Tuesday, 24 March 2020

'We totally understand the frustration': CBC president defends local TV news suspension amid pandemic

https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies




Replying to @alllibertynews and 49 others


Methinks Catherine Tait and all her lawyers should have answered hard copy sent by courier in 2002 and definitely not ignored my emails over the years since and certainly returned my phone calls N'esy Pas?



https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2020/03/we-totally-understand-frustration-cbc.html







https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/we-totally-understand-the-frustration-cbc-president-defends-local-tv-news-suspension-amid-pandemic-1.5508146



'We totally understand the frustration': CBC president defends local TV news suspension amid pandemic

'Local news is absolutely at the core of what we do,' says Catherine Tait



CBC Radio · Posted: Mar 24, 2020 1:58 PM ET



Catherine Tait, president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, says the decision to suspend local TV news amid the COVID-19 pandemic was not taken 'lightly.' (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

CBC/Radio-Canada President and CEO Catherine Tait says Canadians will be seeing more of their local television news hosts during the supper hour starting Tuesday.

The public broadcaster came under fire last week after announcing evening and late-night TV newscasts would be temporarily suspended in favour of consolidated news coverage from CBC News Network during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local radio and digital news were unaffected by the change.

"We were basically managing an unbelievable volume of incoming news feeds from across the country and central control, as it were, was overloaded. So we took a decision in real time in order to preserve our core service," Tait told The Current's Matt Galloway on Tuesday morning.



"We had to do it to stabilize the systems, and since that date [March 17] ... we have been restoring more and more local news each day."

In a release published Tuesday afternoon, CBC announced that it would offer "an expanded 30-minute local news segment on CBC News Network" starting Wed., March 25. The public broadcaster added that over the course of this week and next, "we will make every effort to have all of the dedicated local shows back up on the main network."
CBC News' editor-in-chief Brodie Fenlon said in a note published on CBCNews.ca Friday that on March 16, the broadcaster carried 37 live press briefings from across the country.

"A typical day would see us broadcast about eight of these 'lives,'" he wrote.

On the same day, CBC also faced a staffing shortage with employees out sick and isolating or working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic, he added.

Tait spoke with Galloway about the decision to suspend local supper-hour TV newscasts, how it affects Canadians and what changes are now being implemented. Here is part of that conversation.



Do you understand the anger that people felt across the country when this decision was made?

Oh, absolutely. There is nothing more important than the services we provide to local communities. It is raison d'etre of the public broadcaster, Matt, and we totally understand the frustration.

You can imagine the strain that we were feeling as we took that decision. We didn't take it lightly. We were really trying to preserve the core service so that we would really be able to continue to operate.

This has been an unprecedented time not just for the CBC, but for all Canadians, and we're all dealing and adjusting to the pressures as they come in.

The unprecedented nature of it, though, would lead some people to expect that their public broadcaster would be able to give us comprehensive coverage to this as possible. 
 
The Premier of P.E.I. Dennis King said that CBC News Compass is the only local daily TV news program in P.E.I. Our mandate is to inform people. 


My statement on @CBCNews’s decision to end local programming including @CBCPEI






How can we inform people if, for example, folks on P.E.I. don't have local news to be able to digest — to be able to learn about what's happening in their own community?

Well, I should just say ... since you mention it, we do provide news on a whole lot of other platforms — as you well know, radio being number one, but also on digital platforms. So we've supplemented local information and local news on those platforms. And as I said, we are restoring local television supper hours as I speak to you now.

You have said, and this has been pointed out by a number of people, that local is in many ways at the heart of the organization. These are your words: "There is nothing more important than local stories and local news. If Canadians aren't reflected in where they are, wherever they are, we aren't doing our job." 

We've heard that MPs from across the country have apparently been receiving feedback on this, have been facing incoming pressure from their constituents of all parties. We've heard, as well [from] viewers, also listeners who say that we as a public broadcaster aren't doing our job. Have you been surprised at the outpouring of support for these programs?

Well, I have to say, of course we understand the frustration and we understand the disappointment. But I think we've been very clear we did not take this decision lightly. It was taken as we our systems were possibly failing us.

And so, again, they were not designed for managing the volume of news that we were trying to to manage.



So, of course, we're back. Local news is absolutely at the core of what we do.
Do CBC News Network and The National really have the resources to cover local news about COVID-19 in the kind of detail that that families and communities and individuals would need in those communities to stay safe.

