid, pullin' in those big checks that we're all paying for, the Exec's at The Ceeb will continue to do whatever they please. It's very sad. This is our National Broadcaster but you might as well rename it "Television and Radio Corpse That You'll Pay 1 Billion Dollars a Year For No Matter What."
"Why does this bother you so much?" you may ask. After all, it's "just" TV and Radio. What I can answer is this. I was born in 1973 and became aware, very early on, of the Media around me. I grew up in a time that saw the explosion of Television for the masses. Pretty much everyone now had a "Tee Vee Set". While Canada was still over-exposed to American content, there wasn't so much that Canadian content got lost in the abyss of it.
I paid attention to home grown programming, my Parents made sure it was made readily available to me, and for that I will always be thankful for. One of my earliest memories was watching Cookie from the Original Kids of Degrassi Street go to the hospital for an operation, and when I went in for an emergency appendectomy at the age of 10 it was what I learned in that episode that chased away my terror. I loved watching the King of Kensington and feeling that connection of "Home" because Kensington was only a short drive away. It was familiar and comforting. It was Canadian.
Without even realizing it, the CBC fell off my radar. The extent of what I watched dwindled down to one, yes one, show, and that was Hockey Night in Canada. I was a Teenager in the 80's and early 90's and when I look back that's when I stopped watching. It seems that The CBC likes to forget there is a whole generation of viewers that exist between the ages of 12 and 40.
I became aware of this when a couple of years back I was surprised to find myself in love with a cheeky comedy called "The Tournament". It was funny and witty, well acted and had that once familiar feeling of "Home." It then dawned on me that "The Tournament" was the first Canadian produced programme I had watched on the CBC in years. Probably since The Edison Twins. I was surprised that The CBC was behind this production, and then even more shocked when The CBC canceled it.
For the first time in my life I wrote to the CBC. I let them know that I really enjoyed The Tournament and was disappointed at their decision to cancel it. Nothing ever came of it though, and I moved on... spilled milk and all....
When I caught a promo for jPod during a HNiC , I made a point to watch it when it premiered because it seemed right up my ally and hey, it was Coupland. People who know me will tell you it takes quite a bit for me to "get into" a show. I'm picky and not one to watch what is usually considered "Fluff". I'm not saying I don't escape into the odd show that would make some lift an eyebrow, but that is attributed to the "Train Wreck" factor. You know it's cringe-worthy but you just can't seem to look away.
Maybe it's because my parents exposed me to what I consider wonderfully produced shows when I was growing up. The Beachcombers, Read All About It, SCTV, W5, Bizarre, Hill Street Blues, St Elsewhere, 60 Minutes, Archie Bunker, Barney Miller, 20/20.... I'm glad they took an interest in what I viewed, and doubly glad that they always tried to first and foremost, "Keep it Canadian".
But what in the world am I to do with my own children? Yes, it can be said that the CBC has quality children's programming, but that falls right in line with the same Canadian offerings found on TVO and Treehouse. My two oldest though are almost 12 and almost 18. What in the world is there for them on The CBC? Sophie? Being Erica? Wild Roses? Please, they're teenage boys, not 50 year old women.
The CBC has canceled "Street Cents" on them, and The Teenager realized himself that other than HNiC, jPod was the only other CBC programme he actually made a point of sitting down and watching with us every week. They'll be no more Marketplace for him either if he was so inclined, it's been moved to the "Friday Night Death Slot", and we all know our younger counterparts are usually not home on a Friday Night watching TV.
Needless to say, after the CBC made the decision to cancel jPod, dumped the CBC Orchestra and made big changes to Radio programming, the whole Hockey Theme debacle, and my questioning the state of todays CanCon (or lack thereof) I became deflated. I had tried my best, but in the end I got absolutely nowhere. Passed off from one person to another. "We're sorry, we can't help you, but these people can." And then when you talk to those people, they say "Oh no, we don't handle that" and then you're shuffled off to some other agency or department. My mind was left spinning and I realized that I could raise any concerns I wanted but it was falling on deaf ears.
I've asked the question before: If the CBC is our Nations Broadcaster, why is it that us regular citizens are not consulted about what content we would actually like to see and hear on the CBC? I'm not saying they have to send out a questionnaire to every household across the country, but wouldn't it be a natural thing to comprise a group of us regular Canucks that could contribute valuable suggestions and ideas to The Mothercorpse? (And that's not a typo, I say "corpse" because it might as well not even exist for me, as in dead.)
So here I am, just about a year after I woke up to all of this, and this is where things stand for me. Over the summer I watched the repeat of jPod, and then was subsequently disappointed when I bought the DVD for the season and found out that every disc produced was defective and had to be returned. I bought the "A Bear Named Winnie" DVD by CBC Home Video for my two youngest, only to discover on the back cover that they were 100 years off in their description of when the story began.
I have watched Hockey Night in Canada twice, and just the beginning. Once to see the Leafs raise Dougie's jersey, and once to see them hoist Wendel's. I caught the CBC's new hockey song after wondering why they first opened with that "Saturday!" one, and immediately thought I was watching a rerun of Dallas when I heard the "Contest Winner". I get my hockey fix on TSN , Leafs TV and The Score.
I now catch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune on ABC West. I watched Stroumbo once to catch Joshua Jackson, and shook my head because really, The Hour is just a terribly hosted show. George may try, but in my opinion he just doesn't pull it off. I actually felt embarrassment when over and over everything he spouted just fell flat. I'm done with the 'Corpse, and no longer wish to have anything to do with it. I feel it does not represent me as a Canadian, I'm taking it very personal.
I'm sure I'll always think of this, it will always be one of those things that just saddens me. It might not be something that is on every Canadians' mind, but its on mine. I'll probably dive in here and there, but for the most part I'm stepping away from it all, and hope that one day the CBC returns to that familiar feeling of "Home" for me.
Until then, I take solace in the fact that Sophie is dying a horrible death (BBM Canada Nielsen Media Research Ratings 268,000 viewers Feb. 10/09) - just as I predicted would happen when the WGA strike was over - and in hearing Dolores Claman's Hockey Theme on TSN every week. How awesome it will sound during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Duh Duh Duh Dah Dah Daaaah!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
(Fake) Ouimet is Back!!!
I'm giddy, I'm speechless, I can't believe it!
Of course, it's not the "Real Ouimet" I have come to know and love, but anyone who attempts to take over her/his Blogging reins has to be a brave soul.
Long Live Teamakers! Long Live Ouimet!!!
Of course, it's not the "Real Ouimet" I have come to know and love, but anyone who attempts to take over her/his Blogging reins has to be a brave soul.
Long Live Teamakers! Long Live Ouimet!!!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Hey CBC! I'm Calling You Out
So one of the big stories dominating the news across Canada since the day after the final puck dropped on the 2007/08 NHL Hockey Season has been the CBC's decision to drop the "Hockey Night Theme Song" from their Hockey Night in Canada Broadcasts. CTV, being smart as all heck, scooped it up after The CBC announced on Friday that they were letting the Theme go in favour of an "American Idol" type contest to find a new song. I was going to weigh in earlier, but frankly, the whole thing just makes my head, and my heart, hurt. I hadn't thought they could screw up HNiC Coverage any more than they did when they tried to fire Ron MacLean and there was a huge Canadian outcry. For other key perspectives on the whole Hockey Song debacle, get it straight from The Spin Cycle as well as from Madeleine Morris, daughter of The Hockey Theme Composer Dolores Claman.
