Survey finds Islanders upset with CBC cuts by Dave Stewart

by Dave Stewart

A survey released Friday indicates 37 per cent of Islanders are less likely to vote Liberal in the federal election because of cuts to regional CBC suppertime news programs.

The findings emerge from a survey of Atlantic Canadians conducted earlier this week by COMPAS Inc. for the University of King's College School of Journalism in Halifax and the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting.

"Islanders clearly want the MPs they send to Ottawa to fight hard to restore regional television news services like Compass, even though they expect more cuts in the future,'' said Ian Morrison, spokesperson for Friends of Canadian Broadcasting.

Seventy-seven per cent of Island voters think it's important for MPs from P.E.I. to make the restoration of Compass a high priority when they go to Ottawa, while 60 per cent expect further cuts.

"This survey confirms our view that CBC can no longer adequately cover Atlantic Canada now that regional CBC programs have been merged with the national program Canada Now,'' says Stephen Kimber, director of Journalism at Kings College.

Fifty-six per cent of Islanders regard the time CBC devotes to provincial news to be inadequate.

Morrison also noted that there is clearly a void in covering sports and regional stories on Compass.

"What has dropped off almost completely is events that happen in nearby New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland,'' Morrison said.

The vast majority of Atlantic Canadians lay the blame squarely at the foot of the federal Liberals. Fifty-three per cent assign responsibility to the Chrétien government, up from 47 per cent when asked the same question in June.

"CBC president Robert Rabinovitch has said the CBC is not a financial priority of the Liberal government in Ottawa (and) Atlantic Canadians seem to agree,'' Morrison said.

However, when the federal government hinted at more money being given to the CBC, Rabinovitch wouldn't promise the money would go to suppertime news programs.

And while announcing the survey results were intended to make an impact with candidates in the federal election campaign, the issue has barely been mentioned.

That said, Morrison hopes the survey serves as a wakeup call of sorts.

"What we have identified is that this is a burning issue with Atlantic Canadians,'' Morrison said. "Despite the fact there is all this other noise with other issues ... the issue with CBC is still there.''

Friends will begin a regional advertising campaign next week challenging candidates to make the restoration of CBC regional television news programs a priority.

COMPAS Inc. surveyed 400 Atlantic Canadians (100 people in each province). Results of a sample of this size are considered accurate to within plus or minus five per cent (upwards of 10 per cent on P.E.I.), 95 per cent of the time.

© The Guardian (Charlottetwon)