FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting has been supporting Canadian
content and making news for many years now. An archive of articles
about our organization can be found below.
FRIENDS says that Bev Oda has done little of significance since becoming Heritage Minister because the Prime Minister's Office is calling the shots.
FRIENDS says the CRTC must ensure a proposed high definition television network will follow Canadian content rules.
The CRTC says it will establish a new approach to Canadian content development financed by the contributions of broadcasters, but will not increase Canadian content requirements.
CRTC report finds that any negative impact on the broadcasting system from shifting media consumption patterns has been minimal to date, but the regulator will continue to monitor developments to inform public policy decisions.
A recount and commentary on the final day of the CRTC public hearings on over-the-air television policy, including the presentation made by FRIENDS.
The Canadian Media Guild wants the CRTC to impose new fees on cable and satellite customers to help finance new domestic programming.
Columnist says rumours of CBC TV anchor/senior executive relationship have trumped buzz around new news plan.
FRIENDS questions that a plan to return to hour-long local newscasts will be implemented given the term of the current CBC president expires in a matter of months.
The Canadian Media Guild is citing Kamloops as CBC's test case for possible withdrawal from rural over-the-air service across the country.
Television broadcasters are expected to ask for carriage fees for their TV channels from cable and satellite operators at the upcoming CRTC hearings.
FRIENDS says Stephen Harper's agenda for CBC remains hidden and welcomes the House of Commons heritage committee decision to review the broadcaster's mandate.
The House of Commons heritage committee has passed a motion to begin a review of the CBC - FRIENDS says Prime Minister Stephen Harper should be the first to testify.
The Executive Vice-President, CBC Television says the broadcaster's central challenge is to make more Canadian programming that more Canadians want to watch.
RIENDS says political insiders give media companies an edge when dealing with the government on broadcast licences and laws affecting the industry.
FRIENDS comments on the tenure of former CBC Board Chair, Guy Fournier.
FRIENDS says the CBC is reaching a tipping point; present circumstances could result in public investment to reduce its dependance on ad revenues.
Columnist says the CBC should stop focusing for ratings and instead produce diverse shows that appeal to many different demographics.
FRIENDS says a number of current CBC Board members have more TV, production, and scheduling experience than current management has and the next CBC Chair should not be a political appointee.
FRIENDS says the resignation of the chairman of the CBC board of directors could shift too much power to president, Robert Rabinovitch.
FRIENDS says that a Conservative government running low in the polls would not want to weaken the CBC with board chair appointment.
FRIENDS says it is a dangerous situation to have the lame-duck CBC president, Robert Rabinovitch, fill the board position he answers to.
Current TV is going into partnership with Yahoo! Inc. to create four new broadband channels focusing on disseminating video created by young viewers.
FRIENDS comments that viewers and broadcasters will continue to embrace digital TV channels.
Q & A with FRIENDS spokesperson, Ian Morrison, on the CBC and the Conservative government's plans for public broadcasting
CBC says a Canadian version of televised singing contest, The One, will not air any time soon - critics say the cancellation is proof of poor decision-making at the broadcaster.
Editorial agrees with FRIENDS position that the CBC has a mission that involves explaining Canada to Canadians, and not importing American commercial programming.
FRIENDS says that pre-empting the national news for a failed American reality show means that there's something rotten in the leadership of the CBC.
FRIENDS says poor decisions such as pre-empting the national news for a failed American reality show and locking out employees for seven weeks last summer show that there's something rotten in the leadership of the CBC.
FRIENDS calls CBC's experiment to simulcast an American TV show and bump The National from its regular time slot a fiasco.
FRIENDS says that the obvious mistake to broadcast The One raises questions about the television-production experience of CBC senior management and demonstrates the need for reform of the leadership selection process.
With The One sunk, its budget shrinking, Tories in power, and fierce competition, a chorus of critics is calling on CBC-TV to go ad-free.
FRIENDS says that CBC senior management made an indefensible decision to air 'The One', the U.S. reality TV program that has since been cancelled by ABC.
FRIENDS says that senior CBC leadership has egg on its face after making the indefensible decision to broadcast The One.
The CRTC plans to open the public review of the CHUM transaction to a broader debate on federal policies on media ownership - FRIENDS says media consolidation must be addressed.
FRIENDS says a precedent set with Canwest Global points to a CRTC approval of the Bell Globemedia acquisition of CHUM.
Lacklustre ratings for the debut of the American reality show that bumped The National are not impressive.
CRTC approves application by Bell Globemedia to change its effective control, concludes that new obligations under Benefits Policy will not be triggered.
A profile of the development of CBC's online presence; FRIENDS notes that CBC.ca has become a dominant and credible brand on the Internet.
Despite criticism, CBC commences simulcast of U.S. reality television show, displacing The National on Tuesday nights east of Manitoba.
Toronto arts maven Julia Foster has been named chairwoman of the board of trustees of the National Arts Centre by Canadian Heritage Minister Bev Oda.
FRIENDS calls the ideas in a Senate committee report freeing the CBC from the ratings race "radical and impressive".
Nineteen applicants are applying for new FM licences in the booming communities of Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie Alberta - FRIENDS says the CRTC could take six months before announcing decisions.
FRIENDS says that the expected CBC mandate review that would have fuelled interest in public broadcasting was blocked on instructions from Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office.
CRTC reports that viewership of foreign programming jumped by almost 80 per cent on CBC-TV - FRIENDS says this underlines a deeper problem.
The national public broadcaster is airing approximately four times more foreign programming than in 2004 during prime time, according to FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting.
FRIENDS says CBC-TV's success at shedding foreign programs from its primetime schedule through the 1990s has been almost completely undone by senior management at CBC.