The Hockey Theme... it's a part of who Canadians are.
Toronto Star: Reactions from the street.
Quoting Wayne Gretzky "As I say to people to this day the greatest song in Canada is the Theme Song to Hockey Night in Canada and to this day it still sends a shiver up my spine when I hear the song come on."
I also left a tidy Comment on the insidethecbc Blog:
"Kill The Orchestra. Kill Classical. Kill jPod. Kill Intelligence. And now Kill The Hockey Night in Canada Theme Song?
WTF is going on there? How come us normal everyday Canadians do not get a say in any of these decisions? As I’ve come to learn, we can protest this quackery until we are blue in the face, but our cries are squashed quicker than a mosquito in Muskoka.
Is there some sort of Citizen Committee that is involved in what Programming and Content is on the CBC? If there isn’t, there should be. I’ll be the first to volunteer.
The HNiC Theme is practically our Nation’s Second Anthem, recognized throughout the world. That music blaring from the TV was like a battle cry - especially as a kid, when I heard it I ran to the “Rec Room” with my Dad and brothers to watch Saturday Night Hockey. My own boys flock to the TV when they hear it.
My Dad was the Ultimate Hockey Fan, Coaching 4 sons, and a daughter, all throughout our lives. He passed away in 2006 with a Jersey hanging from his I.V. pole beside his bed at St. Michael’s, and fortunately lived long enough to see one of his Grandsons make it to the NHL. I can’t even stand the thought of how upset he would be about this!
All this…. for an “American Idol” type contest to find a new song, which by the way has been in the works for over a year. The increase Mrs. Claman is asking for is standard throughout the industry, and little old me was able to find out that among the numerous options presented to the CBC was a suggestion to do the same license that has been in place for about 10 years. (There would be no increase in license fee for the first 2 years, and in the business of licensing music, it is pretty much etched in stone that any time a license is renewed or extended, there’s a bump in the fee by approximately 15%.)
What is so unreasonable about that for something that is considered a Canadian Tradition? It’s more than “Just a Song”, for many, it’s a part of who we are.
Bah, I’m done with you, CBC. You may be the “Canadian Broadcaster” in name, but I feel that you no longer effectively represent me as a Canadian."
I think I got my point across. In the end, it looks like The Ceeb will end up paying dearly anyway, as they were caught with their hand in the Cookie Jar.
Canadians get creative regarding CBC's decision to stop airing the Hockey Theme on HNiC.CBC stands for "Canadian Broadcasting Corporation". So why is it that they continue to alienate the very people that they are working for? Add it to the long list of completely inept decisions the CBC has been putting over on Canadians. The very people that fund the CBC. It's bad enough that Canadians were also subjected to a Lockout in recent years as well.
I've been sounding off on here for the past couple of months about the CBC's decision to cancel jPod, so I guess I really shouldn't be surprised at yet another bonehead move by The Mothercorp(se?).
So what is an everyday Canadian like me to do when we feel that our Nation's station that is supposed to represent and deliver the Canadian content that I want, doesn't? Like I mentioned in my comment above, is there no Citizen Committee that has a voice to weigh in on the choices they make? It's bad enough that even if we do embrace a show, such as jPod, chances are we aren't getting counted in the ratings anyways as the CBC relies on outdated BBM Ratings which is archaic in an age where so many people have taken to watching television online:
"Chris Haddock, producer of Intelligence, pointed out the lunacy of the CBC gauging a shows popularity, especially among young viewers on the weekly BBM ratings since so many young television fans don't own their own homes and so cannot be counted, and many of them watch TV on the Internet."
"The ratings themselves have been questioned very profoundly all over the world about their accuracy and their relevance because you have to be a homeowner,"
"So university students don't get counted, a person who is a renter doesn't get counted, a lot of people under 30 don't get counted, so it's absurd on many, many levels. I mean do you have to buy a home to get counted in the ratings?"
Reading this today just gets me angrier.
An excerpt from the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting article reads:
"CBC will air more foreign programs than ever before on prime time English TV next autumn, defying CRTC licence expectations and confirming that CBC has lost touch with its public broadcasting purpose, says the watchdog group FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting.
CBC will regularly broadcast 7 hours of foreign, mostly US, programs during prime time. This is a substantial increase, eclipsing the highest level of foreign content ever tracked since FRIENDS first began monitoring CBC’s English television schedule in 1990. CBC has logged a steady increase since the current head of CBC English operations took charge of television in the summer of 2004.
This plan will place CBC in defiance of the CRTC’s broadcast licence expectation of 80% Canadian content during prime time and runs counter to the recommendation of Commons Heritage Committee in its recent report on CBC’s mandate “that prime-time hours, from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm Monday to Friday, on the CBC/Radio-Canada’s television networks, should be reserved for Canadian productions”.
“CBC is supposed to be about presenting Canada to its citizens, not American game shows and Hollywood movies...”
So there it is. Quite a similar argument in my article on the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting site. I was referring to jPod, but I think this ties right in:
"In February 2008, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage (a committee comprised of various MPs) produced a report entitled CBC/Radio-Canada: Defining distinctiveness in the changing media landscape. The purpose of the report was to study the future role of public broadcasting, and to present the Committee's findings and recommendations. All of the below statements, taken directly from the report, play straight into jPod's strengths. From the Committee's report:
"[CBC] must constantly keep up with new technologies and reach out to audiences where they are, including young people who seek content on the Internet." (p.5)
"We are asking CBC/Radio-Canada to be original, of high quality and innovative" (p.9)
"Mandate of the CBC/Radio-Canada as stipulated in the Broadcasting Act (1991, c. 11, B-9.01, [Assented to February 1, 1991)(i) be predominantly and distinctively Canadian […]" (p 18)
"[…]CBC should make large increases to arts and cultural programming, for example, by producing more contemporary Canadian dramas, historical documentaries, and TV movies." (p.34)
"Dwindling audience share is not unique to public broadcasting, and audience measurement will need to adapt alongside the transition to digital media. Internet broadcasting, downloading and streaming content, PVRs and on-demand and pay services mean that the same film, television episode or news broadcast will be seen by many more viewers than those who tune in for "appointment television"." (p55)
"CBC/Radio-Canada's online presence will be fundamental to its relevance to Canadian audiences in the future." (p57)
Clearly, they are not following The Reports Recommendations.
Something else that is completely astonishing? The CBC sold the Taxpayer Funded International Sales Catalogue, and to a Foreign buyer no less.
Details from the Canadian Press article states "the deal saw 135 titles and 700 hours of CBC's international sales catalogue sold to UK based ContentFilm. The CBC has released few details of the deal, which allows ContentFilm to sell the rights to the CBC shows to broadcasters around the world."
"It makes no sense why the CBC never attempted to invite Canadian companies in particular to participate in a transparent auction of publicly owned assets. If this had been any other Crown corporation who had transferred hard assets without tender . . . heads would roll.''
"This is a public trust that every Canadian taxpayer has contributed to in this library,'' veteran actor Paul Gross said. "The fact that it appears to have been sold with absolutely no open bidding, discussion, or presentation to the public is bizarre. This is a question of national ownership. What's up for grabs next? Algonquin Park? P.E.I.?''
A quick Google Search of "CBC Screws up" returned 94,700 English pages and many, many more stories...
- The CBC draws protests from across Canada regarding proposed changes to CBC Radio 2.
"The changes, to take effect this fall, include the cancellation of some classical programs and the shifting of others to what disgruntled music fans say are inconvenient, off-peak hours when most people are either working or at school."
