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CBC short-circuits decision to revamp newscasts
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) has reversed a decision announced Monday morning to streamline local news across the three territories into one northern newscast.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) has reversed a decision announced Monday morning to streamline local news across the three territories into one northern newscast.
The initial decision, announced via a widely-publicized letter from CBC North managing director Janice Stein promising “pan Northern English AM newscasts,” was met with widespread backlash.
The intended change would have centralized all northern news to one cast based in Yellowknife. Stein told staff the decision would “help reporters meet the priority to file for more platforms,” with increased focus on social media coverage.
CBC Yukon staff spoke out against the decision Tuesday, reporting that staff members felt “blind-sided” by the decision.
The planned cuts to local news were condemned in the Yukon legislature Tuesday, with letters and motions from all corners of the house requesting a reversal of the decision.
Premier Sandy Silver tabled a letter addressed to the premiers of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. It requested a unified front against the decision that would “negatively impact residents in all three territories.”
A letter from interim Opposition Leader Stacey Hassard to Yukon MP Larry Bagnell said the streamlining of news would “result in reduced and diluted news service and coverage for northerners.”
The letter asked that the federal government intervene with the CBC’s plan.
Four motions to the same effect were tabled in the house by the three parties.
Widespread criticism of the CBC’s decision populated social media streams Tuesday.
Listeners called the decision “short-sighted,” contrary to reconciliation efforts and a symptom of upper management decision-making without knowledge of the vast differences among the territories in an onslaught of posts Monday and Tuesday.
CBC reported this morning that the decision had been suddenly reversed through an email by Stein to staff.
“Overall the response we received from staff and the community was not supportive of the change,” Stein wrote.
She added that the initial plans were made with the “best of intentions.”
Multiple CBC North staff members expressed relief at the reversal on Twitter this morning.
“This shows the power people can have when they speak up,” wrote Mackenzie Scott, a CBC reporter based in Inuvik.
“I’ve been in awe of both my co-workers and the public for voicing their opinions so fiercely, and happy that everyone was heard.”
Kaila Jefferd-Moore, a CBC Yukon reporter who spoke out in the initial coverage of the decision, expressed “a wholehearted thank you to the overwhelming support from the public in expressing their disappointment with the initial change; to all the CBC North staff who spoke up both internally and publicly.”
Long-time CBC Yukon veteran Nancy Thomson called the decision reversal “a great day for journalism in all three northern territories.”
See p. 9 for letters written and prepared for publication prior to the CBC policy reversal announced this morning.
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Comments (11)
Up 0 Down 1
Mike on Dec 18, 2019 at 2:24 pm
Defund the CBC and let their business plan dictate their success or failure. The bias is gross and very obvious, those who defend the CBC as fair and balanced are just delusional. They are still hiding from doing a story on adverse drug reactions since the Libs came in, right before that they were chomping at the bit to do it. They sue the conservatives for copyright infringement when it is the same as what other parties do. Just listen to the difference in questions to a Conservative compared to a Liberal. I just watched the media attack the conservatives when they said our economy is in a dire state because Morneau says everything is fine.
We are going deep into debt and then giving billions away to other countries while Canadas services are failing. Our vets are treated poorly because they are asking for more than the government wants to give. It is disgusting to watch the glowing looks in Ms.Bartons face when gazing into Trudeau's eyes and then having her name on the court filings.They constantly blast the U.S. president and then allow Mr.Trudeau to get away with gross situations that they would never allow the U.S president the same courtesy.
When they refuse to do any story to address the lack of a policy for adverse drug reactions, the fourth leading cause of death in Canada and let patients be treated horrifically to protect their Liberal financiers, it becomes obvious that they are no voice of the people. 580,000 Canadians are ignored because our leaders can't think on their feet. When patients are thrown under the bus to protect a government image, it becomes obvious that journalistic integrity has been sold off. The fourth leading cause of death in Canada and once you are injured, you are dismissed as there is no policy for even one ADR ever happening in Canada. Just more drugs for a drug related injury.
The MSM isn't interested in bringing stories like this public and when suicides are four times more likely to occur with these injuries, they are no voice of the people. Hahaha. If you don't think there is bias in media, you are probably a Liberal...
