The Canadian corner of the blogosphere is abuzz about yesterday’s report that the CBC will be slashing 800 jobs and selling their body parts for money. So many people have been laid off across all the industries, but cuts to the CBC hurt all of us, not just those who were once on its payroll.
I’ve been doing some database work for CBC Radio* since last fall, so I’ve spoken to a bunch of its producers over email and phone. I wanted to email my condolences, but it’s not really my place, nor do I know if any of them were directly or indirectly affected by layoffs. Or maybe the emails would bounce right back, which is a scarier possibility.
Because I am a lazy bastard who can’t do more than one thing at a time, I haven’t billed them yet for the work I’ve done this year, but this week seems like a bad time to do it. I wish I were rich enough to just donate that time to them, because I’ve been ridiculously proud to say to people that I’ve done work for the CBC. Surely this makes me extra-Canadian?
My love for Canadian content has grown since the CBC started publishing their podcasts a few years ago. If you’d told me before this that I, as an atheist, would be deliberately listening to a podcast about religion and spirituality on a weekly basis, I would have denied any chance of that ever happening.
And they put out all the great indie music from Radio 3, and the science news at Quirks and Quarks (Bob McDonald is my hero: Wonderstruck was one of my favourite shows as a kid). Vinyl Cafe was the podcast I most looked forward to, though despite the infinite awesomeness of Stuart McLean, I find myself liking other CBC programs more. I really had no idea our radio was this good.
Have any of you seen Being Erica on Wednesdays on CBCTV? It’s actually good! I know, I was surprised too. Let’s hope they don’t prematurely cancel it like they did jPod.
I know we’re entering a Depression and things have to change, but it saddens me to think what we’re losing in our arts and national identity with cuts to our crown corporation. The CBC is just so Canadian, if for no other reason than it is capable of laughing at itself:
(Thanks to my friend Mel for the link). If you’re confused, it’s a comedian and a news anchor pretending to be the other person. I wish I still had access to the great parodies This Hour has made of Stuart McLean, they were priceless too.
*In case you ask, no, I can’t take over CBC Radio via their databases. Other friends already asked, and so far my answers have disappointed them.
I agree – it’s really sad to see so many cuts at the CBC. Isn’t the government supposed to be *creating* jobs in a Depression? Wouldn’t funding the CBC, thus preserving all this good stuff and keeping people employed be a good way to do that?
I love Being Erica…I hope it’ll be back for another season! If not, I hope 22 Minutes stays funny
It’s very sad. CBC radio has been a cornerstone of my life since I was a child. I can’t imagine Canada without the CBC. I was dreaming, the other day, that I had won the lottery. I donated all my winnings to the CBC.
i briefly worked for R3 many years ago and thus fulfilled my inner cbc fangirl. cbc cuts are stupid.
Ian Hanomansing can’t help but enunciate properly. He is pretty bad as a rapper comedian guy.
While I enjoy Radio One, some facets of the CBC ‘financial crisis’ confuse me. For example, why are huge amounts of money spent west of the Lakehead on French-language over-the-air radio and TV broadcasts? This seems like a waste of precious funds. In this day and age, anyone at home in Vancouver who wants to listen to or watch French-language broadcasts could easily do so over the internet. Anyone who wants to listen to French programming in the car could easily download and play podcasts – Just as anyone who wants to listen to Italian in their car could do. I say shut down these money pits and direct these funds elsewhere.
I’d even make the same argument for English-language over-the-air broadcasts in some parts of Quebec.
@Garth I don’t think it would be as funny if Hanomansing had done a better job of the impression; we expect news anchors to be a certain way. Who knows, maybe he was playing himself playing Shaun Majumder?
@Geoff G I’ve thought the same thing about the French broadcasts in Vancouver. I figured it was a principle thing (we’re a bilingual country, etc.), as opposed to actually useful. Perhaps principles need to be pushed aside when money’s not aplenty.