Classical Fans have another alternative though, and Moses Znaimer is going to save the day.
-The CBC has announced at a meeting in Vancouver on March 27 that they would be dissolving the 70-year old CBC Radio Orchestra.
“Really, it’s a case of straight up economics,” said CBC spokesman Jeff Keay. “We couldn’t afford to maintain the orchestra.” The CBC has promised that the funds saved by the decision will go towards commissioning works from other orchestras across the country. Many in the arts community are concerned about what they perceive as the progressive “dumbing down” of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and are working to ensure that an opposing voice is heard and that the CBC is made aware of the public’s concern."
-From the Website calling for the CBC to keep the Orchestra:
"The orchestra is the most historically significant orchestra in Canada, the last radio orchestra in North America, with a mandate of performing and supporting Canadian musicians and composers. The ensemble is arguably the most talented, most recorded (32 recordings), and most beloved orchestra in the country. Lots of superlatives, but that is not all. They are a treasure. The orchestra is part of our uniqueness; it is part of what makes Canada “Canada flavoured”. I don’t want my Canada to be watered down by bored bureaucrats tending bar. I want my Canada full strength. This orchestra is that. Its roots reach back to 1938, it is an icon.
"CBC Radio ended this orchestra with the stroke of a pen, with no consultation with Canadian taxpayers who fund the CBC, paying the CBC to uphold its mandate of providing and supporting uniquely Canadian programming. What could be more unique than this important ensemble of Canada’s most talented musicians?"
"If we allow this significant Canadian institution to be dissolved, one day we may be wondering where all the orchestras have gone, where all the dancers, singers, and artists have gone. I don’t want that Canada. If all that is left of Canadian culture is that which is saleable or marketable or easy, we are not in a country, we are in a shopping mall."
From the Radio Two and Me Blog :
"Of course it’s related to the move away from classical music on CBC Radio! In case you haven’t noticed, there’s been a well-orchestrated (no pun intended) campaign against classical music taking place within the CBC for several years now, with the first outbreak of open hostilities being the cancellation of “Music for Awhile” and “In Performance” on March 19, 2007. The latest announcements of reduced classical programming during the day and the disbanding of the CBC Radio Orchestra are just mopping-up operations in that campaign."
Even The Canadian Heritage Committee is recommending that the CBC not disband The Orchestra.
-Anglos watching RDS instead of CBC? Some of Andy Blatchfords' article from THE CANADIAN PRESS:
"The Montreal Canadiens are grinding their way through the playoffs in a promising push that has millions of Quebecers basking in the glow of their televisions.
"In the excitement, French-language sports channel RDS has reeled in more Quebec viewers than CBC has nationwide with its Habs broadcasts.
And even many English-speaking hockey fans are tuning in to the French coverage. Some Anglos in Quebec say they're choosing RDS over the CBC's English coverage...."
-They axed Street Cents, the consumer affairs show aimed at teenagers.
From CBC News:
"For 17 years the Street Cents gang reviewed products and discussed issues relevant to younger viewers, from video games to emergency contraception."
"Actor Jonathan Torrens hosted Street Cents from the late 1980s to 1996. The show, produced out of Halifax, has won national and international awards, including seven Geminis and an international Emmy."
Heaven forbid they have something relevant to young Canadians!
Another story that also has personal meaning for me as I am half Métis, happened back in 2002. The leadership of Canada's Métis National Council said CBC-TV's mock trial of Louis Riel was an "abomination" and a "gross violation and betrayal" of the public broadcaster's mandate. Gerald Morin, president of the council, filed a formal letter of complaint with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Morin criticized the program for:
- Not involving Métis in its production, which he says is part of CBC's mandate when dealing with projects relating to aboriginal culture;
- Not having a Métis play the role of Riel;
- Judging a historical occurrence under today's laws.
Morin also asked the CBC to air a documentary that accurately portrays the history of Riel and the Métis and their role in securing Confederation.
The CBC said the broadcaster did not produce the program; the show was conceived by the Dominion Institute, a historical society that promotes knowledge and discussion of Canadian history. But shouldn't the CBC have made sure that the Dominion's program met their Mandate and used a Métis actor? Dominion stated it needed well-known high profile lawyers to attract an audience and that's why they didn't use a Métis actor.
The CBC gave other excuses regarding the program, like it was "Part of a Series." But really, the rest was only a story on The National, and a panel discussion, albeit with all Métis panelists, the latter installment came to be only after Morin raised concerns.
You would think after this happened, the CBC would have been a little more careful about their Documentary content. Apperently not though:
-James Cowan, CanWest News Service; with a file from Daphne Bramham Published: Thursday, November 11/08/07:
"The CBC cancelled the airing of a documentary about the Falun Gong spiritual movement after receiving calls from the Chinese embassy expressing concern about the film's subject matter."
"Beyond the Red Wall: The Persecution of the Falun Gong was scheduled to appear on Tuesday evening on CBC Newsworld. It was replaced at the last minute by a rerun of a documentary on President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan. The broadcaster says it changed its schedule because recent turmoil in Pakistan made the Musharraf documentary "timely." However, a spokesman acknowledged the CBC has received calls from Chinese diplomats about Beyond the Red Wall and intends to review the documentaries contents before returning it to its broadcast schedule."
"We were contacted by the Chinese embassy and they've just expressed their concern that the doc[umentary] be accurate -- that's not a problem with us," said Jeff Keay. "We're having conversations with the doc's producer just to review its contents and make sure it's a good solid documentary."
"Peter Rowe, who wrote and directed the documentary, said a CBC executive called him late Tuesday afternoon to inform him the film would not air that evening. The executive also asked if Rowe could come to a meeting to discuss "re-editing" his documentary."
"It's rather surprising, because the film has been in production for about three years and was delivered to the CBC in March, so the authorities and the executives at the CBC signed off on the film quite some time ago," Rowe said.
"Rowe, a television veteran with credits spanning three decades, said the CBC's decision to revisit the film after giving it final approval is odd.
"It's almost unheard of," he said. "You really have to question why they decided to cancel it at this insanely late hour."
The CBC eventually aired the Documentary. From Peter Worthington, Toronto Sun:
"An array of CBC officials have since denied that China's protests had anything to do with the decision to cancel the show a few hours before it was to run." "CBC spokespeople gave several versions until they co-ordinated scripts to explain that the 11th-hour cancellation was really a postponement for journalistic reasons, and that producer/director/writer Peter Rowe agreed to make minor changes. "
This here interweb is full of stories of Canadians frustrated with the CBC.
-Why Lie?
-Food for Thought?
-Lack of Intelligence - Blame the Leafs?
-This Was Wonderland
- Charges of Racism
- CBC UnadVENTUREous
-CBC Radio Three's lauded Web mag dies from Alexandra Gill:
VANCOUVER -- "If you've never seen the CBC's award-winning arts and culture Web magazine , be sure to check out the current edition. It is the last one. After 100 issues and three prestigious Webby awards (among numerous other international design, art, communication and technical-engineering prizes), the on-line magazine has been killed off as the public broadcaster's innovative Web service tries to reinvent itself once again with a new mandate focusing squarely on music and more traditional radio programming."
There's other little things too. jPod was nominated for 15 Leo Awards, and there was not one mention of it anywhere on CBC.ca, not even when the show nabbed 4, including Best Screenwriting in a Dramatic Series. I knew they would win that one though, as all 4 scripts from that category were from no other show except jPod. Brilliance is highlighted in the TV Community, but not the CBC who aired it? I believe they just didn't want to bring attention to the fact that they cancelled such a promising program.
