Archive for the ‘CBC’ Category

Radio-Canada will amend its code of conduct, to remove mention of accountability that reeks of totalitarianism.

OTTAWA — Radio-Canada announced it will amend its new code of conduct to remove the requirement that the state broadcaster’s journalists support ministers in their accountability to Parliament and Canadians.

“We realize this issue caused a lot of reaction on the part of our journalists, in the media in general, as well as in the general population,” CBC president Hubert Lacroix wrote in a May 4 memo to employees.

The union representing the French CBC’s communications workers filed a grievance last month, objecting to the requirement that employees serve the public interest by “loyally carrying out the lawful decisions of their leaders and supporting ministers in their accountability to Parliament and Canadians.”

Bloc Quebecois MP Jean-Francois Fortin complained that the code of conduct “reek[ed] of totalitarianism.”

“How can the government justify the fact that it is secretly trying to make CBC the new Pravda? I am asking the government to allow CBC to maintain its independence,” Fortin said in the House of Commons last week.

[Click here for the background]

Remember a few days ago I told you about this?

OTTAWA - Radio-Canada journalists say they won’t help the minister responsible for the state broadcaster be more accountable to Canadian taxpayers.

The union representing the French CBC’s communications workers filed a grievance earlier this month, objecting to a new code of conduct that, among other things, asks employees to serve the public interest by “Loyally carrying out the lawful decisions of their leaders and supporting ministers in their accountability to Parliament and Canadians.”

The union called this requirement “offensive”. And wouldn’t you know it, this Bloc MP, Jean-Francois Fortin, agrees!

Mr. Speaker, May 3 is World Press Freedom Day. According to UNESCO, it is a day to alert the public and make people more aware of this cause. And so, I am sounding the alarm. A new code of conduct has been imposed on CBC, requiring journalists to support ministers in their accountability to Parliament and Canadians. If journalists fail to abide by this new code of conduct, they may be subject to disciplinary measures up to and including immediate dismissal. This reeks of totalitarianism.
How can the government justify the fact that it is secretly trying to make CBC the new Pravda? I am asking the government to allow CBC to maintain its independence. The government already has Sun TV News.

Oh yes. We here at Sun News are known around the world for going easy on the minister responsible for the CBC… I mean, check this one out:

You think I’m kidding:

OTTAWA - Radio-Canada journalists say they won’t help the minister responsible for the state broadcaster be more accountable to Canadian taxpayers.

The union representing the French CBC’s communications workers filed a grievance earlier this month, objecting to a new code of conduct that, among other things, asks employees to serve the public interest by “Loyally carrying out the lawful decisions of their leaders and supporting ministers in their accountability to Parliament and Canadians.”

This new code of conduct came into force April 2 and replaced the old rules that dated from November 2006.

Union president Alex Levasseur said the requirement to support ministers in their accountability to Parliament is offensive and amounts to an oath of allegiance to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s ministers. Radio-Canada employees should not be subject to political influence, and Levasseur does not think the $1.1 billion in public funding the state broadcaster receives annually creates a special obligation to be accountable to Canadians through Parliament. He added that Radio-Canada had always been at arms’ length from the government and that the new code of conduct put that healthy distance in jeopardy.

UPDATE: The Quebec federation of professional journalists also objects (story in French).

Here’s Brian Lilley getting emotional about the CBC cuts. Think he’s overdoing it?

Yeah, maybe a bit. I was having some issues myself containing the bleeding of my heart Thursday morning. But hey. I don’t think Brian or I could ever overdo it as much as Liberal MP Scott Simms, who complained in the House of Commons that the wolves were at the door. THE WOLVES!!! AT THE DOOR!!! (it’s at 1:20 in the following clip). Also notice the woman at the beginning who says that it would break her heart to go from beautiful music to car commercial… Wondering: How much klleenex can we buy with $115 million? Will it be enough?