The watchdog group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting has launched a new websiteencouraging by-election voters to elect a champion of the CBC in Labrador.
“Cuts to the CBC have reduced coverage of Labrador drastically. Today, only a handful of CBC staffers are on the job to cover this enormous territory. Because of more budget cuts this year even this meager coverage may be reduced further,” said Friends’ spokesperson Ian Morrison.
Stephen Harper’s government plans to cut a further $42 million from the CBC’s budget in 2013.
CBC’s local radio and TV services are threatened most by cuts of this magnitude because it is cheaper to produce programs centrally and beam them to distant locations – as CBC TV does from St. John’s or Toronto – to many parts of Labrador.
But for listeners and viewers in Labrador, stories from and about St. John’s and the Avalon Peninsula often just don’t cut it. Many recall when CBC was a strong Labrador broadcaster.
Friends’ website includes a petition the group is encouraging Labrador voters to sign which asks the candidates “If you are elected, will you fight for the funding CBC needs to improve the quality and quantity of coverage of the people and events of Labrador?”
The last time voters in Labrador went to the polls during the May 2011 general election, the Conservative government of Stephen Harper promised to maintain or increase CBC funding. In fact, just one day after the election James Moore, the Minister responsible for CBC, said:
“We believe in the national public broadcaster. We have said that we will maintain or increase support for the CBC. That is our platform and we have said that before and we will commit to that.”
Instead, the Harper government cut the CBC’s budget drastically – by $115 million over three years – and Labrador Conservative candidate Peter Penashue has chosen to attack the CBC while evading questions about irregularities in the financing of his 2011 campaign that led to the by-election.
“It’s about time the people of Labrador had an MP who will fight to ensure the stories and events of Labrador and its people are covered by the national public broadcaster for Labradorians and all Canadians,” Morrison said.
Friends of Canadian Broadcasting is an independent watchdog for more and better Canadian programs on the air and online, and is not affiliated with any broadcaster or political party.
