Speeches and Interviews

June 27, 2002

In a 500-Channel Universe, is There Any Place for Public Broadcasting?

Carole Taylor at the Canadian Club of Regina

I am so pleased to join you today, in Regina, talking about broadcasting, my first career, here at the Canadian Club…a particularly appropriate setting since much of what I have to say today is intertwined with our idea of who we are as Canadians.

And so the question is: the CBC/Radio-Canada: WHY BOTHER? Do we need public broadcasting any longer in Canada?

For the next while, I am going to ask you to lift your eyes to the BIG question….

Forget about whether or not you hate some announcer's tie or voice… forget about the personalities you loved who have left the CBC… or those you hate who have stayed…..

I am going to ask you to consider the big policy issue of whether or not a country such as Canada should have, should invest in, a public broadcasting system.

But first, three recent events that have dramatically brought this question into focus for me.

Sept 11: An enormous tragedy that touched so many of us, in so many ways: sorrow, fear, anxiety, anger. Many assumed, because this event happened in the United States, albeit with profound international repercussions, that Canadians would turn en masse to CNN for coverage. WRONG.

On Sept. 11, across all of CBC's media lines, Radio and Television, French and English, our ratings went through the roof.

For English Television alone, 1.7 million viewers were watching….more than any of the private networks, in fact, more than CNN who had 1.2 million viewers. This has never happened before.

Radio-Canada and RDI reached 75% of the Francophones in this country.

In this period, Radio….both French and English….achieved the highest ratings in their history.

CANADIANS…. TUNED…. TO…. CBC.

It was as if Canadians across this country wanted to see and understand this international tragedy:
Through Canadian eyes
Superimposed on Canadian values
Commented on by our Prime Minister
Analyzed by our experts and journalists.

We wanted to know:
What it meant to us
To our immigration policy
To our border security
To our planes
To the CN Tower, to Parliament Hill, to Canada Place.

CBC preempted all programs, across the board.
We dropped all commercials.
We sent our reporters, our cameramen, our sound technicians to capture the story.
Our on-air people worked long, long shifts, where it was hard sometimes to even get a bathroom break (you think I'm kidding, just ask Peter)
….to fill a need
….to bring the story to you
and Canadians responded, with overwhelming support.

The 2nd recent event that I found to be provocative, happened at the Davos World Economic Forum that was held this winter in New York.

This economic conference is hailed as an unparalleled opportunity for business, political and religious leaders from around the world to discuss global directions. Our Prime Minister was there, former Presidents, current kings and queens, CEOs, journalists….leaders from almost every major country and region in the world.

While there were hundreds of workshops covering every conceivable topic, everywhere I went there was a strong undercurrent of concern about American dominance, American power.

If the topic was global security, the discussion eventually turned to a concern about America as the International police force.

If the topic was world-wide economic trends, the discussion moved to the power of American business.

And if the topic was Media, the concern was about the absolute world dominance of American broadcasting.

The point being, that much of the world is now seeing international events through American eyes.

If I am sitting in Europe, hearing about an earthquake or relief program in South America, CNN tells me about it.

When I was traveling in Asia on business, CNN told me about the Asian flu.

And on Sept. 11, CNN told the world this story. In fact, in Australia, the public broadcasting system simply preempted its programming and ran American pool footage ---and--- the Australian politician who came to visit me and look at our public broadcasting system, asked why we hadn't done the same!

THIS IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR CANADA.

Whether or not there has been a softening of critical analysis in the American media during this declared War on Terrorism, or whether or not there is any self-censorship going on in the US is not for me to judge.

But I live in CANADA, and it is imperative that, if we are changing policies or directions as a result of Sept 11th, that we do our own thinking and analysis, and fully understand the issues before us….because, they are fundamental to our nationhood.

Now, at this point, before anyone misunderstands what I am trying to say, let me emphatically state that I am NOT anti-American in any bone of my body
…..in fact, some of my best friends are American…

Truth be told: my son lives in New York and writes for an American financial magazine. My daughter is in 4th year pre-med at UCLA in Los Angeles (in fact, she drives ambulances in that city), and I have been a season ticket holder to the Seattle Seahawks for
25 years…I am there….through thick and thin. And like you, I love West Wing and ER and Friends.

But, you don't have to be Anti-American to be passionately, actively, pro-Canadian…which I am.