Well, as I said, we have — I'm not sure I can fully understand your question, Matt — we have these amazing CBC journalists and technicians on the ground in those communities.

And even though many have gone home — we follow the directives of the government; about 40 per cent of our workforce is at home right now — but they're filing stories remotely on radio and online. So just to be clear, we still have our people in the communities covering those stories and reporting back to to their communities and reflecting their community.

The lobby group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting is saying that the real problem here isn't an individual issue. It's not about what's happening during this pandemic. It's that technical resources are centralized in Toronto because of chronic underfunding and generations of CBC management teams that regard local news as expendable. What would you say in that?

Well, I'm sorry, I just simply think that's not a correct interpretation. We as a broadcaster, like many broadcasters, I would say probably like most broadcasters, have automated our systems not because of cutbacks but because it's more efficient to do so.



We have an amazing system and it's worked impeccably for the last 10 years. Nobody — and I have to say to friends — nobody could plan for an unprecedented event like this coronavirus crisis.

So as I said earlier, we've adjusted, we've stabilized the system and we're back.
 
CBC/Radio-Canada are making both English and French 24-hour news services available for free online and via TV distributors during the coronavirus pandemic. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)
We've seen other public broadcasters — you take a look at what the BBC is doing in the midst of this, and they're in some ways expanding programming. 

They have coronavirus podcasts, they have science programming, they have a programming about how to speak to kids and how to answer the questions that kids might have. 

How does what we are doing here compare to what other public broadcasters are doing in the midst of this crisis?

I should say we've been talking to our colleagues across the planet, and we've done many of the same things. So we've mobilized our units on all platforms.



We've got dedicated COVID-19 information. We've also made our services free and accessible. So working with our amazing cable companies: Bell, Shaw, Cogego and others. CBC News Network and RDI are available free to all Canadians.
We've opened up our educational platforms — you might not know, it's called Curio.ca, which normally just delivers programming to educational institutions and libraries. We've opened that up so all Canadians with kids at home can be looking at that more educational content.

We've turned around our morning schedule from 7:00 a.m. to noon [with] ad-free kids programming to help families deal with a lot of kids at home.

Some really great local initiative, speaking about the importance of local. Our Ottawa station here has invited kids to report from home. So we've got a whole lot of kids that are now training as correspondents. We've also added about 250 hours of new kids content on [CBC] Gem.
Also importantly, we're helping our creators. You know, this has been a huge impact on the cultural community coast to coast to coast, so we've turned our radio weekday shows to 100 per cent Canadian music to support Canadian artists and musicians. We're looking at replacing hours and hours of hockey programming with more Canadian cultural programming.

So, you know, we're responding, as our colleagues are, to not just to bring the most important news and information on the virus and on what's happening and how our government is responding, but also helping to provide much needed entertainment and, you know, hopefully some relief the stress of this this event.

Just before I go, journalists don't want to be the story, they want to tell the story. We're now the story in some ways. And you have people, again, of all political stripes who are criticizing the CBC for this decision. Do you worry that this adds fuel to the fire of those who want to do away with the CBC entirely?

I am convinced — and I think the numbers show it — Canadians are coming to the CBC in numbers like we've never seen before. Whether it's The National, whether it's our .ca digital news, whether it's your show, Matt. We can see Canadians using our services like they never have before. And I count on that, and we stay focused on that. That's the most important thing we can do is to continue serving Canadians.


Q&A edited for length and clarity. Written by Jason Vermes. Produced by Julie Crysler.

  




271 Comments 





David Amos
Methinks Madame Tait and her lawyers should read my blog about her N'esy Pas?









David Amos
Content disabled 
'We totally understand the frustration'

Yea Right but you make comments go "Poof" anyway













Al Coughma
At least the CBC gets more Governor Generals than any other broad caster


David Amos 
Reply to @Al Coughma: Oh So True


Guy Smiley
Reply to @David Amos: it’s in lieu of severance! Bahahaha, good little human now go become a politician or serve on the senate! Just like cartoons!


David Amos 
Reply to @Al Coughma: Go Figure

PC Number: 2020-0067 Date: 2020-02-06

Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, fixes the remuneration, in the amount and on the date indicated in the annexed schedule, of:

Tait, Catherine, President of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, within the range CEO 7 ($390,300 - $459,100), effective April 1, 2019;

























David Amos
Methinks Catherine Tait and her lawyers are gonna enjoy my next email to them N'esy Pas? 


Gordon Burns
Reply to @David Amos:
on s'en fout...
  