Jpod Fans have been pretty much been ignored altogether by the CBC, thank goodness there are people like jPod Writer and Leo Award Winner Daegan Fryklind who stand up for us little people.
I've been sounding off on here for the past couple of months about the CBC's decision to cancel jPod, so I guess I really shouldn't be surprised at yet another bonehead move by The Mothercorp(se?).
So what is an everyday Canadian like me to do when we feel that our Nation's station that is supposed to represent and deliver the Canadian content that I want, doesn't? Like I mentioned in my comment above, is there no Citizen Committee that has a voice to weigh in on the choices they make? It's bad enough that even if we do embrace a show, such as jPod, chances are we aren't getting counted in the ratings anyways as the CBC relies on outdated BBM Ratings which is archaic in an age where so many people have taken to watching television online:
"Chris Haddock, producer of Intelligence, pointed out the lunacy of the CBC gauging a shows popularity, especially among young viewers on the weekly BBM ratings since so many young television fans don't own their own homes and so cannot be counted, and many of them watch TV on the Internet."
"The ratings themselves have been questioned very profoundly all over the world about their accuracy and their relevance because you have to be a homeowner,"
"So university students don't get counted, a person who is a renter doesn't get counted, a lot of people under 30 don't get counted, so it's absurd on many, many levels. I mean do you have to buy a home to get counted in the ratings?"
Reading this today just gets me angrier.
An excerpt from the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting article reads:
"CBC will air more foreign programs than ever before on prime time English TV next autumn, defying CRTC licence expectations and confirming that CBC has lost touch with its public broadcasting purpose, says the watchdog group FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting.
CBC will regularly broadcast 7 hours of foreign, mostly US, programs during prime time. This is a substantial increase, eclipsing the highest level of foreign content ever tracked since FRIENDS first began monitoring CBC’s English television schedule in 1990. CBC has logged a steady increase since the current head of CBC English operations took charge of television in the summer of 2004.
This plan will place CBC in defiance of the CRTC’s broadcast licence expectation of 80% Canadian content during prime time and runs counter to the recommendation of Commons Heritage Committee in its recent report on CBC’s mandate “that prime-time hours, from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm Monday to Friday, on the CBC/Radio-Canada’s television networks, should be reserved for Canadian productions”.
“CBC is supposed to be about presenting Canada to its citizens, not American game shows and Hollywood movies...”
So there it is. Quite a similar argument in my article on the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting site. I was referring to jPod, but I think this ties right in:
"In February 2008, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage (a committee comprised of various MPs) produced a report entitled CBC/Radio-Canada: Defining distinctiveness in the changing media landscape. The purpose of the report was to study the future role of public broadcasting, and to present the Committee's findings and recommendations. All of the below statements, taken directly from the report, play straight into jPod's strengths. From the Committee's report:
"[CBC] must constantly keep up with new technologies and reach out to audiences where they are, including young people who seek content on the Internet." (p.5)
"We are asking CBC/Radio-Canada to be original, of high quality and innovative" (p.9)
"Mandate of the CBC/Radio-Canada as stipulated in the Broadcasting Act (1991, c. 11, B-9.01, [Assented to February 1, 1991)(i) be predominantly and distinctively Canadian […]" (p 18)
"[…]CBC should make large increases to arts and cultural programming, for example, by producing more contemporary Canadian dramas, historical documentaries, and TV movies." (p.34)
"Dwindling audience share is not unique to public broadcasting, and audience measurement will need to adapt alongside the transition to digital media. Internet broadcasting, downloading and streaming content, PVRs and on-demand and pay services mean that the same film, television episode or news broadcast will be seen by many more viewers than those who tune in for "appointment television"." (p55)
"CBC/Radio-Canada's online presence will be fundamental to its relevance to Canadian audiences in the future." (p57)
Clearly, they are not following The Reports Recommendations.
Something else that is completely astonishing? The CBC sold the Taxpayer Funded International Sales Catalogue, and to a Foreign buyer no less.
Details from the Canadian Press article states "the deal saw 135 titles and 700 hours of CBC's international sales catalogue sold to UK based ContentFilm. The CBC has released few details of the deal, which allows ContentFilm to sell the rights to the CBC shows to broadcasters around the world."
"It makes no sense why the CBC never attempted to invite Canadian companies in particular to participate in a transparent auction of publicly owned assets. If this had been any other Crown corporation who had transferred hard assets without tender . . . heads would roll.''
"This is a public trust that every Canadian taxpayer has contributed to in this library,'' veteran actor Paul Gross said. "The fact that it appears to have been sold with absolutely no open bidding, discussion, or presentation to the public is bizarre. This is a question of national ownership. What's up for grabs next? Algonquin Park? P.E.I.?''
A quick Google Search of "CBC Screws up" returned 94,700 English pages and many, many more stories...
- The CBC draws protests from across Canada regarding proposed changes to CBC Radio 2.
"The changes, to take effect this fall, include the cancellation of some classical programs and the shifting of others to what disgruntled music fans say are inconvenient, off-peak hours when most people are either working or at school."
Classical Fans have another alternative though, and Moses Znaimer is going to save the day.
-The CBC has announced at a meeting in Vancouver on March 27 that they would be dissolving the 70-year old CBC Radio Orchestra.
“Really, it’s a case of straight up economics,” said CBC spokesman Jeff Keay. “We couldn’t afford to maintain the orchestra.” The CBC has promised that the funds saved by the decision will go towards commissioning works from other orchestras across the country. Many in the arts community are concerned about what they perceive as the progressive “dumbing down” of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and are working to ensure that an opposing voice is heard and that the CBC is made aware of the public’s concern."
-From the Website calling for the CBC to keep the Orchestra:
"The orchestra is the most historically significant orchestra in Canada, the last radio orchestra in North America, with a mandate of performing and supporting Canadian musicians and composers. The ensemble is arguably the most talented, most recorded (32 recordings), and most beloved orchestra in the country. Lots of superlatives, but that is not all. They are a treasure. The orchestra is part of our uniqueness; it is part of what makes Canada “Canada flavoured”. I don’t want my Canada to be watered down by bored bureaucrats tending bar. I want my Canada full strength. This orchestra is that. Its roots reach back to 1938, it is an icon.
"CBC Radio ended this orchestra with the stroke of a pen, with no consultation with Canadian taxpayers who fund the CBC, paying the CBC to uphold its mandate of providing and supporting uniquely Canadian programming. What could be more unique than this important ensemble of Canada’s most talented musicians?"
"If we allow this significant Canadian institution to be dissolved, one day we may be wondering where all the orchestras have gone, where all the dancers, singers, and artists have gone. I don’t want that Canada. If all that is left of Canadian culture is that which is saleable or marketable or easy, we are not in a country, we are in a shopping mall."
From the Radio Two and Me Blog :
"Of course it’s related to the move away from classical music on CBC Radio! In case you haven’t noticed, there’s been a well-orchestrated (no pun intended) campaign against classical music taking place within the CBC for several years now, with the first outbreak of open hostilities being the cancellation of “Music for Awhile” and “In Performance” on March 19, 2007. The latest announcements of reduced classical programming during the day and the disbanding of the CBC Radio Orchestra are just mopping-up operations in that campaign."