Which brings me to the third recent event that has made me think more closely about what it means to be Canadian: the Olympics.

What pride and joy we all took from the efforts and successes of our young people….doing their best in the name of sport, for their country.

Think of the response to that final gold medal in hockey. The streets of Vancouver were jammed with honking cars and flag waving fans for HOURS after the game ended. I know, I live downtown!

I had no idea there were so many Canadian flags in the whole country, and yet, there they were filling Robson St. and Georgia with colour and pride… I must confess, I hung my flag from our roof terrace in celebration, too.

And once again, CBC was proud to be on the frontlines, bringing communities across the country, small towns and big cities, just spectacular, CANADIAN coverage of this international event.

I am so proud of the job our people did.

We covered MORE events, covered more of them LIVE than the wealthy networks to the south, we preempted our programming schedule in a way that a private network could never afford….and….and…we did it while featuring our own Canadian athletes.

And what was the result? The largest recorded audience of any program, ever, in Canada: more than 10 million people.

So there you are: three quite different events, provoking me, a baby-boomer, to think about Canada in ways that I hadn't confronted before in my lifetime.

What does it mean to be Canadian?

How will we protect and nurture our values in a time of intense global pressures?

How do issues of sovereignty and security interact?
Are the arts important? Is culture the heart and soul of a nation?

Do we care whether or not Toronto has its own symphony or is it enough that you could drive to Buffalo to see their philharmonic orchestra?

Is the Royal Winnipeg Ballet worth supporting as we did by presenting Dracula, or are Canadians content to see some other country's dancers perform on one of their 500 channel choices?

And how does the CBC fit into any nation-building exercise? Or not?

I have heard, as you have, those voices suggesting the CBC be sold, suggesting, with hundreds of choices, there is no longer a need for the public broadcaster. While I acknowledge their position, it is emphatically not mine.

Those who believe the debate is only about receiving transmission, any transmission, have missed the evolution of the public broadcasting mandate. It is no longer a question of simply providing a signal, as it may have been in the beginning; it is a question of providing content….Canadian content.

And if anyone thinks that, were the CBC to disappear tomorrow, some private network would step forward and fill in the gaps, they wouldn't….

…not when you only recoup about half your costs on a Canadian production, (guaranteed loss), but bring in three to four times your costs in revenue when showing an American show (guaranteed profit)

…and please don't think that a private network would pre-empt their schedule the way we do for hockey play-offs, not if it meant pulling ER out of their simulcast schedule…

…nor would they spend $25 million dollars on Canada: A People's History…a documentation of our history that was seen, at least in part, by half of our population and is now being used by educators across the nation.

Personally, I don't believe we have ever had a time where public broadcasting mattered more to our country.

….It's interesting, isn't it, those saying Canada doesn't need a CBC….even though England feels it needs and benefits from a BBC, Australia with ABC, France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, just to name a few, ALL have public broadcasting systems….even the United States with PBS.

But, somehow, Canada, with this enormous power and influence on our very border, somehow doesn't need to worry about having an INDEPENDENT public broadcaster.

Well, I just don't buy that argument.

…. So, if you will indulge me and allow me to use artistic licence, and assume….just for a moment….that you agree with me…that everyone in this room is an enthusiastic, ebullient, active supporter of the idea of Canadian public broadcasting….then lets tackle the next question: How can we do it better?….because in my mind, this is critical to our survival…

There is no question that CBC/Radio-Canada has not been perfect….but the one core thought that I want you to leave here today BELIEVING is:

This is a new CBC
There is new leadership at the helm (Robert Rabinovitch in management and me as Chair)
There is an absolute acknowledgement that we are using "taxpayer" dollars, and we must earn them every day.
That we are doing programming that no one else is, in a way that no one else can, better than others could.
And finally, we are an essential part of Canada's future.

So, how are we changing?

For one thing we are better managed. A decision was taken before I arrived, but one that I wholeheartedly support, to take a critical look at all our property assets: protect and improve those that are important, and sell-off or lease out those that are unnecessary… taking that cash and putting it back into programming, where it belongs.

So, now we have a President of Real Estate whose assignment it is to free up cash, where possible, for programming….after all, we are not in the real estate business, we are in the business of providing content, Canadian content, using whatever technology works.
To date, we have signed leases for surplus space including an entire floor of the Toronto Broadcasting Centre, as well as a studio here in Regina. Revenue from these leases alone will exceed $73 million…. dollars that we can put back into programming.

