VANCOUVER – Because of the high costs of replacing hundreds of TV transmitters with digital ones, CBC has said it plans to upgrade in dense areas while for rural regions, rely more heavily on cable and satellite transmission.
Friends of Canadian Broadcasting told the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage (which held meetings in the Northwest Territories and Vancouver this week) that CBC’s plan "will disenfranchise Canadians who receive TV over-the-air."
FCB-commissioned research submitted to the committee, which is investigating CBC’s future mandate, shows that three million Canadians do not subscribe to cable or satellite and receive their TV signal over the air.
"All Canadians pay for the CBC and all are entitled to receive its programs, wherever they live," said Friends spokesperson Ian Morrison.
Communities which rely heavily on over-the-air reception to view CBC will be hard hit, including many in British Columbia, says FCB.
"For example, twenty-six percent of CBC viewing in Terrace-Kitimat is over-the-air. In the Skeena area it’s 25%. In the North Okanagan, it’s 20%. In the Kootenays it’s 17%. This translates into hundreds of thousands of BC viewers who would be cut off if CBC quits transmitting over the air," says its release.
Friends research also said that 61% of Canadians are "very interested" in receiving local news programs, an appetite that far exceeds demand for all other types of programs, and that CBC local news gets poor marks with British Columbians holding especially critical views of CBC’s efforts at local news.
"We find it an ironic but positive development that CBC has come to its senses following the 2001 truncation of CBC’s regional supper hour programs and has announced plans to restore 60 minute supper hour regional news," Morrison said.
He added funding cuts and poor management decisions are driving CBC to present more professional sports and foreign drama programs during prime.
"The Committee should insist that CBC Television present Canadian programs in prime time, as it did just seven years ago, when 96% of its prime time schedule was Canadian, compared with 79% today. This represents a quintupling of foreign programs in prime time," added Morrison.
FCB submitted a four-plank plan for reform of the CBC.
* End patronage appointments to CBC’s Board of Directors and give the board the power to hire and fire its CEO.
* Instruct CBC’s board to attach a high priority to the Broadcasting Act’s mandate to "reflect Canada and its regions to national and regional audiences, while serving the special needs of those regions."
* Invite CBC’s board to develop a business plan to address its regional responsibilities, wean itself from dependence on television advertising and strengthen the presentation of Canadian stories in prime time.
* Increase CBC’s budget progressively by annual increments of at least $100 million over the next five years as an investment in up-dating Canada’s social infrastructure.