Even The Canadian Heritage Committee is recommending that the CBC not disband The Orchestra.
-Anglos watching RDS instead of CBC? Some of Andy Blatchfords' article from THE CANADIAN PRESS:
"The Montreal Canadiens are grinding their way through the playoffs in a promising push that has millions of Quebecers basking in the glow of their televisions.
"In the excitement, French-language sports channel RDS has reeled in more Quebec viewers than CBC has nationwide with its Habs broadcasts.
And even many English-speaking hockey fans are tuning in to the French coverage. Some Anglos in Quebec say they're choosing RDS over the CBC's English coverage...."
-They axed Street Cents, the consumer affairs show aimed at teenagers.
From CBC News:
"For 17 years the Street Cents gang reviewed products and discussed issues relevant to younger viewers, from video games to emergency contraception."
"Actor Jonathan Torrens hosted Street Cents from the late 1980s to 1996. The show, produced out of Halifax, has won national and international awards, including seven Geminis and an international Emmy."
Heaven forbid they have something relevant to young Canadians!
Another story that also has personal meaning for me as I am half Métis, happened back in 2002. The leadership of Canada's Métis National Council said CBC-TV's mock trial of Louis Riel was an "abomination" and a "gross violation and betrayal" of the public broadcaster's mandate. Gerald Morin, president of the council, filed a formal letter of complaint with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Morin criticized the program for:
- Not involving Métis in its production, which he says is part of CBC's mandate when dealing with projects relating to aboriginal culture;
- Not having a Métis play the role of Riel;
- Judging a historical occurrence under today's laws.
Morin also asked the CBC to air a documentary that accurately portrays the history of Riel and the Métis and their role in securing Confederation.
The CBC said the broadcaster did not produce the program; the show was conceived by the Dominion Institute, a historical society that promotes knowledge and discussion of Canadian history. But shouldn't the CBC have made sure that the Dominion's program met their Mandate and used a Métis actor? Dominion stated it needed well-known high profile lawyers to attract an audience and that's why they didn't use a Métis actor.
The CBC gave other excuses regarding the program, like it was "Part of a Series." But really, the rest was only a story on The National, and a panel discussion, albeit with all Métis panelists, the latter installment came to be only after Morin raised concerns.
You would think after this happened, the CBC would have been a little more careful about their Documentary content. Apperently not though:
-James Cowan, CanWest News Service; with a file from Daphne Bramham Published: Thursday, November 11/08/07:
"The CBC cancelled the airing of a documentary about the Falun Gong spiritual movement after receiving calls from the Chinese embassy expressing concern about the film's subject matter."
"Beyond the Red Wall: The Persecution of the Falun Gong was scheduled to appear on Tuesday evening on CBC Newsworld. It was replaced at the last minute by a rerun of a documentary on President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan. The broadcaster says it changed its schedule because recent turmoil in Pakistan made the Musharraf documentary "timely." However, a spokesman acknowledged the CBC has received calls from Chinese diplomats about Beyond the Red Wall and intends to review the documentaries contents before returning it to its broadcast schedule."
"We were contacted by the Chinese embassy and they've just expressed their concern that the doc[umentary] be accurate -- that's not a problem with us," said Jeff Keay. "We're having conversations with the doc's producer just to review its contents and make sure it's a good solid documentary."
"Peter Rowe, who wrote and directed the documentary, said a CBC executive called him late Tuesday afternoon to inform him the film would not air that evening. The executive also asked if Rowe could come to a meeting to discuss "re-editing" his documentary."
"It's rather surprising, because the film has been in production for about three years and was delivered to the CBC in March, so the authorities and the executives at the CBC signed off on the film quite some time ago," Rowe said.
"Rowe, a television veteran with credits spanning three decades, said the CBC's decision to revisit the film after giving it final approval is odd.
"It's almost unheard of," he said. "You really have to question why they decided to cancel it at this insanely late hour."
The CBC eventually aired the Documentary. From Peter Worthington, Toronto Sun:
"An array of CBC officials have since denied that China's protests had anything to do with the decision to cancel the show a few hours before it was to run." "CBC spokespeople gave several versions until they co-ordinated scripts to explain that the 11th-hour cancellation was really a postponement for journalistic reasons, and that producer/director/writer Peter Rowe agreed to make minor changes. "
This here interweb is full of stories of Canadians frustrated with the CBC.
-Why Lie?
-Food for Thought?
-Lack of Intelligence - Blame the Leafs?
-This Was Wonderland
- Charges of Racism
- CBC UnadVENTUREous
-CBC Radio Three's lauded Web mag dies from Alexandra Gill:
VANCOUVER -- "If you've never seen the CBC's award-winning arts and culture Web magazine , be sure to check out the current edition. It is the last one. After 100 issues and three prestigious Webby awards (among numerous other international design, art, communication and technical-engineering prizes), the on-line magazine has been killed off as the public broadcaster's innovative Web service tries to reinvent itself once again with a new mandate focusing squarely on music and more traditional radio programming."
There's other little things too. jPod was nominated for 15 Leo Awards, and there was not one mention of it anywhere on CBC.ca, not even when the show nabbed 4, including Best Screenwriting in a Dramatic Series. I knew they would win that one though, as all 4 scripts from that category were from no other show except jPod. Brilliance is highlighted in the TV Community, but not the CBC who aired it? I believe they just didn't want to bring attention to the fact that they cancelled such a promising program.
Jpod Fans have been pretty much been ignored altogether by the CBC, thank goodness there are people like jPod Writer and Leo Award Winner Daegan Fryklind who stand up for us little people.
Fan Made jPod Poster signaling the rebroadcast of the Series.
Even though jPod is being rebroadcast over the summer (The Series is already bought and paid for anyways, right?) it has been fans spreading the word with barely any advertisement by the CBC promoting it's return. In fact, yesterday morning when I went to the CBC website to see about the show airing last night, the main page for Thursday was trumpeting The National. I e-mailed to ask why even on the day of it being on was there hardly any promo, and it seems only after a Detroiter wrote about his disappointment over the cancellation and it started to show up on Television websites and Blogs did they feature jPod on Thursday's television page later on in the day.
The most recent blow from the Ceeb has been to cancel Search Engine, the CBC Radio 1 show about technology and digital culture.
"Host Jesse Brown made the announcement at the end of his last show this June 19th. The show has just won a New York Festival International Radio Award, and was the most-downloaded weekly news and current affairs show from the CBC."
Does that make sense to you? For the CBC to cancel their most downloaded show?
Host Jesse Brown is brilliant, and I think he caught Jim Prentice off guard regarding Bill-C-61. I wonder, is the cancellation of Search Engine and this breathtaking Podcast a coincidence? Hmmmmm. Once again, people are upset with the CBC, and again, it seems the CBC has it in for what is probably mostly a tech savvy younger demographic. It makes one wonder; "Is the CBC afraid of smart people?"
Smart people question things. Canadians Fund the CBC and have the right to question their National Broadcastors' Content and Programming. The CBC doesn't like to be questioned. Believe me, as a jPod, Classical Music and Hockey Fan, I know. They eventually write you back a couple of months later and it's always the same "Blah, blah , blah, we're sorry you're upset but watch/listen our new shows in the Fall!"
