Mr. William B. Chambers
Vice-President, Communications
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
P.O. Box 3220, Station C
Ottawa, ON
K1Y 1E4
Dear Bill:
Thanks for the welcome news in your January 27th letter that your regional/local strategy represents 100% of the new operating funding that CBC is currently seeking from the federal government.
We trust that your local/regional submission is consistent with the Heritage Committee's instruction that "it is incumbent upon the CBC to ensure that levels of local programming – based on local needs – are delivered to audiences". Generating radio and television network shows outside Toronto and Montreal does not meet this test.
Several members of the Heritage Committee shared our interpretation of President Rabinovitch's November 15th remarks as did a November 16th Ottawa Citizen story which referred to spending "$75 million over the next three years on regional TV programs". We note that this story was not corrected by the CBC.
As well, we copied Rabinovitch on our December 9th letter to Minister Frulla in which we stated that "we are troubled by recent statements to the press by CBC's President Robert Rabinovitch indicating that CBC plans to ask you for additional funding to be allocated 80% for network services and only 20% for regional services". No one from CBC corrected us on that occasion either.
A CBC that pays attention to its Broadcasting Act mandate to serve the special needs of Canada's regions would balance network with grassroots radio and TV programs in news, current affairs, drama, music, variety and amateur sports, presented during peak listening and viewing periods. As well, major gaps in geographic coverage would be addressed and the second-class service provided by affiliated stations would be terminated.
That's the challenge we hope CBC will address.
Yours sincerely,
Ian Morrison
Spokesperson
cc: Robert Rabinovitch
Hon. Liza Frulla, PC, MP
Prime Minister’s Office