CBC plans significant downsize, shift to digital

[mvcg66b3r]

Betting its future on internet advertising and platforms, a modernizing CBC on Thursday (June 26) signaled a retreat away from conventional TV to digital, as part of a range of cost-cutting measures targeting “financial stability” by 2020.


Read more: http://realscreen.com/2014/06/27/cb...o-internet-mobile-to-cut-costs/#ixzz35rQYaqIo

 

[mimo]

The beginning of the end of the CBC.

 

[blackgold]

They're gonna get privatized! And an American company will buy them from the government in a matter of months. Will it be CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, who knows? But CBC is gonna get bought. Just you wait and see.

 

[TheBigA]

They're gonna get privatized! And an American company will buy them from the government in a matter of months. Will it be CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, who knows? But CBC is gonna get bought. Just you wait and see.

Hmmm...seems with all the Canadian content laws, there is probably some kind of law that prevents foreign ownership. We have such laws in the US.

 

[Prescott Joe]

CBC=Little of interest to watch....

Growing up in Buffalo, NY, watching CBLT move from channel 6 to channel 5 around 1970, they've rarely had much of interest to watch... Few people in W.N.Y. watched CBC then as now...
In Southern Ontario however, it was interesting to see how many large antenna arrays on 50, 75 even 100 foot towers had their antennas pointed to the stations in Buffalo. Some still do.........

 

[mimo]

They're gonna get privatized! And an American company will buy them from the government in a matter of months. Will it be CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, who knows? But CBC is gonna get bought. Just you wait and see.

That will never happen, the CONservative government would rather shut it down. Also American companies can not own broadcast sources in Canada.

 

[kenglish]

That will never happen, the CONservative government would rather shut it down. Also American companies can not own broadcast sources in Canada.

And, what country is Rupert Murdoch a "citizen of" right now?

 

[FredLeonard]

Privatization? Maybe. It's the kind of thing Harper would do. But not a US company or other foreign company. However, there are Canadian companies for which CBC TV and News channel would be a logical fit. Bell owns CTV, so they would be out. Shaw owns Global but maybe. Rogers? TelUS?

The question is what happens to Radio One? Maybe a public broadcaster on the NPR model (but with its own stations). Corporate underwriters and pledge drives. Maybe some government funding. Hey, public radio rakes it in a lot of places.

 

[TheBigA]

Maybe a public broadcaster on the NPR model (but with its own stations). Corporate underwriters and pledge drives. Maybe some government funding. Hey, public radio rakes it in a lot of places.

From what I read in the article, their big expense is in-house production, which is something PBS never got into. The Canadians sort of painted themselves into a corner with the Canadian content requirement. I believe if they'd broaden their view, there are lots of production companies that would love to create and produce programs for the Canadian market. The problem with going digital is you lose platform parity. You're just another stream on the net. Right now, they have beachfront property. But the upkeep is expensive. The goal of the Canadian system was a centralized system with ownership, and that's obviously to expensive to maintain. But they're throwing out the baby with the bathwater if they give up broadcast completely.

 

[FredLeonard]

From what I read in the article, their big expense is in-house production, which is something PBS never got into. The Canadians sort of painted themselves into a corner with the Canadian content requirement. I believe if they'd broaden their view, there are lots of production companies that would love to create and produce programs for the Canadian market. The problem with going digital is you lose platform parity. You're just another stream on the net. Right now, they have beachfront property. But the upkeep is expensive. The goal of the Canadian system was a centralized system with ownership, and that's obviously to expensive to maintain. But they're throwing out the baby with the bathwater if they give up broadcast completely.

My question was about Radio One, not TV. I realize this is the TV section but this issue affects radio, as well. CBC-TV does run commercials. It operates as semi-commercial network. It's not a public broadcaster like PBS or the BBC (although it is under public ownership). I would expect CBC-TV to be sold to a commercial media company, albeit with some strings attached. CBC Radio One is non-commercial and does operate as a public broadcaster.

 

[TheBigA]

My question was about Radio One, not TV.

I see what you mean...rather than shut the stations down, allow them to be owned locally. That might require some legislation.

I've been to the CBC studios in Toronto and Montreal, and radio is a pretty small part of the operation. The real expense is TV, and if they spend a lot on in-house documentaries, that's a lot of money poorly spent.