CBC Execs will trot along with no one to answer to, continue to fly Executive Class when CBC's own corporate policy for CBC travellers outlined on its website. states: "The standard for air travel is economy" and flights should be for the "lowest logical airfares available" unless approved by a vice-president. Continue booking their personnel in $800/ Night Hotel Rooms with Personal Butlers. Continue to air that commercial about all of their awesome Summer Movies - every single movie previewed being American. Continue to pay for Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune even though it's on like 8 other American Stations at the exact same time and bumping out Marketplace, and don't forget they pay for Simpson's reruns when all of that money they are spending on importing foreign programming should be going to Canadian Produced Productions. Continue to forget who exactly they are working for and represent Canadians properly because frankly, we deserve to have a Majority of Canadian Content... it's all just so sad, really.
I'm sure I could go on and on, giving a hundred more examples of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporations', in my opinion, flagrant mismanagement, but I fear that my rant is all for nothing. The Canadian Taxpayer will continue to fund the CBC and put up with whatever decisions "they" make for us, because we have no choice not to.
I believe The CBC will eventually be lost in the abyss of 1000's of Stations and eaten alive by Cyberspace, that's where their future demographic of Neilson Raters reside this very moment, and how many of those young 'uns can say that they ever even watch the CBC on a regular, loyal basis, except maybe for Hockey Night in Canada? Oh wait, make that Hockey Night on TSN... where the "old" song went and where Chris Cuthbert is already waiting.
- "Hourglass" picture from fewings.ca
- "Return of the jPod" poster courtesy of Micronaut
- Originally posted June 10th, Edits on 19/08, 23/08
Friday, May 23, 2008
Wise Words From Stroumbo
Maybe George Stroumboulopolous should be the new Director of Programming at The CBC.Quoting George:
"Online is rapidly becoming king, not traditional TV platforms."
"Part of the reason we did this show is for the kind of people who didn't really watch TV like this before.....
(My 2 cents: pretty much that whole
younger demographic that the CBC claims
they're so eager to attract.)
He continues:
....so they're not going to come to television - they're going to watch it however they want."
"Ten years from now, the cable channel isn't going to be nearly as important as the domain name. CBC.ca, that's the television channel of the future. We don't worry about where people are watching us, as long as they're watching us."
Listen to Stroumbo, CBC!!!
The Internet angle is just one of the many reasons why the jPod Fan Campaign exists. Its importance is discussed alot because people ended up watching jPod online as it was switched to air in the "Friday Night Death Slot".
For the record, with the exception of Episode 11 which wasn’t aired at all by the CBC on TV and only available online, I watched every episode Traditionally. First on Tuesdays, and then on Fridays. If I happened to not be home when it was on I set my DVR to record it, and I could watch it whenever I wanted.
Times are changing though, and how people choose to get their entertainment is shifting. Today’s young people are a tech-savvy bunch, and probably spend more time on their computers than they do in front of the tube. The CBC is undervaluing their importance. How many people, say from 17-24 years of age, could actually attest that the CBC is a channel they watch very frequently? Not many I bet. My own teenager only watches it for Hockey Night In Canada, and then for jPod. This generation will feel no connection to the CBC, how can they expect them to become loyal, lifelong viewers when they feel ignored?
The CBC was popular when I was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, but then, we didn’t have tonnes of other options back then fighting for our attention. And I wouldn’t consider the “nerd” factor either, computers aren’t just for geeks anymore. In fact, I’m not even in the Target Audience for the show, but I sure as hell made sure that I know my way around the computer, I can’t have my kids being able to use it better than myself.
I think the CBC is missing the boat here, they should be ecstatic that one of their shows is reaching such a highly coveted demographic, on TV, and online. Internet viewers are a BONUS! And if they were smart, they would air jPod on a more suitable night, increasing their traditional viewings. jPod at least deserved a chance, cancelling it so hastily leads me to believe that the CBC could really care less about quality of their programs and fixate themselves on outdated BBM ratings.
Chis Haddock, producer of Intelligence, pointed out the lunacy of the CBC gauging a shows popularity, especially among young viewers on the weekly BBM ratings since so many young television fans don't own their own homes and so cannot be counted, and many of them watch TV on the Internet.
"The ratings themselves have been questioned very profoundly all over the world about their accuracy and their relevance because you have to be a homeowner," Haddock points out.
"So university students don't get counted, a person who is a renter doesn't get counted, a lot of people under 30 don't get counted, so it's absurd on many, many levels. I mean do you have to buy a home to get counted in the ratings?"
Well said, Mr. Haddock.
As far as production costs for CBC shows, well I am paying for that, we all are. (The last numbers I could dig up on that were for 2002 - Canadians paid $794,058,000 for the CBC. That's for English and French radio, AM and FM, plus English and French TV and CBC North.) I could get really snotty here and bring up CBC executives staying in $800.00/ Night Hotel Rooms with Personal Butlers, but I digress.
Warner Bros. has obviously realized that jPod is worth having, as it will be available on TheWB.com for free, paid by embedded advertising. And NBC’s Hulu has already sold out their ad space. This is not a fad people, it’s the new reality. The CBC should embrace it or risk being left in the dust. And yes, the CBC may argue that they did promote the show sufficiently, but the problem there is that jPods' Target Audience wasn’t watching the CBC in the first place to see them.
In the end though, the biggest reason people want jPod to stay is because it is a brilliant, smart, funny show with a cast that falls in perfectly with one another, and it makes us feel proud that something so good was Made in Canada.
Saying all that, here’s a Video I made: 20 Reasons to Save jPod - (For Entertainment purposes only, all content credit acknowledged)
jPod - SAVE IT!!!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Pod People
I'm doing the Loyal Fan thing and "Posting for the 'Pod" in an effort to try and convince the CBC to reconsider their decision to cancel this awesome show. Here's some pics I made with my own personal mini Podster. The Postcard, along with others, can be found here.
Not the Leafs...but we know who did. Nice try though, CBC.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
So Long, Farewell, Auf weidersehen, Good-bye
...Regretfully they (Me) tell us (Television Networks)... cook-coo
But firmly they compell us (The Viewers) cook-coo
To say goodbye cook-coo...
To youuuuuuu (Television Networks)...
So long farewell, auf weidersehen good-bye
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight (Series Television)
So long farewell, auf weidersehen adieu
Adieu, adieu, to you and you and you (FOX, NBC, CBC, ABC, CBS, HBO, etc.)
So long farewell, auf weidersehen goodnight
I leave and heave a sigh and say good bye - goodbyyyyyyeeeee!
I'm glad... to go.... I cannot tell a lie
I fleet, I float, I fleetly flee I fly...
The sun... has gone... to bed and so must I...
So long...farewell...auf weidersehen goodbye...
Goodbye...
Goodbye....
Goodbye....
~With Apologies to The Sound of Music.
Dear Television Networks,
I am writing this letter to inform you that I will no longer be in need of your services. I am withdrawing my Life Long Membership as your constant deletion of products has left me feeling angry, upset, sad and frustrated. As well, your product lines over the past few years has mostly failed to impress me and offer me anything that is truly worth my time. I've been emotionally invested, and I just can't take it anymore!
Your misguided attempt to appeal to the masses with "Reality" driven content defeats my need for scripted escapism. Your justification for yanking the few brilliant products I fall in love with has prompted me to come to the conclusion that my loyalty throughout the years is just not important to you. While begging and pleading with you in regards to extending a products' run sometimes, but rarely, works, I've made the decision to give up all together and not get involved to begin with.
In the aftermath, I have found something else from a company called Cyberspace that offers me anything I choose. The possibilities are endless and after I use it I don't feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest and stomped on.
