More internal memos on the CBC New News styles
Dan Say
The blogger also include far too many comments but you can look
there.
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Heads in the Sand at CBC
http://hlbtoo.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/heads-in-the-sand-at-cbc/
by hlbtoo at November 02, 2009 09:37 PM
There is only one thing harder to watch than the new National News on CBC, it
is the complete and utter baloney emanating from the people who run the
newscast.
In the face of an avalanche of negativity, some observers are pegging the
overwhelmingly negative response to the changes at over 99% based on the CBC�s
own web site and blog spots, the folks who run CBC and CBC News are making
complete asses of themselves with their responses to what I would consider a
crisis or even a catastrophe.
While it is true that there have been a lot of complaints about Peter
Mansbridge�s uncomfortable standing posture, and many, many complaints about
the highly overdone �mal de mer� inducing moving graphics behind every person
who ventures on to the set, and of course darts tossed at the strange
unmotivated whooshing sounds that emanate from nowhere; the real complaint,
and almost every correspondent to CBC makes it clear, is the lack of serious
journalism. The shallowness of the stories is paramount. The lack of any depth
or context is what is really putting people off. And this is what the folks
who run our tax payer financed national news seem unable to grasp.
The only way to prove this point is to let Peter Mansbridge, Jonathan Whitten
and Richard Stursberg speak for themselves. Here�s what they had to say about
last week�s disaster at the Ceeb:
-- 1 -------------------
First Richard Stursberg:
As we close out the first week of the new CBC News, let�s take a moment to
consider the reaction our changes have wrought throughout the country. Judging
from media coverage and associated commentary, you would be forgiven for
thinking the nation has been seized by an obsession with Peter Mansbridge�s
chair (more precisely, its absence). Peter himself called it first and
correctly in a pre-launch interview for a Toronto Star TV guide cover story.
When we change anything about our newscasts, we hear about it. Don�t be
disheartened. The sets and graphics look fantastic; as good as any in the
world. We�re quickly moving into a rhythm and pace with the new style and new
programs. And� this is the most important part� our commitment to telling the
relevant news stories of the day, as we�ve always done, remains undiminished,
even as the tools change, as they always do. Don�t be worried about the cheap
shots from some at our competitor news organizations. Remember it�s in their
interest that we should fail. In a fast-changing game, we�re redefining how
news is presented to Canadians. And big changes make big splashes. Don�t worry
about the noise, which is already subsiding. Congratulations for the stories
you broke this week and on the context and depth you provided.
Richard Stursberg
Executive Vice-President
English Services
-- 2 --------------------------------
Now Peter Mansbridge:
It�s always interesting and important to monitor reaction to change. So far,
there is no doubt there has been lots of reaction to the changes we have
instituted at The National this week. As expected, the comments cover the
spectrum and we�re getting lots of good ideas from our viewers on what they
like and what they�re not so sure of at this point.
If there�s one area that seems common to both points of view, it�s reaction to
the fact that I do parts of the program standing. Some seem to suggest that
this is a radical departure from the past. Well, sure, �sitting at the anchor
desk� is a traditional mainstay of many newscasts, but standing is hardly
anything new. I have been anchoring The National since 1988, and I�ve done the
broadcast �standing�, on average, at least twenty times a year, and no one has
said anything. Guess they didn�t notice.
Last year on election night, a lengthy eight-hour broadcast, I did the whole
program standing, and it was extremely popular � if the ratings game is
anything to go by. It also gave the program a flexibility and mobility that we
feel is needed in this day and age, especially for our broadcasts. Some people
seem to forget that The National is unlike any other network newscast in
Canada. It�s a one-hour broadcast, not half an hour, and it deals with much
more than news stories. We have feature interviews, panel discussions and
short documentary and background features. And we do it all in prime time,
unlike the other Canadian networks. Global�s main newscast airs in the late
afternoon. CTV goes to air in post-prime-time late night. So the on-air
competition for viewer�s eyeballs to The National at 10 p.m. isn�t news � it�s
drama and entertainment, the CSI�s of this world. So for us, flexibility is
key in showcasing what is still, and always will be, our most important
product � solid journalism..
On the interview front, I will continue to do lots of sit-down interviews,
both on The National and on Mansbridge One on One on the weekend. However,
there will be times when in-studio interviews are done standing, because we
think they bring a whole new energy to the moment. And again it�s not new.
Just a few months ago, I had a 10-minute session with Prime Minister Harper in
Ottawa. We were standing in the Parliamentary Library at the time. A few years
ago, I did the same with
former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres. Much was made by some of my
interview with General Rick Hillier on Monday night because we had that
conversation �standing�. Perhaps those who thought that was something really
different didn�t watch it very closely, because I even included, during that
encounter, a taped segment of an interview the two of us had had five years
ago in Afghanistan. And guess what � we were standing in that one, too.
Now the question has also come along about At Issue � Canada�s most-watched
political panel. �Is Mansbridge going to make them all stand too?� The answer
on that one is �no�. That conversation, a weekly appointment-television moment
for hundreds of thousands of Canadians every week, is different and calls for
a different look. This Thursday, Allan, Andrew and Chantal will all be in
studio at a fancy new desk with fancy new chairs. Hope you join in the fun and
watch.
-- 3 -----------------------------------------
Finally Jonathan Whitten, one of the bosses at CBC News:
Hi all�
Thanks for all your hard work in putting (most!) of week one behind us�
For those on the front lines�it�s been exhausting and exhilarating at the same
time. The task of turning the ship around overnight was a huge one,
and a smooth and clean start in week one is testament to the passion and
dedication of everyone who works here.
What viewers saw this week was a modern set and a modern look, a faster pace,
and new faces and personalities. What they also saw were the same standards of
journalism, the same emphasis on news, context, and original and enterprise
reporting. Though the on-air team surrounding him is now stronger than ever,
they also saw Peter still doing what he does best, guiding viewers through the
same range of stories and storytelling, and talking to news makers and opinion
leaders on topics that matter to Canadians.
Equally important, our new website and �early� versions of the National
generated a huge amount of interest, and marked our first big step toward
serving a brand new audience at brand new times and in brand new ways.
And while we continue to try to understand how and why a chunk of our audience
disappeared overnight with the new audience panel under the PPM system, it was
heartening to see that the first four nights of the new look and format was
our strongest four-day streak under the new system.
While much of the din this week has been focused on the weighty issues of
color and posture, as a participant in at least three make overs of the
National look I can tell you that the tone and weight of the response from
those who have e-mailed us this time around, compared to those who sent us
letters, phoned, and faxed us in earlier times, is pretty much the same. What
I think is different this time is a much more positive response anecdotally
from people outside the CBC who find the new look refreshing and modern.
Having said that, we are already making adjustments based on the feedback
we�ve been getting, and we�ll continue to do that in the weeks and months
ahead.
Once things settle down on the production side, we�ll also be looking closely
at how we get to air, and who does what, and I�m sure we�ll be making changes
there as well to try as we try to balance the workload.
It�s also important that we continue to get your feedback on the changes and
your own workload.
Thanks again for everything this week�.
Jon