[JaredMilne]

As everyone here probably knows, the CBC has long been criticized for being elitist and left-wing. That's the stereotype, but I myself have had a hard time believing it for various reasons...

The CBC can be criticized for featuring left-wing commentators like Heather Mallick, who I find to be particularly obnoxious and gives a lot of ammunition to the CBC's critics. On the other hand, the CBC also regularly includes the very conservative Rex Murphy as a commentator, and has given business mogul Kevin O'Leary not only a permanent place on Dragon's Den, but also his own personal show in the Land and O'Leary Exchange. From what I've seen, the CBC has also had the likes of blogger Kate McMillan and university professor Tom Flanagan as panel commentators, both of whom are dyed-in-the-wool Conservatives. And how long has Don Cherry been paid with our tax dollars?

Rick Mercer's blasted the Harper Conservatives for the omnibus bills, but I remember him constantly also continually blasting Stéphane Dion when the latter was leader of the federal Liberals. Royal Canadian Air Farce was at its height during the Chretien era, and although it sometimes made fun of conservative politicians, it also routinely went after the Chretien government and the Quebec separatists. This week's hockey-themed episode of Murdoch Mysteries also ended with a special thanks to Stephen Harper for inspiring that episode and apparently helping them with some of the historical details.

And as for the notion that the CBC is elitist, the fact that it aired The Red Green Show for more than half that show's lifespan is proof that such a notion is pure bull. The show relied heavily on blue-collar, often rural humor, and when it made political jokes those jokes were typically directed at government in general, rather than any political party. When The Red Green Show ended in 2005, it was because Steve Smith, the show's creator, star and head writer, wanted it to end.

So, in short, I'm not all that sure why the CBC is seen as left-wing and elitist. Most of what I've seen actually breaks with that stereotype.

Thoughts?

[sandorski]

If a Liberal gets to state their opinion or bring up an issue on a Media outlet without getting slapped down, that outlet gets immediately labelled as "Liberal" by the Conservatives. That's the way it has always been.

[Unsound]

sandorski sandorski:

If a Liberal gets to state their opinion or bring up an issue on a Media outlet without getting slapped down, that outlet gets immediately labelled as "Liberal" by the Conservatives. That's the way it has always been.

Or... it could a combination of things. partly it's CBC radio which, imo, has a decidedly liberal artsy feel to it. Not neccesarily a lot of political stuff there but what there is is pretty firmly lefty.

As well, a lot of their actual news coverage drifts a little left. Not horribly so imo, but noticeable. Certainly not any worse than Sun news in the other direction though.

[ccga3359]

With regard to the Murdoch Mysteries episode "Confederate Treasure, Season 4,Episode 7), that episode aired while still on the CHUM/CITY media and was not involved with the CBC at all until two years later when Rogers Communication would not renew it(ending season 5). Having said that Harper did appear on an episode of Corner Gas a CBC production. Regardless of politics of the network, Stephen Harper is high profile person to have guest on a show. Sure to get a ratings boost even from Liberal viewers hoping for a train wreck. As much as the CBC would like to get rid of Don Cherry they know he, and his mouth brings the audience. Imagine the outcry were they to fire Cherry? Or even getting rid of Rex?

[JaredMilne]

ccga3359 ccga3359:

With regard to the Murdoch Mysteries episode "Confederate Treasure, Season 4,Episode 7), that episode aired while still on the CHUM/CITY media and was not involved with the CBC at all until two years later when Rogers Communication would not renew it(ending season 5). Having said that Harper did appear on an episode of Corner Gas a CBC production. Regardless of politics of the network, Stephen Harper is high profile person to have guest on a show. Sure to get a ratings boost even from Liberal viewers hoping for a train wreck. As much as the CBC would like to get rid of Don Cherry they know he, and his mouth brings the audience. Imagine the outcry were they to fire Cherry? Or even getting rid of Rex?

Wrong episode. I'm thinking of "Murdoch Night in Canada", which aired on the CBC December 3, 2012, where Murdoch investigates a murder in a hockey arena locker room.

