TORONTO – “The CBC is disappointed to announce that, as a result of ongoing efforts by the Canadian Media Guild (CMG) to undermine the September 16th Terry Fox 25th Anniversary Special, the program will not carry coverage of events in St. John’s, the city where Terry began the Marathon of Hope in 1980,” reads a CBC press release.
The program is being produced by Out to See Productions Inc., a Vancouver-based independent, outside production company.
However, the union – which is currently locked out by the CBC – sees it as scab labor and has blocked the production truck from Signal Hill in St. John’s.
“It has become clear that the CMG would require children participating in the events on Signal Hill to cross a picket line. As a result, in an effort to ensure that the Terry Fox anniversary events proceed without any disruption, the CBC, Out to See Productions and the Fox family made the difficult decision to cancel coverage from St. John’s,” says the Corp.
“The CBC is disappointed that the CMG would resort to using the Terry Fox 25th Anniversary Special, which benefits the Terry Fox Foundation, to make a political point in its labour negotiations with the Corporation.”
In the union’s defense, the disruption and labor negotiations is the result of a lockout and it is within its rights to protest the use of workers other than management to get shows to air.
The CBC intends to fulfill its commitment to the Fox family and to the Terry Fox Foundation and will broadcast the rest of the commercial-free September 16 Terry Fox 25th Anniversary Special as planned. The program will be broadcast at 7 p.m. ET on CBC Newsworld and at 8 pm local time on CBC Television.
The two sides continue to talk in Toronto, however, little progress has been reported over the past few days.
