When I was young, Sunday nights meant The Beachcombers. My brother and I would pack into our favourite chair in front of the television, eager to see what adventures log salvager Nick Adonidas and his rival Relic would get into.
This was true West Coast Canadiana. Minus the boat jumps and hiding in bushes from wildlife poachers, I could relate to the sound of seaplanes, the sight of log booms and feel of a small fishing town. This was my world.
When my family moved to Chile, far from the towering firs that surrounded Sointula, Canada entered our home through the short-wave radio. My brother and I would again snuggle into our large, worn chair, as my father tuned in to As It Happens. We moved several times more and, each time, the sounds of the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) followed us like a trusted friend.
Besides the subtle presence CBC has in shaping and linking Canadians, it serves a greater purpose. The publically owned corporation helps guard the one ideal that chains the nation's citizens together - democracy.
The relationship between healthy media and a healthy democracy has long been acknowledged, yet in North America it seems it is being forgotten. The most recent blow to the kneecap was dished out in Canada's 2012 federal budget. CBC faces a 10 per cent cut by 2014 - $115 million. This comes at a time when a shrinking number of journalists are up against mounting million-dollar government and corporate communication teams.
From 2009-'10, the Tories hit a record high on Ottawa's advertising budget alone, a whopping $136 million - more money than they're shaving off CBC. Just last winter, the federal government threw $26 million of taxpayer dollars at promoting the Economic Action Plan.
Getting a hold of politicians is a game of cat and mouse, except recently there are more and more holes for the mice to hid behind. The first hole involves the public relations representative who, most likely, will throw you the second hole - a request for emailed questions. If lucky, one might receive a call. This, along with glossy press releases full of well-crafted quotes, usually comes just a few hours before press deadline, giving one just enough time to get the story, but not enough time to dig deep into opposing opinions.
Sure, we have private media chains, but they've been tightening their belts too, with most newsrooms understaffed. Here's where the readers come in. Demand and support in-depth reporting, the only enlarging hole in the media game that CBC was trying to fill. I want that trusted friend to stick around and not be sidestepped by a game-show host selling me one side of a story.