How do you know that the CBC wants to fire Cherry or Murphy? I'll admit, I think that putting him on a seven-second delay is wrong, and he should be allowed to say what he wants (provided it's not hate speech or anything like that, of course), but I've seen no indication they want to sack him. Why would they, when he brings in the advertising dollars?

[Lemmy]

Unsound Unsound:

Or... it could a combination of things. partly it's CBC radio which, imo, has a decidedly liberal artsy feel to it. Not neccesarily a lot of political stuff there but what there is is pretty firmly lefty.

As well, a lot of their actual news coverage drifts a little left. Not horribly so imo, but noticeable. Certainly not any worse than Sun news in the other direction though.

I wouldn't say so much a "A liberal artsy feel" as an "intellectual" feel.

The CBC certainly isn't anywhere CLOSE to what Sun news is, in terms of lacking objectivity. At least what the CBC produces qualifies as news. The Sun is "info-tainment", at best.

[Thanos]

Of course the CBC has a leftist tinge to it. On the radio, this past Remembrance Week, they spent most of about three days doing their little reports on the International Brigades that fought in Spain for Communism. They rarely criticize or ask any hard questions of the NDP, Greens, most Liberals, or of any environmentalists and other "activists", certainly not in the same manner they do of Conservatives or of businesses. Their reaction to last summer's student riots and protests in Quebec was typical of their eternal 1960's mindset that the entire network seems to live in. No hard questions at all aimed at the protestors, just their usual barely-concealed glee at the "youth of today" sticking it to The Man (aka Stephen Harper).

The SUN is absolutely awful, but it's private and strictly voluntary for anyone that wants to pay attention to them. Don't like the SUN then don't buy it and you don't have to subscribe to their crappy channel either. CBC isn't like that. Whether or not we agree with them or support their preferred political parties (NDP and Liberals) we're all responsible for financing them, even when they kind of spit on us. Said it before, saying it again, as much as I despise FOX it'd be ultimate in "no one deserved it more" than if one day the CBC got sold to Rupert Murdoch.

[Xort]

It's not the guests they have that make it one or the other. I've found that mostly it's the way and type of questions they ask when doing interviews that show of the bias of the CBC. Or what they leave out of the reports they give.

I recall one report that dealt with a military truck that struck a vehicle and killed the driver. That's more or less how the CBC reported it. How another source reported it was, a drunk driver ran a stop sign and was struck by a military truck on the highway killing the driver of the car.

Both are accurate reports of what happened, but one has the CBC's anti military bias all over it.

Other examples can be found when they do stories about social programs or changes in public services. The underlying left bias shows clear then.

[FieryVulpine]

Lemmy Lemmy:

The CBC certainly isn't anywhere CLOSE to what Sun news is, in terms of lacking objectivity. At least what the CBC produces qualifies as news. The Sun is "info-tainment", at best.

Well, I like that hit job they did on the military over an amateurish comedy sketch from two years ago. Just in time for Remembrance Day. Or that time they were caught lying about Rob Ford calling 911 dispatcher a female canine after they got Mary Walsh liquored up to harass him.

Yep, that qualifies as intellectualism.

[Dragon-Dancer]

The CBC's reporting isn't any different than any other news organization. Big story titles that may or may not really frame the actual story, all just to get your attention.

Their panels are pretty darn balanced, they get commentators from across the political spectrum and the discussion doesn't always go in a lefty direction.

I don't think I've heard better radio discussions on a huge variety of topics over the years than that produced by the CBC. That being said most of their TV shows, miniseries and movies tend to not appeal to me but seem to have enough of an audience.

I can't see them as anything but balanced.

[Lemmy]

FieryVulpine FieryVulpine:

Well, I like that hit job they did on the military over an amateurish comedy sketch from two years ago. Just in time for Remembrance Day. Or that time they were caught lying about Rob Ford calling 911 dispatcher a female canine after they got Mary Walsh liquored up to harass him.

Yep, that qualifies as intellectualism.

You can discern the difference between news, etc., and a comedy bit, surely. Or maybe you can't.

