Dragons' Den

In the news: CBC’s ‘self-destruction’

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Ira Wagman writes in Geist (via The Tyee) about CBC’s change in direction in order to attracte younger viewers:

  • The Self-Destruction of the CBC
    “The result of this new strategy has been as embarrassing and awkward as an old person in a Fubu sweatsuit. Reality shows such as Dragon’s Den and the recently unveiled Fashion File Host Hunt are pale imitations of programs airing on other networks, like The Apprentice or MuchMusic VJ Search. Speaking of MuchMusic, former VJ George Stroumboulopoulos delivers news with a punk aesthetic on The Hour, which consciously incorporates nose rings, stuff from YouTube and contests sponsored by Doritos. Another example of product integration, Kraft Hockeyville, united Canada’s hockey-crazy communities and the purveyor of ‘KD,’ a prized Canadian foodstuff.”
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3 thoughts on “In the news: CBC’s ‘self-destruction’”

  1. Maybe I am the only over 40 who likes “The Hour”. When you get away from all the pop references and listen to the interviews, they can be very thought provoking.

  2. There is a terrible ageist and elitist cant to lefty CBC criticism. At least the right wingers are upfront about their bias and agenda: they want it gone because it’s lefty.

    But on the left, this tarted up “dumbing down” or “youth obsession” thing smacks of a desire to keep the CBC the same white whine swilling, Giller Prize deconstructing place.

    CBC Radio 3 is vibrant. DNTO took the same hits for years as George and the hour. There is nothing inherently wrong with CBC doing homegrown reality programming. And the demographics don’t lie: a TV service that does not attract viewers is too expensive — and a radio service with a median age in the 50’s is not acceptable.

  3. It’s always interesting to see what’s excluded in these kinds of articles. No mention of CBC’s breakout hit Little Mosque on the Prairie? Or continuing successes like the Mercer Report, RCAF, 22 Minutes?

    It’s an interesting and not uncommon idea, though, that ratings should be beside the point on a public broadcaster, and CBC needs to find a niche not covered by private broadcasters: “If the CBC attracts more people because its content is similar to that of other broadcasters, why should it receive special treatment?”

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