Okay. This one is definitely an opinion piece. (And somewhat off topic too.) But I'm looking for perspective from anyone who cares to comment. The question:
Should selling cheap beer and junk food using narrow-segment, specialty entertainment be the prime-time, priority of our national public broadcaster?
Not to make enemies right off the top, but I have a few thoughts about priorities -- especially the programming priorities of our national public television network, the CBC.
Now, don't get me wrong: I personally think the CBC is a rare find. In fact I see it as one of the few Crown corporations that provides true value. But that's part of the problem.
The CBC actually has two major, English-language, national public television networks. One is what's left of the over-the-air broadcast network. It provides first-rate news, information and cultural programming that is freely accessible by antenna almost everywhere in the country. This network is also part of the basic channel package on all cable and satellite service providers. This network, "The CBC" is mandated to provide wide-ranging news, cultural and entertainment programming to all of Canada in English. ('Radio Canada' does so for French Canada)
Another network, 'CBC Newsworld' is a specialty channel -- pay-TV only. And because it is distributed only by cable and satellite networks it is not available, at all, to vast areas of Canada. Many can't afford pay TV and many are simply not in a coverage area.
Now the CBC, as a whole, produces excellent news -- whatever the network. It has news gathering capabilities that cover not only the globe, but even the most out-of-the-way parts of Canada. It has, in my humble opinion, the best television news writers and journalists this side of the Atlantic.
Many of us therefore depend heavily upon CBC to provide the facts and, more important, several perspectives to each issue it reports: Not just the preferred-angle perspective most other Canadian news outlets provide these days.
Thing is, like a growing number of Canadians, I do not pay for my television signals. I get far too much good programming via good ol' rabbit ears. (And I believe strongly that it is a much undervalued resource.) Besides, I simply don't have time for pay TV. And after all, since the CBC is a crown corporation, I like to think we've paid for it already.
This brings me to Hockey. Not that I have a bone to pick with hockey. Hockey's cool! No. The problem is more complex.
I see two kinds of hockey in Canada: The type Canadians have played for generations -- on ice, or not, mostly outdoors, with friends, family and enemies alike, to have fun, to exercise, and for excitement and entertainment. It's a cultural imperative from coast-to-coast.
Then there's the type of hockey that's designed to make large amounts of cash by selling tickets, cheap beer, and junk food, to couch potatoes. I call this "professional hockey."
My gripe? CBC not only overflows with professional hockey (The network seems to think it's the only really truly interesting Canadian cultural icon for some reason.) but most, if not ALL, of the CBC's professional hockey 'coverage' is on the main network! What's more, the programmers actually preempt the best national news programme in the country, night after night, to sell cheap beer, adolescent deodorant products, lottery tickets, and junk food, to couch potatoes!
Go figure!
To be fair, when the network is not busy trying to find a great new theme song because it managed to loose the rights to the most famous one in Canadian history, the CBC does put some effort into showing the other form of hockey. The kind of hockey real Canadians play in large numbers, burn calories, and maybe even have a beer or two while spending time with friends and family. This type of hockey doesn't get a lot of airtime -- a few special promotions and the odd mention -- tacit mentions for the few cultural Browne points it might chock up.
Whatever...
But let's face it: and here's my point, when 'pro' hockey programming is on night-after-night, hour-after-hour -- sometimes 6 or 7 hours in a row -- it is anything but wide-ranging programming. Pro hockey on CBC is actually 'specialty entertainment' for a very narrow group of viewers. Granted. Pro hockey on CBC is enjoyed by many Canadians and has done for longer than I've been around. And that's great! But let's keep it in perspective.
Pro hockey is decidedly NOT a cultural imperative. And it's certainly NOT wide-ranging programming as required in the network's mandate.
News, on the other hand, IS a cultural imperative. It's not just entertainment. And it targets a FAR broader audience than pro-hockey...
...even if it doesn't sell cheap beer and junk food effectively.
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