CBC and Media Guild Agreement reached

Big news today from the CBC… on the Eve of the start of the NHL season, the CBC and its’ workers have reached an agreement in principal.

The best information on what the final contract looks like seems to be coming from the Media Guild union website:

It’s a 4 year deal.. with an average wage increase of 3.15% per year… and a “commitment” to value permanent employment over contract positions.

Here are some initial highlights of the deal:

  1. We have a strong commitment to permanent staff as the standard for employment at the CBC.
  2. We have improved rights for contract and temporary employees.
  3. Wages will increase by 12.6 percent over the life of the contract to March 31, 2009. There will be full retroactivity for all employees on the payroll prior to the lockout, including contract and temporary employees. There will also be a $1000 signing bonus.
  4. And for the first time for our members in the Northern Service, there will be an interpreters premium of $800.00 per year for those who are required to work in more than one language. [This recognizes the fact that most in the North speak an Inuit tongue, rather than English… not to mention that CBC North broadcasts a significant amount of native language programming.]

I’m glad to see that some sort of resolution has been reached. It’s a travesty that our National Public service has become so anti-journalism and anti-public-good. We all know that a TV network is only as good as the people who deliver it every day. If you’re not willing to support those people, then how do you expect them to perform well and you to retain them?

The CBC needs to get back to its’ roots. Get back to its’ mission of connecting all Canadians. It seems that the only facet of CBC that accomplishes that goal right now is the Sports… and even they have bungled that so much recently that Hockey Night in Canada is the only program that succeeds in bringing people in. Actually, that’s not true, there is Red Green.

Dump the Simpsons.

Dump Chilly Beach. Dump Tom Stone.

Start creating some Made-In-Canada childrens shows… Mr. Dressup is timeless, but he can only go so far.

Stop trying to recreate HBO series with low-budget Canadiana and give us some prime-time learning to complement the Nature of Things. David Suzuki, while being and excellent presenter, has his drawbacks…

We need a Public Broadcaster that once again informs us, teaches us, without indoctrinating us. It must connect us with issues and feelings that are truly Canadian, and is not afraid of spending some cash in the process.

Anyway, I’ve said my piece… I’m just glad they’ll be a hockey game on Saturday. I can rest assured that those goose bumps that I feel everytime I hear the theme song will appear once again as I sit down to watch my favourite team take to the ice.

Go CBC Go.

6 replies on “CBC and Media Guild Agreement reached”

  1. There used to be a Canadian network on my satellite service that I really enjoyed. Was it Trio? The name had something to do with three but I can’t remember for sure. Anyway, I LUUUVED a series on this network based on this small mining town in the 30s. The ruling family owned the mine – was it the “Bailey’s”? and pretty much had it’s way in town matters.

    The characters were diverse as some of the family married people that the widow Mrs Bailey did not approve of and she did her best to dominate all her family. I see the actors in other programs now but don’t remember any names. Also, it appears that my satillite service no longer brings us the network that carried the CBC news and other foriegn news broadcasts which annoys me no end.

    I feel that I got a wee bit acquainted with Canadian tradition and current events as well as Canadian social character as well through this little bit of exposure to your fair land and people.
    Pity we lost our TV contact. Americans are far to isolated when it comes to such things.

  2. Sounds fairly typically Canadian… kind of like Beachcombers and stuff. I think part of the problem is that age of innocence on TV has passed, everyone thinks you have to have sex and violence in order to boost ratings… and they’re probably right. But that doesn’t mean the CBC has to abide by that rule.

    North of 60 was an awesome show. I loved it.

    “Also, it appears that my satillite service no longer brings us the network that carried the CBC news and other foriegn news broadcasts which annoys me no end.”

    This might be related to the demise of Newsworld International. The CBC used to own a cable network broadcast internationally.. and it included both CBC newscasts and other programming. They sold it to someone, I can’t remember who. But again, another thing that should have never been allowed to happen for exactly the reason you cited.

  3. Yes, now I remember watching North of 60 as well, lots of native stuff, very interesting. And now that I think of it, yes the news network was called Newsworld International. We got stuff from Europe as well – Germany for sure as I recall but mostly Canadian. Yes, it is a pity. I miss such programming immensely. It was a revelation to me to see the CBC insert their slant into reports of world affairs :).

  4. I bet it was.. if only more Americans could hear that “slant” not because I think it would change their mind, but only to hear a different perspective that isn’t as inward looking as most of what is in the American media.

  5. Canadian medium-wave radio stations can be heard in the northeastern United States at night, and Radio Canada International is everywhere on short-wave. Radio is also easy to get over the Internet now from anywhere.

    I was able to get an archived CTV newscast from Vancouver on my computer and I could probably get it live if I connect at the right time. The video quality is blocky but streaming video is possible and does give a sense of what is going on. There has been a lot of resistance in the USA to streaming entertainment programming because of copyright concerns. I hope these difficulties can be worked out, especially for non-profit public TV.

  6. Well, we do have those two oceans between us and most of the world so our perspective is naturally insular, provincial and some would say, xenophobic. 🙂 News, like politics, is mostly local it seems to me in any country. Of course, probably not so in Canada where most news consumers are, no doubt, cosmopolitan and sophisticated enough to see through all forms of propaganda.

    In my opinion, NO news media should have a “slant” American, Canadian or otherwise. Might as well have Pravda telling us the latest government line. As a general rule, I would much prefer just hearing the actual facts instead of opinion masquerading as such from any source. But the opportunity to hear Canadian news reports was most enlightening as far as revealing what the popular Canadian take is on world events. I’m sorry that I’m no longer able to hear it. Oh, well, I can still get BBCAmerica when I feel the need to hear the British slant.

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