Up 25 Down 2
Anie on Nov 22, 2019 at 7:20 am
CBC lumps all stories or events involving any Northern community, including northern Quebec, Manitoba, Ontario, or any indigenous story anywhere, to be “Northern”. In reality, and especially considering the geographical distances, there is very little commonality. It’s just lazy reporting strategy, Fill up the time with stories that aren’t at all pertinent.
Up 17 Down 6
Yukoner32 on Nov 21, 2019 at 10:11 pm
@Juniper Sorry Juniper. All of the conservative politicians in Yukon believe it should stay open, just as the Liberals and NDP.
Up 13 Down 16
Lynx on Nov 21, 2019 at 10:09 pm
@JC It can't be that liberal slanted, I just saw a Facebook ad where Brad Cathers was proudly standing up for the CBC. Plus in the legislature other "conservative" Yukon Party guys were also standing up for the CBC. So either the Yukon Party aren't real conservatives, or the CBC is just a good neutral news source.
Up 16 Down 9
Miles Epanhauser on Nov 21, 2019 at 8:42 pm
Juniper, I have never seen a CBC employee smoking outside their office.
Like most offices that have deadlines people often drink coffee.
I find your comments in this matter to be sketchy.
This is not my real name but let me say I have great respect for CBC staff and the programs they deliver in the Yukon.
Up 14 Down 1
CJ on Nov 21, 2019 at 8:41 pm
Funny how CBC North management hit on the exact reason I tune in to CBC local in the morning, the newscasts, and did their best to get rid of it. The walk back isn't exactly inspiring confidence. Whether they're trying to save face or what, it kind of sounds like, we're going to consult until we figure out a better way to do what we want. If it had gone ahead, or does, then I would say, stop funding the CBC. They don't know what their mandate is anymore.
Just how much programming do they think they can get out of the communities? It's like a recipe for no more politics. Crafts, social problems, the odd Colourful 5 Percent story? How patronizing. I think we're well-served enough in that department.
Whenever they default to Yellowknife, I turn it off, and that's no exaggeration. If they can't budget for Whitehorse staff on weekends and when Dave White is away, I'd rather hear programming from Vancouver, to be honest.
Up 42 Down 12
Groucho d'North on Nov 21, 2019 at 1:37 pm
I submit, cut all taxpayer funding used to support the slanted views of the CBC and its management and see how long they last like all the other private broadcasters in Canada by appealing to sponsors who will buy advertising to pay for their operations. CBC already is permitted to compete in the private sector advertising market but they have the added advantage of taxpayer support. IF the CBC is any good, they should have a sizeable market share to pay the bills and not need the continued support of the tax-payers.
Up 21 Down 62
Juniper Jackson on Nov 21, 2019 at 7:00 am
To condense the 3 territories into one news release area, was a good idea. The CBC nationally is a mouthpiece for the sitting government. Not much good for anything, and programming sucks. The Whitehorse office covers Yukon news about 10 minutes after the Star and CKRW print the news. They can be found standing outside the building smoking and drinking coffee most of the day. Close it. That's a savings to the taxpayer.
Up 76 Down 2
Jack on Nov 21, 2019 at 1:04 am
I'm not in broadcasting and even I could tell that this was a poor decision. Why are taxpayers footing the salary for this managerial incompetence.
To me it sounds like Stein doesn't know the topic at all.
Up 68 Down 18
jc on Nov 20, 2019 at 9:13 pm
Now if the CBC would just give non partisan news reports instead of a steady flow of left wing liberal reporting and give the right wing equal opinion, perhaps many such as myself might go back to it. The CBC is funded by all tax payers - right wing and left wing to the tune of approximately 1 1/4 billion bucks an year. So, balanced reporting is a definite requirement. Of course that would require hiring some conservative TV and on the air news reporters and commentaries. Is that too much to ask? Or demand?
Up 63 Down 4
Al on Nov 20, 2019 at 3:30 pm
This is not the first 'bad' decision that has come from Janice Stein. Somehow she feels obligated to fix what is not broken. Perhaps she needs to find a place that tolerates this kind of interference in northern cultures and go back south from whence she came. What we do not appreciate here in the North is social-engineering.