MONTREAL – With a federal election campaign under way, the CBC has decided to delay the air dates of two major mini-series’, lest they have some kind of impact on the process.
“In January 2006, CBC’s English- and French-language channels respectively were scheduled to broadcast TV series inspired by the lives of two major figures who have had a significant impact on Canada’s recent history: Tommy Douglas and René Lévesque,” reads the press release. “Due to the premature triggering of the federal election campaign, which will last until January 23, 2006, CBC and Radio-Canada have decided to postpone the broadcasting of these mini-series, given the fact that both these politicians have played determining roles in the history of two of the parties fighting the present campaign.”
Tommy Douglas, socialist Premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961 and then first national leader of the New Democratic Party, was the first leader to introduce a public health insurance program in Canada. As a Liberal minister, founder of the Parti Québécois, then Premier of Quebec, René Lévesque was one of the major contributors to Quebec’s Quiet Revolution. In fact, this is the period dealt with in the TV series, entitled René.
“The management both of CBC’s English- and French-language channels believe that not a shadow of a doubt should be allowed to exist as to their neutrality in the ongoing campaign, and since both René Lévesque and Tommy Douglas are clearly identified with parties to the current election campaign and with their programs, it has been decided to postpone the broadcasting of these high quality series dedicated to two legendary figures of our political history,” adds the release.
New air dates will be announced later.