[BartSimpson]

Thanos Thanos:

Of course the CBC has a leftist tinge to it. On the radio, this past Remembrance Week, they spent most of about three days doing their little reports on the International Brigades that fought in Spain for Communism. They rarely criticize or ask any hard questions of the NDP, Greens, most Liberals, or of any environmentalists and other "activists", certainly not in the same manner they do of Conservatives or of businesses. Their reaction to last summer's student riots and protests in Quebec was typical of their eternal 1960's mindset that the entire network seems to live in. No hard questions at all aimed at the protestors, just their usual barely-concealed glee at the "youth of today" sticking it to The Man (aka Stephen Harper).

The SUN is absolutely awful, but it's private and strictly voluntary for anyone that wants to pay attention to them. Don't like the SUN then don't buy it and you don't have to subscribe to their crappy channel either. CBC isn't like that. Whether or not we agree with them or support their preferred political parties (NDP and Liberals) we're all responsible for financing them, even when they kind of spit on us. Said it before, saying it again, as much as I despise FOX it'd be ultimate in "no one deserved it more" than if one day the CBC got sold to Rupert Murdoch.

I can respect this post.

[bootlegga]

Lemmy Lemmy:

Unsound Unsound:

Or... it could a combination of things. partly it's CBC radio which, imo, has a decidedly liberal artsy feel to it. Not neccesarily a lot of political stuff there but what there is is pretty firmly lefty.

As well, a lot of their actual news coverage drifts a little left. Not horribly so imo, but noticeable. Certainly not any worse than Sun news in the other direction though.

I wouldn't say so much a "A liberal artsy feel" as an "intellectual" feel.

The CBC certainly isn't anywhere CLOSE to what Sun news is, in terms of lacking objectivity. At least what the CBC produces qualifies as news. The Sun is "info-tainment", at best.

Well said.

As for the "anti-military bias", that's nothing more than a party (you guess which one) talking point.

Are there occasions when the CBC seems anti-military, sure, but they also have people like Mercer who advocate much higher defence spending and who made the effort to visit troops in Afghanistan when we were still deployed there.

[bootlegga]

Thanos Thanos:

The SUN is absolutely awful, but it's private and strictly voluntary for anyone that wants to pay attention to them. Don't like the SUN then don't buy it and you don't have to subscribe to their crappy channel either. CBC isn't like that. Whether or not we agree with them or support their preferred political parties (NDP and Liberals) we're all responsible for financing them, even when they kind of spit on us.

Maybe not - Sun News has applied for mandatory carriage to get them in all basic cable packages coast to coast;

$1:

Quebecor, owner of the often controversial network that launched in the spring of 2011, has applied for a “mandatory carriage” licence from the CRTC, which would require cable and satellite providers to make it a part of the basic TV channel package they offer to all customers, the telecom regulator confirmed to The Huffington Post Canada.

If the CRTC approves the application, Sun News would be the only English-language news network whose carriage would be mandatory for all cable and satellite companies.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/11/13 ... 22391.html

[jj2424]

bootlegga bootlegga:

Thanos Thanos:

The SUN is absolutely awful, but it's private and strictly voluntary for anyone that wants to pay attention to them. Don't like the SUN then don't buy it and you don't have to subscribe to their crappy channel either. CBC isn't like that. Whether or not we agree with them or support their preferred political parties (NDP and Liberals) we're all responsible for financing them, even when they kind of spit on us.

Maybe not - Sun News has applied for mandatory carriage to get them in all basic cable packages coast to coast;

$1:

Quebecor, owner of the often controversial network that launched in the spring of 2011, has applied for a “mandatory carriage” licence from the CRTC, which would require cable and satellite providers to make it a part of the basic TV channel package they offer to all customers, the telecom regulator confirmed to The Huffington Post Canada.

If the CRTC approves the application, Sun News would be the only English-language news network whose carriage would be mandatory for all cable and satellite companies.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/11/13 ... 22391.html

I don't subscribe to any TV service I still have to foot the bill for the god damn CBC.