David Amos
Reply to @Gordon Burns: Obviously you do




























John Melnick
Having first tuned into the CBC in the late 50's I can tell you unequivocally that they have morphed into an unabashed Liberal mouthpiece in the intervening years.

Not all their fault, early days they filled a need in this huge and widely dispersed country.

Now there's so much competition that they have little option other than rolling the dice on the one party that they both hope will be "the natural governing party".



David Amos
Reply to @John Melnick: Methinks Harper was the boss when this article was written N'esy Pas?

Fundy Royal campaign targets middle class with focus on jobs

Fundy Royal voters have elected Conservatives all but 1 time in 28 elections over 101 years
CBC News · Posted: Oct 17, 2015 6:00 AM AT | Last Updated: October 17, 2015

Four candidats are running in the federal riding of Fundy-Royal. Green candidate Stephanie Coburn, NDP candidate Jennifer McKenzie, Liberal candidate Alaina Lockhart and Conservative candidate Rob Moore. (Courtesy of Stephanie Coburn, Jennifer McKenzie/Facebook, Alaina Lockhart/Facebook, CBC)


David Amos
Reply to @John Melnick: Methinks anyone can Google Fundy Royal Debate to see how many candidates were truly running N'esy Pas?


David Amos
Reply to @John Melnick: Many Maritimers know that I first ran in Fundy Royal in 2004 even though most of the media ignored that fact. What most folks don't know is that my Brother in Law's law firm partner was the VP of the PC Party for the Maritimes who assisted Peter MacKay in merging with Harper's party before the writ was dropped. On June 19th, 2004 Harper and I crossed paths in Sussex NB, Methinks many people who witnessed Harper and I staring at each other that day would agree that not all of us are defeatist like Harper falsely claimed before the election and he did not win the mandate that time N'esy Pas?

jimmie jenkins
Reply to @John Melnick: u sound like a trump propagandist. how much were you paid to write this? Canada is not black and white. Have you ever been to Canada?


jimmie jenkins
Reply to @David Amos: this is not english it reads like "*&^Y^TTGIUYG(*&OLGIYGFG:OIUGF(P&"


David Amos
Reply to @jimmie jenkins: Methinks its way past time for your nap N'esy Pas?


John Melnick
Reply to @David Amos:
"Mr. Harper was quoted in a New Brunswick newspaper in May, 2002, as saying a federal government with a "can-do" attitude could end the pessimism that exists in the region.

"These things feed on each other," Mr. Harper said. "Atlantic Canada's culture of defeat will be hard to overcome as long as Atlantic Canada is actually physically trailing the rest of the country. When that starts to change, the culture will start to change, too."

I took it as a message of hope, misquoted. Just like the ".. an election is no time for discussing health care ......." that torpedoed Campbell.

Or Stanfield's football ..........



Al Coughma 
Reply to @John Melnick: Can Do is our form of nuclear reactor
David Amos
Reply to @John Melnick: Did you read what I said as I ran against Harper et al in 2004???


David Amos
Content disabled 
Reply to @Al Coughma: Methinks everybody knows that Melnick's hero Harper actually paid SNC-Lavalin to take us out of the reactor business after NB Power screwed up bigtime N'esy Pas?

AECL sold for $15M to SNC-Lavalin
Government could still earn future royalties from intellectual property rights
CBC News · Posted: Jun 29, 2011 4:31 PM ET

"The sale price was $15 million, but the government will have opportunity to get royalties down the road because it's keeping intellectual property rights, Oliver said. However, the government will also provide SNC up to $75 million to complete development of a new reactor called Enhanced Candu 6."



David Amos
Reply to @Al Coughma: Methinks folks would have enjoyed my reply to you but Madame Tait's minions did not like to be embarrassed when one quotes from their own work N'esy Pas?
























John Melnick
During the Harper years As It Happens pretty much lead off every night with an anti-Con story.

Pathetic, predictable political pandering.



David Amos 
Reply to @John Melnick: Methinks its par for the course in the wicked game N'esy Pas?


John Melnick 
Reply to @David Amos:
Except as a taxpayer I am being forced to fund an entity that works against my values and beliefs.



David Amos
Reply to @John Melnick: Methinks you should try running for public office 7 times then review what CBC says of you with your taxpayer funds like I did N'esy Pas?


John Melnick
Reply to @David Amos: Did you win or lose 7 times?


David Amos 
Reply to @John Melnick: I lost every time What is the point of your question? 
 
