Saving the CBC: Balancing Profit and Public Service

by Wade Rowland

Overview

Asked to name the institutions that best define this country, most Canadians place our pubic broadcaster somewhere high on the list. But there is a very real danger that the CBC will not survive beyond the next two years in any recognizable form. Decades of budget cuts have left it dangerously weakened, and now a massive loss of television advertising revenue is predicted with the loss of NHL hockey rights to private broadcasters. Saving the CBC looks back at the history of the public broadcaster, digs into the goals and ideals of public service media, and plots a detailed plan for survival and growth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781927535127
Publisher:	Linda Leith Publishing
Publication date:	03/23/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	539 KB

About the Author

The author of more than a dozen non-fiction books, Wade Rowland spent many years in television news production at the network level and has held senior management roles at both CTV and CBC. Rowland was Maclean Hunter Chair of Ethics in Media at Ryerson University from 2001-2003. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication and Culture and is an Associate Professor in York University’s Department of Communication Studies. Born in Montreal, Wade Rowland grew up in Regina and Winnipeg and currently lives near Toronto.

Read an Excerpt

Asked to name the institutions that best define this country, most Canadians place our public broadcaster somewhere high on the list. But there is a very real danger that the CBC will not survive beyond the next two years in any recognizable form. Decades of budget cuts have left it dangerously weakened, and now a massive loss of television advertising revenue is predicted with the loss of NHL hockey rights to private broadcasters. Saving the CBC looks back at the history of the public broadcaster, digs into the goals and ideals of public service media, and plots a detailed plan for survival and growth.

Editorial Reviews

"This book should be read by everyone who gives a damn about Canada and the publicly owned broadcaster that unites us in telling our own stories on radio and television. Wade Rowland convincingly documents the slow, politically directed erosion of the CBC and he has the expertise to show us how to save, and expand, this vital component in Canadian life. Will we listen to him? I hope to God we have enough sense to do so." — Farley Mowat "

"Consider this an impassioned polemic — a 'debate' is far too sedate—ignited by the CBC's degradation in recent years and fed by cold rage against the main culprits, yet with a surprising optimism about future possibilities" — Rick Salutin, author and Toronto Star columnist

"This is a thoughtful and timely roadmap to guide Canadians who still love public broadcasting but who despair of the present condition of the CBC. Instead of a lament, we now have a plan that can make our CBC a model for how a public broadcaster can inspire, attract and engage us all. You must read this book: Wade Rowland's vision can restore a CBC we can be proud of again."—Jeffrey Dvorkin, Director, Journalism Program, University of Toronto (Scarborough)

"Wade Rowland understands public service values and knows the CBC well, especially English Television. His book makes an insightful contribution to a necessary public debate about our most important cultural institution, and his recommendations are largely aligned with the priorities of the 175,000 Canadians who support our work"—Ian Morrison, Spokesperson, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting

From the Publisher