I broke a rule that I had been enforcing after feeling like this before, that I wasn't going to give anything new you offered a chance. How foolish of me. I should have known better and wound up getting burnt. Again. Adding insult to injury, your penchant for delivering all the necessary pieces except for the last one, (commonly referred to as the "Cliffhanger") is nothing short of cruel.
I mean it this time though. I will finish off the remainder of my already invested in product lines, (aptly called a "Finale") but when they are gone, so will I be.
I know my absence more than likely means nothing to you, as every year you have a whole new generation of consumers lining up to buy into your offerings. And that is fine with me, if they want sub-standard mindlessness and can deal with your uncaring executive decisions, then they can have you.
While I will always have fond memories, it is time for me to make the final break, cut my losses, and move on.
So long, farewell, auf weidersehen, good-bye,
~Stephanie
(Loyal Fan of Firefly, jPod, Sports Night, Keen Eddie, Boomtown, Harsh Realm, Arrested Development, The Tournament, Once and Again, Surface, Lovespring International, Dark Angel, Action!, Undeclared, American Dreams, Millennium, New Amsterdam, and Joan of Arcadia)
"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."
Nathan Fillion as Malcolm Reynolds in "Firefly"
But firmly they compell us (The Viewers) cook-coo
To say goodbye cook-coo...
To youuuuuuu (Television Networks)...
So long farewell, auf weidersehen good-bye
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight (Series Television)
So long farewell, auf weidersehen adieu
Adieu, adieu, to you and you and you (FOX, NBC, CBC, ABC, CBS, HBO, etc.)
So long farewell, auf weidersehen goodnight
I leave and heave a sigh and say good bye - goodbyyyyyyeeeee!
I'm glad... to go.... I cannot tell a lie
I fleet, I float, I fleetly flee I fly...
The sun... has gone... to bed and so must I...
So long...farewell...auf weidersehen goodbye...
Goodbye...
Goodbye....
Goodbye....
~With Apologies to The Sound of Music.
Dear Television Networks,
I am writing this letter to inform you that I will no longer be in need of your services. I am withdrawing my Life Long Membership as your constant deletion of products has left me feeling angry, upset, sad and frustrated. As well, your product lines over the past few years has mostly failed to impress me and offer me anything that is truly worth my time. I've been emotionally invested, and I just can't take it anymore!
Your misguided attempt to appeal to the masses with "Reality" driven content defeats my need for scripted escapism. Your justification for yanking the few brilliant products I fall in love with has prompted me to come to the conclusion that my loyalty throughout the years is just not important to you. While begging and pleading with you in regards to extending a products' run sometimes, but rarely, works, I've made the decision to give up all together and not get involved to begin with.
In the aftermath, I have found something else from a company called Cyberspace that offers me anything I choose. The possibilities are endless and after I use it I don't feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest and stomped on.
I broke a rule that I had been enforcing after feeling like this before, that I wasn't going to give anything new you offered a chance. How foolish of me. I should have known better and wound up getting burnt. Again. Adding insult to injury, your penchant for delivering all the necessary pieces except for the last one, (commonly referred to as the "Cliffhanger") is nothing short of cruel.
I mean it this time though. I will finish off the remainder of my already invested in product lines, (aptly called a "Finale") but when they are gone, so will I be.
I know my absence more than likely means nothing to you, as every year you have a whole new generation of consumers lining up to buy into your offerings. And that is fine with me, if they want sub-standard mindlessness and can deal with your uncaring executive decisions, then they can have you.
While I will always have fond memories, it is time for me to make the final break, cut my losses, and move on.
So long, farewell, auf weidersehen, good-bye,
~Stephanie
(Loyal Fan of Firefly, jPod, Sports Night, Keen Eddie, Boomtown, Harsh Realm, Arrested Development, The Tournament, Once and Again, Surface, Lovespring International, Dark Angel, Action!, Undeclared, American Dreams, Millennium, New Amsterdam, and Joan of Arcadia)
"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."
Nathan Fillion as Malcolm Reynolds in "Firefly"
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Lego My jPod... & OMG! The WB!
Fans of jPod are organizing the Event "Post for the 'Pod", sending Lego People in honour of Author Douglas Coupland and the book cover, to The CBC hoping to revive the show. It's even caught the attention of the folks here and here.
It was also announced that Warner Bros. has acquired jPod Season 1 for their new site TheWB.com. A premium, ad-supported, video-on-demand, interactive and personalized network that will Beta launch in early May, TheWB.com "aims to be the premiere destination for original dramatic programming on the Internet. The site is aimed at the Adults 16–34 demographic highly coveted by advertisers." You know, the demographic The CBC seems intent on ignoring.
Anyone know where I can download some Tommy Hunter? Don't get me wrong, I loved Tommy - when I was 10 and had nowhere to go back on a Friday Night in the 80's. Hey CBC, it's 2008, wake up and smell the New Millennium.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Roar!
The Nominations for the 2008 Leo Awards were announced today and jPod leads the pack with 15! Established in 1998, the Leo Awards celebrate excellence in British Columbia film and television. The 10th Anniversary Leo Awards Celebration and Gala Awards Ceremonies take place May 23 and 24 at the Westin Bayshore Vancouver.
I wonder, will the CBC even acknowledge this accomplishment?
Saturday, April 19, 2008
So Not Trailer Trash
Reading this prompted me to reply:
I have become most disenchanted with American Television and I was very proud that such a brilliant show like jPod was Made in Canada.
Considering jPods' younger demographic, alot of people watched it online. The biggest reason being it was aired on Friday Nights when people certainly were not staying in and watching television. People are also busier than they have ever been and are watching TV on Demand at their own convenience on DVR's and it is fast becoming the norm. The Traditional Ratings System is ancient in today's tech-savvy world and online viewings should be counted.
jPod is one of the first shows in Canadian TV that I can remember that has launched a Fan Campaign to save a show. Unfortunately the CBC is covering their ears to the pleas of fans to bring it back for next season. Even Seinfeld barely survived its freshman year and needed a little time to gain its audience. If you combine jPods' television viewers and their online viewers, it is surely pulling in as many people as Heartland, probably more even. I dismiss the CBC's argument that there is no business case regarding revenue made through web casts. Fans don't mind embedded advertising, we understand it is necessity. NBC's site "Hulu" just sold out their entire online ad space, and they offer their shows for free.
If given the option to watch exceptional Canadian productions over most American drivel, I think you would see a "If you broadcast it, we will watch it" attitude take place. Have confidence in Canadians and don't just assume that we are all "Big Brother" and "The Hills" watching sheep. In regards to the CBC, I think all of their content should be Canadian, after all, it is the "Canadian Broadcasting Corporation". People can watch Coronation Street on BBC Canada.
You would think the CBC would have more "Intelligence". I grew up watching The Beachcombers, The King of Kensington, Bizarre and Second City, and it makes me sad that my own kids are not getting the same uniquely Canadian influence. My teenager has boycotted the CBC for ignoring him and his generation, we get Leafs TV and don't need HNIC. We feel forgotten and unless more people like Robb Wells and the Canadian Tax Payers who fund the CBC to the tune of $950 Million a year, stand up and let it be known that we want more Canadian Content. As it stands, the future of Canadian Television is on Life Support.