David Amos
Content disabled 
Reply to @John Melnick: How many times did this dude lose yet CBC writes about him CORRECT?

The biggest loser: John Turmel is making his 99th try for office this fall
'Quitters never win. Winners never quit.'
Jonathon Gatehouse · CBC News · Posted: Sep 09, 2019 3:26 PM ET



David Amos
Reply to @John Melnick: Methinks you should ask John Turmel why my reply to you went "Poof" N'esy Pas?


John Melnick
Reply to @David Amos: Sorry, not up for puzzles today.

Have a good one.



David Amos 

Content disabled
Reply to @John Melnick: Methinks you are not clever enough to play dumb and get away with it N'esy Pas?


David Amos 
Reply to @John Melnick: Another reply goes "Poof"???

Too Too funny Now CBC is defending its critics



jimmie jenkins 
Reply to @John Melnick: go back to American you tool


David Amos
Content disabled
Reply to @John Melnick: Methinks Trudeau defended CBC before I ran against him twice Anyone can find this in YouTube N'esy Pas?

Justin Trudeau on CBC funding
6,705 views
•Oct 23, 2014
q on cbc
176K subscribers
In this clip from his feature chat in Studio Q, Jian asks Justin Trudeau about what the future looks like for funding cultural institutions like libraries and the CBC.



David Amos
Reply to @John Melnick: WOW It even blocks what Trudeau had to say about this issue in 2014




























Tony Nobula
so this is the face of sensor ship


David Amos  
Reply to @Tony Nobula: BINGO 

Jim Rockfort (Spaceman )
Reply to @Tony Nobula: 
You really think that she sits in her office all day reading your childish posts just so she can disable them ? lol


David Amos   
Reply to @Jim Rockfort (Spaceman ): Methinks you know as well as I who does that for her N'esy Pas?
 

























David Amos
Methinks this lady who just got a big backdated pay raise and all her lawyers should have answered hard copy sent by courier in 2002 and definitely not ignored my emails over the years since and certainly returned my phone calls by now if they were remotely ethical N'esy Pas?

Roch Comeau
Reply to @David Amos:
Sorry, but if I got a bunch of emails, all bookended with "methinks" and "N'est Pas?" with usually difficult to understand rambling in between, I'd ignore them too. As a taxpayer, I'd want my civil cervantes to spend their time open more productive work. 

 
David Amos
Reply to @Roch Comeau: Methinks you should learn to Google people before you insult them N'esy Pas? 

 
Roch Comeau
Reply to @David Amos:
Wha is google going to teach me?  


 
David Amos 
Reply to @Roch Comeau: Methinks your children should show you how to Google Catherine Tait and your name along mine in about 30 minutes or so and perhaps you may learn something N'esy Pas?



























John Smith
When CBC got rid of their TV Transmitters, they became irrelevant & no longer Canada's National Broadcaster.


Roch Comeau
Reply to @John Smith:
Really? I have not used an antenna in years and get tons of useful content from the CBC. I am 54 and I suspect many younger people get their news off the net, either web or streaming. Antennas are old school.



David Amos  
Reply to @Roch Comeau: Methinks old school folks such as I are at least clever enough to know how to use the Internet to our advantage for reasons of litigation when CBC fails to obey its mandate N'esy Pas? 


























Jack Reacher
Remove their funding as they are no longer required or able to fill a need - let them pay their own way


John Dirlik
Reply to @Jack Reacher:
Canada spends less on its public broadcaster than most developed nations.

A well-funded and independant broadcaster is necessary in preventing deep-pocketed ideologues from monopolizing the public conversation.



John Dirlik
PS

Sheldon Adleson and Izzy asper are two examples.



David Amos 
Reply to @John Dirlik: True However methinks many would agree that the wrongs you mention are exactly what is happening byway of CBC N'esy Pas?

























 


Diane Knight
CBC TV/Radio doing a fine job.


Cath McCann 
Reply to @Diane Knight: libby propaganda machine for the most part.


michael insteon 
Reply to @Diane Knight: Fine providing over funded, left wing biased, Trudeau Liberal loving B and an S. I haven't watched a CBC program in 20 yrs and that won't change...


Diane Knight 
Reply to @Cath McCann: Rather CBC than what they have below the line...


David Amos
Reply to @Diane Knight: Yea Right


David Amos
Reply to @Cath McCann: I Wholeheartedly Agree

However methinks many would agree that the Crown Corp did not behave any better under the Harper regime N'esy Pas?



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