The objections I’ve heard about proposed conservative news network Sun TV range from the fearful to the absurd. The primary concern is that the channel would “lie like Fox News”, and mislead people about important issues (as if CTV and CBC never mislead their viewers).
The left are nothing if not insecure about the whole idea. Remember when former Conservative Party spokesman, Kory Teneycke, was hired by the CBC to provide a balancing counterpoint to the multitude of leftwing pundits and commentators on the network? Some people were so upset by the idea they actually complained to the CBC ombudsman about it.
It seems that certain people can handle free speech up to a certain point, and it’s usually a point at which their pre-conceived opinions are no longer validated.
Let’s face it. CBC and CTV have been given free reign over the news message for years in English speaking Canada. And whether the left would like to admit it or not, there are plenty of viewers who don’t want to tune into CBC news specials on the perpetual “tipping point” of the climate change cliff while the network is busy ignoring Climategate.
Quebecor media has snatched up Teneycke to become a vice-president of business development at Sun TV while David Akin quit Canwest to become a TV personality for the news show.
The application to the CRTC involves a “must-carry” licence, which would guarantee the channel would be on every basic cable package like CBC and CTV, but it’s unlikely that would succeed. This means CBC Grand Poobah Don Newman can lay off the heart medication for now.
Don’s main objection to the new news channel seems to be that because he believes Fox News is conservative “propaganda” in the United States, it will provide the same fodder for the Conservative Party in Canada. But since it’ll likely be a subscription channel, I don’t see what the problem is. Nobody will be forcing Don to watch it any more than they force him to read Adrian MacNair.
The problem as I see it, is that Don’s simply looking out for his own neck. The show would likely be hugely popular in Canada, and I completely agree with Kory’s assessment of the market potential. As the new channel siphons droves of viewers from the CBC, it would inevitably decrease the market share of the taxpayer-funded giant.
Decreased viewership would mean decreased revenues, and more whining for more cash. And when it finally dawns on the public that there isn’t a need to publicly fund a broadcaster that loses $1.1 billion a year, there could be some heavy cutting going on.
The punch-line to the whole Sun TV debate is the fact that the CRTC approved the licence for al-Jazeera, and nobody batted an eyelash.
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/deniscollette/1550512599/
