Can't fill the new style The National [news] !!
Dan Say
Oh? See second-last paragraph
from http://hlbtoo.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/humpty-dumty-news/
November 17, 2009 � 12:33 am\
Humpty Dumpty News
An observer of Canada and especially the CBC would be forgiven if they thought
all the drama in the country was taking place at CBC News and CBC News
Network. Being Erica can�t compete and Dragon�s Den doesn�t come close to the
reality TV nonsense swirling around Peter Mansbridge, Richard Stursberg et al
at Canada�s national network.
A few weeks after the disastrous launch of the new National and the
unwatchable programming on CBCNN, the drama continues. From the outside it
looks like Stursberg and his happy band of naysayers are attempting to build a
wall around the Corpse that will keep out all the negative reactions. So far
they do not, at least publicly, admit that there are any problems with the new
direction that CBC News has attempted to sell to a dwindling audience.
Unfortunately for the CBC they have accomplished only one goal: yes, they have
united Canadians, created consensus. Everybody hates the new news. Forgive me
if I exaggerate, I have seen two articles from people who mildly like the new
direction, but I have yet to speak to a single person who has anything
positive to say about CBC News as it appears today. I have had conversations
with people of all ages from many different parts of Canada. Not one likes
what he or she is seeing.
What�s worse, whenever two media people get together, or whenever a CBC News
staffer meets a news viewer, the dreadfulness, is that a word, of the changes
is still the main topic of conversation. Rather than going away, it is
growing. The viewers are as pissed off at CBC management as the news staffs
are. Really, the entire episode is a great embarrassment, or at least it
should be.
The most damning result of the changes to CBC News is playing out in the
ratings. CBC made the changes to combat poor news numbers. Most nights the CBC
peaked at about 600,000 viewers. CTV and Global generally got over one million
viewers for their national newscasts. Now the CBC is barely breaking the
400,000 viewer mark. That�s a drop of one third of the audience. If rumours
are to be believed, the back half, where the documentaries once ran, is losing
viewers at an even greater pace. Failure has been swift and clear cut. In the
meantime numbers at CTV and Global are rising. The damage is actually worse
than the last CBC disaster when they tried to move the news to nine p.m.
So what can the CBC do to deal with the self inflicted wounds before they
become fatal? The first step, it would seem obvious, is to admit there have
been big mistakes made. You cannot begin to make changes if you don�t admit
change is necessary. Step back. Have a look at the programming. Remove the
rose coloured glasses. Look at CBC News for what it has become, not what you
predicted, attempted or wanted. News viewers, especially CBC News viewers,
want depth, context, serious reporting. They want interviews and documentaries
that engage and inform. They want the news content as it was before. As far as
style is concerned, they are willing to accept change that is motivated by
bringing better quality coverage. They don�t want standing for the sake of
standing and moving graphics because a U.S. TV doctor says that�s what you
need to be young and modern. If you can�t answer the question �Why is Peter
standing?� then he shouldn�t be standing.
I repeat, all of this is predicated on the CBC bosses admitting they
goofed�big time. The way the CBC works I can�t see that happening. Last time
CBC goofed Ron Crocker and Tim Kotcheff were run out of the CBC. They took all
the blame even though they were mainly there to implement what the entire
braintrust had created. Sure they played their part in the changes but they
were no more responsible than the rest, the ones who took over and changed the
news back to 10 o�clock and the old format. This time that will be more
difficult. Many of the old bosses, the ones who know what they are doing, have
been shuffled off the news if not out of the CBC entirely. The new bosses come
from radio, from current affairs. It is questionable as to whether they know
what they are doing and further whether they even know how to put the news
back together. There are no possible scapegoats that are not directly tied to
Uber boss Richard Stursberg. If Stursberg were to fire Jennifer McGuire it
would reflect directly on him personally and his poor judgment. I don�t know
Stursberg, but I know people who do know him, and they tell me this is not
going to happen. They tell me according to King Richard, he doesn�t make
mistakes.
In the meantime, as viewers drift away and the credibility of the news service
suffers, major cracks are starting to appear inside the newsroom. Insiders
tell me the news team is finding it almost impossible to fill the hour. The
news desk is begging all the units to send them stories, any length�even long
docs of 20 minutes or more. Many of the best reporters are beginning to
revolt. They want to produce better stories but feel the desk has no
understanding of what that takes in time and energy. They also feel they are
being made to look bad. Their reputations are suffering. I think they are
right. The editors are saying the new young producers don�t understand how
news works. They are generally unprepared and don�t understand the editing
process. Fingers are being pointed in all directions. Everyone is looking for
someone to blame and Richard Stursberg and Jennifer McGuire are the names I
hear most often. We are talking about massive breakdown at all levels.
Humpty Dumpty has fallen down. Predictably, all King Richard�s horses and all
his men so far cannot put Humpty together again.
bfairey
> Oh? See second-last paragraph
>
> fromhttp://hlbtoo.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/humpty-dumty-news/
Where are they getting all the new, well maybe not new but
repositioned, faces from?
At least they have shipped Susan Bonnier out of town but who is doing
her eye makeup?
I see Nancy Durum is still at the creeb keeping company with Ann
MacMillan in London
Poor Nancy Wilson getting shipped around.