From Lee-Anne Goodman of the Canadian Press, reporting on a memo sent to CBC staff by Richard Stursberg, executive vice-president of CBC-TV:
- CBC head denies network struggling
“[Stursberg:] We still have work to do, but we are by no means ‘beleaguered,’ as some of the country’s television columnists — many of whom work, ultimately, for companies that have a commercial interest in our success or failure — would have people believe.”
John Doyle of the Globe and Mail (owned by CTVglobemedia) answers:
- We’ve also recruited aliens from space …
“Of course, we are also responsible for promulgating the view that such CTV programs as Corner Gas and Robson Arms are of any merit or, indeed, popularity. … I have personally paid off thousands to people to ensure that they report to the Nielsen rating-gatherers that they watch Corner Gas. … we hired a lady hypnotist to infiltrate the highest ranks of CBC management and, using her wiles, she persuaded CBC to air The One. A bonus was the lady hypnotist’s extra trick of persuading CBC to produce and air Rumours.”
