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Post by snacky on Jul 25, 2014 3:46:28 GMT
This article really made me think about the meaning of "public television": www.the-peak.ca/2014/07/how-to-save-the-cbc/The US has had a similar battle going on for some years related to the funding for or ("defunding of") public radio (NPR - National Public Radio and public television (PBS - the Public Broadcasting System). Like the CBC, these institutions are funded by a mix of resources. Here's a chart from 2009:  After a TV show on PBS, you usually see a bunch of prominent sponsors, and when I was growing up, this is how you got to know who the really rich philanthropist families were in the US. The Rockefellers, the Carnegies, the Annenbergs, etc. Some rightwing extremists (associated with our conservative/GOP/Republican party) started to take note that those same sponsors were also giving to the Democratic party. Therefore, there "public television" must actually be Socialist Democrat party propaganda. They have been attacking the use of their tax dollars for "public media" ever since. This is known as the "culture wars". Unfortunately we Americans cannot talk about PBS promoting our "setting and values" in the same way CBC might justify it's one role in Canadian culture. American culture is already quite well defined: in fact the rest of the world needs to be defended from our global incursion. I don't think we should go down the "values" road either: that just leads to some nutcase blowing up abortion clinics. Americans tend to try to justify PBS in terms of a global diplomatic mission that somehow educates Americans at the same time. We all know Americans are profoundly under-educated by the burnt out remains of an institution that seems to have failed long ago. But Americans also watch way too much TV, and there's always the chance they will watch PBS. That's really our only justification. |
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Post by lovemondays on Jul 25, 2014 17:17:21 GMT
Thanks for the link. A very interesting article. It highlights not only the CBC funding issues, but also, the great debate about its relevance to our political and cultural landscape. Personally, I think we need the CBC. This is an immense country with no other (relatively) unbiased link. If the CBC were to go the privatized route, the far north would be (quite literally) left out in the cold and the very different political leanings of the east vs. west would have no common voice. The more I hear, the more uneasy I get.
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Post by snacky on Jul 25, 2014 21:49:06 GMT
Thanks for the link. A very interesting article. It highlights not only the CBC funding issues, but also, the great debate about its relevance to our political and cultural landscape. Personally, I think we need the CBC. This is an immense country with no other (relatively) unbiased link. If the CBC were to go the privatized route, the far north would be (quite literally) left out in the cold and the very different political leanings of the east vs. west would have no common voice. The more I hear, the more uneasy I get. Also, I think Canada needs a unified face to present to the rest of the world. Before watching MM I really didn't think of Canada much: I think I had some vague ideas about Mounties in red uniforms and healthcare. Seriously, that's it. I knew Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal were cities in Canada. I would be hard pressed to name another one. If the CBC can host and support shows like Murdoch Mysteries and develop a unified picture of "Canadian Identity", I think it would not only solidify things a lot for Canadians - it would provide other people around the world with a "working idea" of Canada. And this "working idea" might become a destination for tourism or a backdrop for entertainment: it has business value. Frankly just the idea that Canadians have values or want to have values is attractive to me. Sometimes American freedom can turn into a trashy devaluation of everything and a childish snicker at getting away with crap. Canadians seem more mature in a way. Anyway, I wonder what happened to "Toronto the Good", lol. I still want to visit!  |
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Post by lovemondays on Jul 25, 2014 22:07:34 GMT
You're right about the unified face for the rest of the world. Part of our problem is a lack of what really constitutes "The Canadian Identity". Perhaps one of the reasons Americans have no sense of Canadians is that we haven't nailed it down ourselves. The best Canadian jokes are more about who we're not rather than who we are. I can say though, that Canadians know we are not American cousins. It probably comes from 200 more years of British rule. IMO, the closest we've ever come to a national sense of unity and pride was during the Vancouver Olympics. That was AWESOME!
CBC's mandate includes Canadian programming but at what expense? Aboriginal newscasts, radio broadcasts? At the rate our federal gov't is cutting funds the only way to save the CBC is a new government and/or a national referendum.
You can name another Canadian city....Winnipeg!
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Post by snacky on Jul 25, 2014 22:17:27 GMT
that Canadians know we are not American cousins. It probably comes from 200 more years of British rule. IMO, the closest we've ever come to a national sense of unity and pride was during the Vancouver Olympics. That was AWESOME! CBC's mandate includes Canadian programming but at what expense? Aboriginal newscasts, radio broadcasts? At the rate our federal gov't is cutting funds the only way to save the CBC is a new government and/or a national referendum. You can name another Canadian city....Winnipeg! lol, I know Winnipeg now, too, hahaha. And Ottawa! Murdoch Mysteries does put Canada closer to the British Empire for me, which is part of why I like it. (I do realize Quebec wasn't part of that). It will probably take some effort to shed the notion that you're America North. Maybe you shouldn't wait around for the Olympics or another World's Fair. It sounds like you had a blast during your Multicultural week. Those festivals are what create unity, I think. Oh I forgot to mention the t-shirt I saw in San Francisco this weekend at the JPop festival that made the Canadian instantly recognizable (Hi there, Canadian!). He was wearing a red t-shirt with a giant EH? on it! |
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Post by lovemondays on Jul 25, 2014 22:27:26 GMT
Expo was the last World's Fair held in Canada, I think, and that was in 1967! Definitely time for another one. We have the 2015 Pan Am games coming to Toronto so that is something at least.
Oh, Toronto is still Toronto the Good. Just because the mayor is an idiot doesn't mean the city has gone to hell in a handbasket!
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Post by snacky on Jul 25, 2014 22:50:52 GMT
Expo was the last World's Fair held in Canada, I think, and that was in 1967! Definitely time for another one. We have the 2015 Pan Am games coming to Toronto so that is something at least. I think those Expos and World Fairs take too long to cycle around. Half the time they flop and become a financial disaster, too. I don't see why countries don't just seize the initiative and throw their own International/Global/Exhibit/Pride/Tourism thingies. If your read about the the American Columbian Exhibition, that certainly shaped my country's identity and future. Buuu, now I'm bumming that there's no sign of William and Julia going to Osaka.  LOL, well I think you should point that up a little big more! In the mess of a world we've got right now, I think people would like to discover a Good place. Especially if it's not a crazy Bible-thumping one like what you get every time you try to bring up values in America. If you've got it, flaunt it! |
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