What’s the main reason CBC should be saved? CBC news anchor Peter Mansbridge told a Regina audience a few weeks ago that CBC “does the stuff no one else does on a national scale.”
No other organization devotes so much prime-time Canadian programming to news and current affairs to inform and enlighten, Mansbridge said, citing Fifth Estate, Market Place, Undercurrents and Man Alive.
As for The National, no other national network in this country or continent is devoting as much time to news and current affairs, he said. The news is produced by Canadians for Canadians, including researching, writing and editing.
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He added that CBC, to its credit, does not pick up many American reports. Mansbridge said American journalists report on events reflecting American values, concerns and political overtones that aren’t always shared by Canadians.
He emphasized the value of using CBC reporters on the scene, such as having a reporter in Bosnia filing a report while another network uses a story from a reporter sitting in London who is reporting about Bosnia.
He said Canadians still primarily rely on CBC to cover major events in the country, such as when Quebec had its referendum or when there are elections.
Sometimes there are events no one else covers, but the news value is there. This ranges from the 50th anniversary of VE-Day in Holland, where hundreds of thousands of people were on the streets cheering Canadians, to Canadian award shows such as the Genies, Junos and Geminis.
While Mansbridge said he understands and welcomes criticism, he’s tired of uninformed people or politicians saying CBC is a waste of money. With further cuts facing CBC, it’s ever more crucial for the public to become informed and if deserved, defend CBC’s work, existence and role in the country.
