Which CBC Programs Should Be Saved?

[jokeDR]

The best show on TV: Intelligence.

Ooops, too late.

This is Wonderland ???


aahhhh forget it.

[ScaryBob]

I vote for DaVinci's Inquest and Intelligence as well. Haven't watched anything on CBC since. Since the CBC is planning on shutting down most of it's transmitters, I propose they just kill CBC proper and put all their money into being a real Canadian news channel. Kill everything except CBC Newsworld, fire the narrow minded top management that currently runs the CBC and start from scratch. Maybe relaunching as PBS Canada would work.

[north49]

Anyone who refers to the CBC as a "public" broadcaster is full of BS. A real public network, like PBS & TVO, will not run commercials during a show. The real mystery is why this gov. continues to give a dime to the CBC with their left-wing bias. P.S. Any idea when this Conservative government will actually be conservative ?

[brownriggd]

CBC is one of the few broadcasters in Canada (only one?) that makes many of it's own programs and has a unique brand to sell. That's what all Canadian networks should be doing. CTV, Global, City do make some watchable shows but do too much simsubbing of U.S. programming. I've always agreed with Hugh that simsubbing should stop and Canadian networks forced to make shows that Canadians want to watch. It may mean more partnering with U.S. and other foreign networks, (i.e. Flashpoint, Combat Hospital, The Borgias, Camelot, etc) but that's been a proven to be a winning combination.

Anyhoo, my CBC favourites:

Republic of Doyle (they can't cancel, especially after this season's cliffhanger...)
Arctic Air
22 minutes

they can cancel:

Rick Mercer
Heartland

[Tridus]

Originally Posted by north49

Anyone who refers to the CBC as a "public" broadcaster is full of BS. A real public network, like PBS & TVO, will not run commercials during a show. The real mystery is why this gov. continues to give a dime to the CBC with their left-wing bias. P.S. Any idea when this Conservative government will actually be conservative ?

When they learn to stop running massive deficits, stop wasting taxpayer dollars on massive MP pensions, gazebos, jets of unknown cost and other boondoggles, and look up what "conservative" actually means? This government has never been anything even close to truly conservative. 'Liberals with blue signs' is a much more accurate description.

As for CBC, it's owned by the taxpayer and is thus a public broadcaster. It's not funded anywhere nearly sufficiently to run without ads... and you have a unique perspective that doesn't consider all those pledge drives on PBS as advertising.

[bubbaspeed]

http://networkedblogs.com/wCFAs

The list of returning prime time shows is:

22 Minutes
Arctic Air
Doc Zone
Dragons’ Den
George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight
Heartland
Marketplace
Mr. D
Republic of Doyle
The Big Decision
the fifth estate
The Nature of Things
The Rick Mercer Report
The Ron James Show

[Dr.Dave]

These are the shows not on CBC’s renewal list:

Previously announced as not returning: Being Erica and Little Mosque on the Prairie
Battle of the Blades
Cover Me Canada
The Debaters
InSecurity
Michael: Tuesdays & Thursdays

[dsspredator]

Originally Posted by Corizzle

I hope they renew Mr. D

Mr. D. is the only Canadian comedy that I love.

Please bring him back!

[Bayguy]

Also theyll have Murdoch Mystery but probably not for a while because even the new season hasn't aired on Global yet and I dont know whether CBC has started filming another season.

[madhi19]

Simple solution let have a telethon/reality show! You can have the "stars" come and beg for your contribution and votes. The shows that get the most votes and money pledge can stay. Those who don't make the cut are well, "Voted off of the island!" loll

[PokerFace]

The basic point that Kirstine Stewart (of the CBC) seems to be making below is one that has been brought up before. But does the NHL really need the CBC to broadcast some of its hockey games as much as (or more than) the CBC "needs" to broadcast various NHL games (to increase CBC's ad revenue)? I don't think so, based on the increased ratings for the NHL playoffs on TSN1+2. However, how many games, if any, would appear on Bell's over-the-air CTV channels? Bell's lucrative simsubbing of US programming on the various CTV channels might get in the way of such a plan (though Saturday Night would be a good night for CTV broadcasts of various Hockey Night in Canada games).

http://business.financialpost.com/20...m-bell-rogers/
[CBC vows to keep NHL broadcast rights from Bell, Rogers]

Apr 20, 2012

The chief of the CBC’s English services [Kirstine Stewart] said this week she has every intention of bringing back the National Hockey League to the public broadcaster when the current contract with the league comes due two years from now.

“We’re going to,” the executive said forcefully during a panel discussion Thursday with the heads of the country’s networks. “That’s our plan.”

But it’s perhaps a brave face and false hope given her opponents. Both Rogers Communications Inc. and CTV— now Bell Media — were already formidable foes before BCE Inc. bet on TV content to fuel its telecom businesses and acquired the network and specialty-channel operator, a strategy that has raised the stakes for all.

The pairs’ joint $1.3-billion purchase of a controlling stake in Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment Ltd. in December all but guarantees the Saturday night NHL games the CBC has been able to secure from the league for decades will be lost, some analysts say, either entirely or in part.

“The next logical step, now that you’ve teamed up, is to gang up on the CBC and to take away Hockey Night In Canada,” quipped business journalist Michael Vaughn, the moderator of the high-powered panel, which included Bell media head Kevin Crull, Rogers’ Keith Pelley, Shaw’s Paul Robertson and Pierre Dion from Quebecor-owned TVA.

Still, Ms. Stewart argues the CBC can compete. She reminded the audience of advertisers and media buyers that while the two telecom and media conglomerates can begin carving up regional rights to the Leafs, the league remains in control of all national broadcast rights.