Sincerely,
Stephanie
I know alot of what I have written about jPod is repeated in the above, but I just can't seem to help myself. What started out as just me being upset over the shows' cancellation by the CBC, has apparently evolved into an awakening of the deeper workings of Media in Canada. Maybe it's because I was a part of the 80's Generation, the first to ever receive the spoils of a prosperous, modern society. Footloose and Fancy-Free we were, watching the best Saturday Morning line-ups, ever, on Colour TVs. We drank in every commercial that beckoned to us. And when we begged our parents to buy us all that crap, they actually did. No one flinched twice while we professed our love to one of the guys from Degrassi, or that we would perform our own Bob and Doug Mackenzie "Great White North" skits in the schoolyard at recess.
One of the highlights of my young life was when my friends' uncle(?) came to our school - with the Littlest Hobo Huskies. About 5 different dogs played Hobo, and I was so excited - I couldn't believe I was actually seeing the Littlest Hobo! You can't deny it, TV had that kind of effect on us, it means something to us - I am a product of my environment. When the escape to the Tube is a wonderful experience, we embrace it. We look forward to seeing the familiar cast of characters, and when they are dismissed by executives, we miss them. It's not cheesy, it's human.
I hadn't noticed that compared to when I was a kid, the amount of Canadian Content that I regularly watched had dwindled to almost non-existent. It's been so long since anything on the CBC was worth my while. Yes, I watch it for my man Don Cherry, and The Rick Mercer Report, but they're not a Series. The first CBC show I watched regularly since probably The Edison Twins was The Tournament, and that was cancelled too.
I didn't mean it, honestly. Somewhere around the age of 15 the CBC failed to offer me anything meaningful. Maybe that's why jPod's cancellation is stinging me more. Unless you're a kid watching The Doodlebops, or Auntie Martha watching Heartland, there is nothing. Nothing for us who grew up loving the weekly sitcom and drama. And please, I don't want to hear the argument of Sophie and MVP: The Secret Lives of Hockey Wives. Stick each of those shows in American settings and they will blend right in.
So this is me waking up. Waking up to the fact that my own Teenager does not watch one Canadian show. Waking up to the fact that if things don't change now, Canadian TV will be ultimately lost, drowning in a Sea Of American Fluff. Don't get me wrong, I tune into a few, Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, face it, you can't go wrong with Joe Mantegna and Anthony La Paglia, but for the most part I could live without programming from south of the border. I tend to not get too attached to American television, after Joss Whedon's Firefly was cancelled I lost faith in networks, they are all about ratings, quality be damned. Was I crazy to believe that the CBC should be different than FOX?
I'm busy, immersed in the lives of my kids and husband. "Me Time" is rare and I am thankful that I can escape the whirlwind of my days to a really great show. My DVR records them so I can watch whenever it is convenient for me. We can't ignore that Entertainment is an important part of our lives and who we are. And if mostly everything we watch is not Made in Canada, then, just who are we? Really.
I have become most disenchanted with American Television and I was very proud that such a brilliant show like jPod was Made in Canada.
Considering jPods' younger demographic, alot of people watched it online. The biggest reason being it was aired on Friday Nights when people certainly were not staying in and watching television. People are also busier than they have ever been and are watching TV on Demand at their own convenience on DVR's and it is fast becoming the norm. The Traditional Ratings System is ancient in today's tech-savvy world and online viewings should be counted.
jPod is one of the first shows in Canadian TV that I can remember that has launched a Fan Campaign to save a show. Unfortunately the CBC is covering their ears to the pleas of fans to bring it back for next season. Even Seinfeld barely survived its freshman year and needed a little time to gain its audience. If you combine jPods' television viewers and their online viewers, it is surely pulling in as many people as Heartland, probably more even. I dismiss the CBC's argument that there is no business case regarding revenue made through web casts. Fans don't mind embedded advertising, we understand it is necessity. NBC's site "Hulu" just sold out their entire online ad space, and they offer their shows for free.
If given the option to watch exceptional Canadian productions over most American drivel, I think you would see a "If you broadcast it, we will watch it" attitude take place. Have confidence in Canadians and don't just assume that we are all "Big Brother" and "The Hills" watching sheep. In regards to the CBC, I think all of their content should be Canadian, after all, it is the "Canadian Broadcasting Corporation". People can watch Coronation Street on BBC Canada.
You would think the CBC would have more "Intelligence". I grew up watching The Beachcombers, The King of Kensington, Bizarre and Second City, and it makes me sad that my own kids are not getting the same uniquely Canadian influence. My teenager has boycotted the CBC for ignoring him and his generation, we get Leafs TV and don't need HNIC. We feel forgotten and unless more people like Robb Wells and the Canadian Tax Payers who fund the CBC to the tune of $950 Million a year, stand up and let it be known that we want more Canadian Content. As it stands, the future of Canadian Television is on Life Support.
Sincerely,
Stephanie
I know alot of what I have written about jPod is repeated in the above, but I just can't seem to help myself. What started out as just me being upset over the shows' cancellation by the CBC, has apparently evolved into an awakening of the deeper workings of Media in Canada. Maybe it's because I was a part of the 80's Generation, the first to ever receive the spoils of a prosperous, modern society. Footloose and Fancy-Free we were, watching the best Saturday Morning line-ups, ever, on Colour TVs. We drank in every commercial that beckoned to us. And when we begged our parents to buy us all that crap, they actually did. No one flinched twice while we professed our love to one of the guys from Degrassi, or that we would perform our own Bob and Doug Mackenzie "Great White North" skits in the schoolyard at recess.
One of the highlights of my young life was when my friends' uncle(?) came to our school - with the Littlest Hobo Huskies. About 5 different dogs played Hobo, and I was so excited - I couldn't believe I was actually seeing the Littlest Hobo! You can't deny it, TV had that kind of effect on us, it means something to us - I am a product of my environment. When the escape to the Tube is a wonderful experience, we embrace it. We look forward to seeing the familiar cast of characters, and when they are dismissed by executives, we miss them. It's not cheesy, it's human.
I hadn't noticed that compared to when I was a kid, the amount of Canadian Content that I regularly watched had dwindled to almost non-existent. It's been so long since anything on the CBC was worth my while. Yes, I watch it for my man Don Cherry, and The Rick Mercer Report, but they're not a Series. The first CBC show I watched regularly since probably The Edison Twins was The Tournament, and that was cancelled too.
I didn't mean it, honestly. Somewhere around the age of 15 the CBC failed to offer me anything meaningful. Maybe that's why jPod's cancellation is stinging me more. Unless you're a kid watching The Doodlebops, or Auntie Martha watching Heartland, there is nothing. Nothing for us who grew up loving the weekly sitcom and drama. And please, I don't want to hear the argument of Sophie and MVP: The Secret Lives of Hockey Wives. Stick each of those shows in American settings and they will blend right in.
So this is me waking up. Waking up to the fact that my own Teenager does not watch one Canadian show. Waking up to the fact that if things don't change now, Canadian TV will be ultimately lost, drowning in a Sea Of American Fluff. Don't get me wrong, I tune into a few, Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, face it, you can't go wrong with Joe Mantegna and Anthony La Paglia, but for the most part I could live without programming from south of the border. I tend to not get too attached to American television, after Joss Whedon's Firefly was cancelled I lost faith in networks, they are all about ratings, quality be damned. Was I crazy to believe that the CBC should be different than FOX?
I'm busy, immersed in the lives of my kids and husband. "Me Time" is rare and I am thankful that I can escape the whirlwind of my days to a really great show. My DVR records them so I can watch whenever it is convenient for me. We can't ignore that Entertainment is an important part of our lives and who we are. And if mostly everything we watch is not Made in Canada, then, just who are we? Really.
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