FRIENDS believes Heritage Minister Bev Oda discreetly abandoned a plan to order a mandate review of the CBC under pressure from other members of the federal Cabinet.
Private broadcasters applaud a Senate committee proposing that the CBC get out of the sports broadcasting business - FRIENDS says the discussion will be moot if CTV outbids CBC for NHL hockey.
FRIENDS notes that CBC President Robert Rabinovitch told the Commons Heritage Committee just nine months ago that CBC doesn't do reality programming.
FRIENDS contrasts statements made by CBC president Robert Rabinovich saying that the broadcaster is not interested in reality television with recent CBC Television programming decisions.
The CBC needs a full re-examination of itself to get back to its core mandate of public broadcaster, says the head of the Senate committee on transport and communications.
FRIENDS and Peter Mansbridge comment on 'The National' on being bumped by a U.S. reality show.
FRIENDS says CBC has a mission that involves explaining Canada to Canadians, not importing American commercial programming.
FRIENDS comments that CBC.ca has become a dominant and credible brand on the Internet and CBC is the most trusted source of news and information in the country.
FRIENDS welcomes decision to break up pay television duopoly and licence new pay television provider.
Listen to radio interviews from CBC's The Current with Anna Maria Tremonti.
The commercial radio lobby that seeks more flexibility from the CRTC faces opposition from groups - including FRIENDS - calling for stricter Canadian content rules on conventional radio stations.
FRIENDS opposes plan by private broadcasters to reduce the overall quantity of Canadian content on radio.
FRIENDS opposes industry arguments for lower Canadian content requirements at CRTC hearings on commercial radio policy; seeks increase in Cancon to 40%, with at least one quarter reserved for emerging genres and artists.
The winner of the 2008 Dalton Camp Award describes how media concentration changed the Kingston Whig-Standard from one the top independent newspapers in Canada to just another link in a chain.
FRIENDS says lifting broadcasting foreign ownership restrictions does not have public support, doubts legislative amendments would be passed in a minority government situation.
Columnist discusses Conservative government's forthcoming mandate review of the CBC.
FRIENDS says news that Conservative government will review mandate of CBC not a surprise, questions whether intention is to give political direction to the CRTC.
Article says Conservative mandate review of the CBC will not be conducted by a parliamentary committee involving former Alliance culture critic Jim Abbott; FRIENDS notes that Conservative policy on public broadcasting has changed significantly since 2004 election.
Public interest groups, including FRIENDS, identify alternative priority areas and policy direction for Stephen Harper's government.
FRIENDS, ACTRA discouraged by CRTC data on private broadcaster investment in Canadian drama; say CRTC must strengthen requirements.
FRIENDS says conventional radio is a healthy industry capable of making substantial contributions to broadcasting policy goals.
Private radio broadcasters paint doomsday scenario, appeal to CRTC for more lenient regulation.
CRTC seeks public comment on plan by BCE to sell majority ownership stake in the company that owns CTV and The Globe and Mail.
Columnist admits being misled by numbers released by CBC in response to ACTRA/FRIENDS press release on CBC's drama performance.
Stursberg announces “audience-first” programming strategy at CBC, where new Canadian drama programs must attract a minimum of 1 million viewers; FRIENDS critical of fact that both private networks are within “Cancon-catching distance” of the federally-funded public broadcaster.
Text of Toronto Star columnist's blog discussing the accuracy of data on the number of hours of prime time drama aired by CBC in comparison to CTV, updated to show that figures provided by CBC to counter data released by FRIENDS/ACTRA were misleading and do not allow an "apples to apples" comparison.
In wake of data showing CTV has more Canadian drama programming in prime time than CBC, observers criticize CBC as too focused on ratings.
FRIENDS, ACTRA argue CBC management drops ball on drama after data show CTV presented more prime time drama hours than CBC between 2003 and 2005.
Columnist criticizes critics of CBC management, takes issue with statistics released by FRIENDS, ACTRA showing CTV presented more prime time drama than CBC between 2003 and 2005.
FRIENDS says data on CBC drama performance during prime time threaten its reputation as the leader in representing Canadian content.
Data showing CTV aired more Canadian drama in prime time than CBC between 2003 and 2005 prompt FRIENDS to reiterate call for reform of the patronage system used to appoint the CBC president.
ACTRA says cancelled CBC drama programs This is Wonderland, Da Vinci's City Hall and The Tournament are the victims of the 2005 CBC lockout.
Expenditures on CBC Radio New Orleans benefit concert criticized; NDP Member of Parliament warns that CBC budget a focus of "budget trimmers" in the Conservative government.
FRIENDS comments on appointment of new Heritage Minister, Conservative government policy toward CBC.
FRIENDS says Canada will not be far behind when the U.S. ends over-the-air analogue broadcasting, currently scheduled for February 2009; as many as one in six Canadians still rely on over-the-air signals.
After five-month search, CBC recruits executive formerly in charge of lifestyle programming at Alliance-Atlantis to replace Slawko Klymkiw as executive director of English-language programming; FRIENDS says position is critical given senior management's lack of programming and scheduling experience and was left vacant too long.
FRIENDS blames patronage appointments for CBC lockout, says appointments process as a whole must change.
FRIENDS comments on apparent Conservative election strategy concerning the CBC.
Article speculates that the CBC President's days will be numbered under a Conservative government.
Discussion of what a Conservative government may mean for the CBC.
Article says that endorsement of Conservatives by National Post chairman and CanWest Global executive David Asper went too far.
Columnist says that despite the CBC's past achievements, the time has come to leave broadcasting to the private sector.
