Scheer Says CBC Should Focus More On ‘Canadian Stories’ Rather Than American Politics

CBC coverage is often indistinguishable from American networks like CNN and MSNBC.

Andrew Scheer is pushing for CBC to focus more on Canadian stories, and will make that a priority if elected.

Scheer made the comments in an interview with the Canadian Press:

“It’s appropriate to look and say — when the CBC was first introduced decades ago, there wasn’t the ability to get content on smartphones, there wasn’t the ability to get hundreds and hundreds of channels on TV through satellites,” Scheer said.

“We have a situation now where we have a much different model when it comes to news and media and content creation — and it’s time that we look at how the CBC fits into all of that.”

Scheer says CBC should be focusing on “Canadian stories.”

He also noted something many have criticized, which is CBC’s obsessive focus on American politics:

“When we look and see how much coverage is devoted on CBC to U.S. politics, the inner workings of U.S. politics, making sure that it’s focused on the things that are going on here in Canada — I think that’s something that many Canadians have said we should ensure that it’s focused on the core mandate of being concentrated on Canada.”

CBC coverage is often indistinguishable from CNN or MSNBC, and flipping between the networks seems like watching the same thing over and over again. That’s an absurd situation for CBC to be in, considering that they are supposed to be focused on Canada.

CBC’s oft-noticed bias and their focus on news that can be easily viewed elsewhere has caused many to call for CBC to be defunded, or at least have their funding reduced. If Scheer successfully focused CBC on Canadian content there could be increased support for the network, but that would depend on action actually being taken.

Scheer also discussed how CBC is able to both get public money, and also use private-sector ads, which creates a completely unlevel playing field:

“We have to make sure the CBC’s impact in that is not creating an undue hurdle against those private-sector entities that are trying to stay afloat and now have to compete with a government-subsidized entity that is also going out into the market to sell ads to get viewership.”

A more streamlined and Canada-focused CBC would certainly be an improvement, compared to the often biased, and heavily bloated CBC that now exists under the Trudeau Liberals.

If changes don’t occur, calls for defunding will only grow louder and louder.

Spencer Fernando

Photo – YouTube