Monday, June 20, 2011

A Good Year For The CBC

With record ratings during the Stanley Cup playoffs, the CBC's Hockey Night In Canada franchise raked in a boat load of revenue this spring. I don't know exactly how much they made, but I did hear Peter Mansbridge on CBC radio about 2 weeks ago saying that it was a very significant amount. If the CBC brought in substantial amounts of revenue this spring, does this mean we can reduce their tax payer funding next budget? They made lots of money, so we should give them less tax money. The things I've been reading from James Moore since the election has me discouraged that cuts will be coming anytime soon, which may be some advanced form of Stockholm Syndrome. The CBC has long been anti-Conservative, and many Tories would like to see them privatized, and yet our new Tory majority is increasing their funding. Can they even survive without the tax tit? As long as Canadian hockey franchises continue to succeed in the playoffs there will be a strong source of revenue, but most of their other programming is so terrible it is painful to watch. HNC and Dragon's Den are currently carrying the network.

5 comments:

  1. I assume the Conservatives have plans for CBC,and that said plan includes replacing the management with their own people.

    CBC should pay it's own way. In these times a billion dollar boondoggle for the Toronto/Montreal/Vancouver arts community is particularly unpalatable to us peasants.

    Harper/Moore must find managers who can turn the corporation around,managers who have a mandate to clean house if necessary,and implement sweeping changes.

    This isn't the booming 'fifties anymore, and we are looking at even leaner times for the average Canadian taxpayer, the government cannot justify maintaining a business that continuously loses money.

    They sold CN Rail and Petro-Canada,and CN probably did a lot more for national unity than CBC. Let's give it the good old college try with new management,and if they haven't succeeded after five years, sell it to the highest bidder.

    Maybe China would be interested,they wouldn't even have to change the call sign.

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  2. You neglected to add that the Ont. PCs contributed to that revenue.

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  3. Don't wait five years, the CBC employees can put their money where their mouth is and buy it with their pension funds and bank accounts.

    Or sell HNC, the only program of any value at CBC and sell off all of the hard assets and real estate.

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  4. Ya know.. I gotta say that no matter what CBC does, they enrage me. Here in Manitoba, there were repeated government commercials aired during period intermissions of the Stanley Cup final. One was by the Manitoba Teachers Society advocating for smaller class sizes (i.e more teachers) and the other was by the provincial NDP government proposing that the Canadian Wheat Board should remain intact and unchanged. This is the increased revenue from higher ratings? Taxpayer funded commercials on the taxpayer funded broadcaster? Pure bastards. I'm watching TSN from now on.

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  5. By 2014 we all will be watching TSN/CTV because the state broadcaster won't be able to compete for the marquee Saturday slots when the contract expires.

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