Source : Canadian Press

by Jennifer Ditchburn

OTTAWA – Jean Chrétien, the prime minister, is holding off yet again appointing a president to the CBC, leaving executive vice-president Jim McCoubrey in the interim position.

Mr. Chrétien signed a cabinet order Thursday extending Mr. McCoubrey's job as acting president of the public broadcaster.

The term of the extension was not available.

Former CBC president Perrin Beatty's mandate technically expired in March, but he stayed on at Mr. Chrétien's request until August.

Despite months of notice, Mr. Chrétien seems in no hurry to fill the job.

Part of the delay can be attributed to heavy lobbying and what some see as backbiting behind the scenes. The two main contenders are still Robert Rabinovitch, a Montreal communications industry consultant and former cultural bureaucrat, and Mr. McCoubrey, favoured by CBC chairwoman Guylaine Saucier.

Government officials repeatedly point out, however, that Mr. Chrétien has been known to hold a wildcard – nobody suspected Mr. Beatty would get the presidency.

Ms. Saucier has ties with the prime minister and chief of staff, Jean Pelletier. Ms. Saucier was overheard by a radio reporter a month ago discussing the CBC presidency with Mel Cappe, the Privy Council clerk.

Mr. McCoubrey, a former advertising executive, took on the interim presidency after recovering from a car accident last January in Aylmer, Que. He is currently facing drunk-driving charges and appeared in a Quebec court in Hull last week. His trial is scheduled Jan. 20.

Ian Morrison, spokesman for the pro-CBC group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, said the government is harming the corporation by taking so long to appoint a president.

The CBC could be headed for major upheaval by late November when the federal broadcast regulator releases its decision on the corporation's licence renewal requests. Licence renewals generally set out the long-term vision for an organization.

"The only explanation is the prime minister's antipathy to the CBC," Mr. Morrison said.

"This is completely not the way to appoint the CEO of a major organization."

© Canadian Press