“And it’s got nothing to do with Hockey Night In Canada,” Rogers’ Mr. Pelley shot back.

The public broadcaster successfully resigned league rights in 2007, but every indication is that the CBC went to the limit of what it could spend. And in the face of a $115-million reduction in federal funding, the odds are low—perhaps very—the corporation can bring the financial might required to beat the competition.

Ms. Stewart suggested the CBC’s cultural significance and appeal to “generalized audiences” that are larger than the hardcore sports viewers of Bell’s TSN and Rogers’ Sportsnet may hold a degree of sway with league executives when the contract expires at the end of the 2013-14 season.

“What we provide is different from what TSN and Sportsnet do,” she said.

Rights for live broadcasts, especially professional sports, have soared in recent years because of the programming’s ability to aggregate mass audiences, a feat getting increasingly difficult as online video alternatives and competing cable networks vie for eyeballs and ad revenues. The length of deals is also getting longer, with the traditional three- to four-year term rising to nine- and 10-year contracts.

Last September, Disney’s ESPN network agreed to pay US$1.9-billion for Monday Night Football rights through 2021, a price increase of 73%.

Last April—weeks in fact after Bell closed its deal for CTV—the NHL signed a record US$2-billion contract with Comcast Corp.’s television arm, NBC-Universal, for broadcasts through the next decade. The new deal hands the league $125-million more a season.

At the press conference, commissioner Gary Bettman praised the cable and Internet giant’s controversial acquisition of NBC.

“This is the most significant media deal this league has ever been able to participate in,” he said. “In the aftermath of the Comcast/NBCU merger … we felt we could be the biggest beneficiary of all.”

[Zod]

I would have no problem if TSN picked up the HNIC games. There's several games a season I can't watch because CBC has different channels in all these different regions. They buy national broadcast rights, but then air the games on localized channels. Even if you buy centre ice you can't watch them. Your cable provider could carry 3 CBC channels in HD and you'd probably still miss games you want to see.

Maybe the CBC could cut down on the amount of games they carry. IE: Rather then carry 3 simultaneous games that air at 7pm EST, just buy one and air that game nationally to the whole country? There could be negative side effects. IE you choose to air the Montreal game while there's a senators game on, so the ratings might be low in Ottawa.

Regardless... it's always bugged me how cbc buys up multiple games that happen at the same time. If it were on TSN, TSN has two national channels to use. They probably wouldn't buy up the rights for more then two games at once.

[s40]

I don't like the fact that you have to have a "package" with TSN in it to watch that game. CTV bought Canadian Football rights, and promptly took it off of the over the air networks. I don't know if you would have the option like CBC to stream those games over the internet, I don't think that Canada's game belongs on cable only networks therefore I think that this is one program that CBC should save.

[swan_ch]

s40, they are not arguing if CBC should scrap HNIC, they are aruging that CBC's overbuying the games for HNIC. CBC did a horrible job when sharing the games in the same time-slot with different stations in this season (and gosh, we can still saw it at the beginning of the play-off), as some game were only on one station, we have missed so many live games in HD as CBC doesn't allow CI to re-broadcast their signal. Maybe CBC should think buying one (or at most two) instead of buying 3 or even 4 games at the same time-slot. That's a big money to save and that's what CBC can do.

[mrvanwinkles]

The Content that I usually watch on CBC - and therefore that I think should be saved:

NEWS - national (and local sometimes)

"The National" News Program

The LOCAL news from the CBC Local Affiliates -
*sometimes* I find this is sometimes important, and I tune in ...

( but I am finding this "Local news" is sometimes getting less and less relevent ... even with some "silly" "irrelevent" "unimportant" content which really should not be considered "news". When it gets silly or not relevent like that, I quickly tune away. Usually the first 10 or 15 minutes of the local news to hopefully catch the important local headlines - and then watch some more relevent news elsewhere)
( the Quality of this Local CBC Affiliate News varies alot from day to day and from station to station / affiliate to affiliate / city to city )

Documentaries / Science Shows / :

Nature of Things, Doc Zone, Fifth Estate, Marketplace - these ones come to mind.

CBC Sports Specials (but *NOT* NHL hockey much anymore):
Various events covered usually on Saturday or Sunday afternoons on
"This is a CBC Sports Special" - those kinds of things.
ex. Skiiing or Figure Skating or Olympic Coverage if and when that happens.


NHL Hockey ? Naa. NO . Not much at all anymore. Used to watch NHL when I was younger, like in the 70's and 80's. But I find the game has changed too much and I don't much like the style of play anymore. Also, I find it has become too commercialized for my liking anymore. Also, I find the time I must invest to watch a Game now is getting too much for my lifestyle.
[ I go watch University Hockey live sometimes ... find it more entertaining, affordable, I get "out", and I like the style of play better . ]



Other CBC Specials of National Interest:
Like Canada Day Coverage / Royal Visits etc. Others I'm sure.


Some Comedy or Variety Shows:

22 Minutes
Rick Mercer
Royal Canadian Air Farce (when it was on)
... and other good ones from the Past ...


Some Drama Series - if they're good quality:

Like that "Wives of Henry the 8th" series recently.
That was ok to watch.

Used to like that Law show ...
"Steet Legal"

( CBC does some good Drama series from time to time )


Final Comment:

Unfortuate to hear discussion of CBC possibly shutting down "analog" transmitters in smaller serviced areas.

I guess they don't wanna be / may no longer be mandated to be - a real Canadian National Broadcaster.

I find this discussion SAD.

[ Instead, should have a schedule for ALL to be converted to Digital broadcasting. Going in the wrong direction. ]