LETTER

CBC, nation-builder

 

In reaction to your editorial on CBC’s request for funding, I am surprised that you did not separate television from radio. You seem to think CBC is all radio, and only news. This is a critical distinction. Given the quality of private-sector radio, we need a national broadcaster. But that’s not true about CBC television – do we need it?

Second, I agree with your view that CBC deserves funding as public support for a public institution unifying our nation, but not as one more media giant. Any funding increase should be towards that nation-building purpose of CBC, not just to balance its books, like money to Bombardier.

Your proposal of performance standards is not unrealistic – there are already performance standards for media, especially for Canadian artists and content. The idea of a public ombudsman for journalism at the CBC is a good one, given the public money that goes into the CBC and given the decline of CBC’s radio-journalism quality.

CB Robandt
Aylmer