Source : National Post

OTTAWA - The CBC has come to the defence of its veteran news anchor, Peter Mansbridge, and denied that an exhaustive study found viewers believe the public broadcaster has a political bias.

Despite the statement in a CBC document that some viewers see The National, the show Mr. Mansbridge anchors, as "stuffy, condescending, up-tight," a CBC official said the 1,000-page study done this year was an "endorsement" of CBC journalism and Mr. Mansbridge in particular.

"The overwhelming conclusion of the study was an endorsement of CBC news and current affairs journalism, including the flagship television newscast, The National," Christine Wilson, senior director of strategy and planning for CBC English services, said in a statement yesterday.

"Therefore, it was wrong for your news report to imply that Canadians felt that CBC News is 'politically biased,' " said Ms. Wilson, arguing the study actually found the exact opposite, that the majority of Canadians believe CBC News is unbiased.

An executive summary of the study distributed to all CBC news staff recommended "a more youthful and lively style, a style more people like and journals, hosts and a news anchor more people would like." The summary said those things would enhance CBC's image as being engaging.

Ruth-Ellen Soles, a CBC spokeswoman, has said she believes the reference was to CBC news anchors in the plural, but some CBC employees believe it was a reference to Mr. Mansbridge, who was on holiday yesterday and unavailable for an interview.

However, the question of a perceived political bias in CBC news, discussed in the summary of the study, was also raised in a letter written by Tony Burman, editor-in-chief of CBC News, Current Affairs and Newsworld, who distributed the summary to CBC staff.

"We are seen by some Canadians -- particularly in Alberta -- as 'pro-Liberal' and 'biased' and somewhat left-wing, but not nearly as biased as CNN," Mr. Burman wrote in a letter accompanying the study. He added, "all news media are seen as not paying enough attention to 'all sides of the story.' "

The CBC did not release the complete 1,000-page study to its news staff, although there are references to satisfaction among some viewers in the summary.

© National Post