In Vancouver, we own a parking lot right in the downtown…crazy! What a waste, tying up capital dollars in a parking lot….dollars that should be used for programming.

As well, there are several cities across the country where Television is situated in one building, Radio in another, sometimes miles away from each other, each with surplus space.

Why not sell off those properties, which are often in out-of-the-way commercial parks, integrate our media lines (French/English, Radio/Television), downsize to our real space requirements, furnish with new digital equipment (which we are going to have to do anyway), and locate ourselves back in the community where Canadians can once again see and feel their public broadcaster.

Why not do this…IF you can make the business case, that the dollars from selling the property and downsizing, cover the cost of rebuilding and upgrading.

I just used the word "integration"….a very important concept for CBC as we move forward. We no longer have the luxury of having Radio and Television, French and English, all working independently …in their own silos…often duplicating research, camerawork and on-air.

Personally, I don't believe we do the best work, anyway, when each media line is isolated …..but, apart from that, it costs too much. We can no longer afford to send four or five cameras out to one shoot, if, indeed, we ever could. Internally we need to share and cooperate.

And lest anyone thinks these criticisms only relate to CBC, let me tell you that when I was working on W5 for CTV, we in public affairs would have died before we shared anything with the news department! We didn't want to be scooped…so, this is not a new problem….it is a new solution.

The principles of integration we are talking about will not come easily, but they will come.

Now, for instance, of our 10 foreign correspondents, eight are now able to transmit in French and English for both Radio and Television.

Along with these structural changes, CBC/Radio-Canada is also in the midst of a major renewal of our programming across all media lines.

I never mind someone coming up to me and criticizing CBC — well, maybe I mind, but there's nothing I can do about it — but I REALLY MIND when I feel someone is criticizing based on the past and doesn't realize how aggressively we have changed.

When someone criticizes us for not doing Canadian drama, I ask if they watched Random Passage, Newfoundland book, Newfoundland producer, Canadian actors, huge success as a mini-series this winter… in fact, pulling in ratings similar to Hockey Night in Canada. A major feat!

When they say we don't show anything multicultural, I ask if they saw the pilot Jenna about a Vancouver Indo-Canadian crime reporter that ran in January. Set in the streets of Vancouver, the Punjabi market, local temples, it showed a side of Canada you don't normally see on the screen.

When they say everything comes from Central Canada, I point out Canada Now from Vancouver ….Disclosure from Winnipeg and Toronto ….
Tom Stone from Calgary …Country Canada from
St. John's Newfoundland and Winnipeg Manitoba.

Or how about the Innovation Zone: a late-night program designed by young Canadian artists, showcasing new Canadian talent, in a format you've never seen before….let alone on the CBC!
It's guaranteed to keep those of us who usually fall asleep after The National, wide awake!

WE ARE A DIFFERENT CBC FROM THE ONE YOU KNEW 10 YEARS AGO!

Two years ago, the man who had been running CBC Radio for many years, Harold Redekopp, was asked to take on the responsibility for English Television. The result is what we call TRANSFORMATION.

We have increased our children's programming and made our mornings a commercial-free zone for children.

We have cut ads in our supper newshour shows in half.

CBC Television now has "themed" evenings. We have focused our prime time in such a way that you, as a viewer, can be assured of an evening's worth of entertainment that you like.

For instance, if it's comedy that you enjoy, tune in Friday night where you will find 22 minutes,
Air Farce, Made in Canada.

If you are more interested in the performing arts, join us Thursdays for Opening Night, where we feature the best opera, ballet and music.

For public affairs programming, Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

For our big specials, Sunday/Monday….and, of course, you all know when to find Hockey Night in Canada!

In French Television, where we are already a culturally important institution, 90% of the prime time drama programming has been renewed in the past two years. 90% !!

In French Radio, the service mandate has dramatically expanded regionally, embracing Francophones and Francophiles across the country. And now, because the CRTC has approved our licence applications, the exquisite music of
La Chaîne culturelle, will soon be heard, coast to coast….to coast.

And finally, English Radio is in the middle of a process of outreach and examination….asking its loyal viewers and others how they see public broadcasting, going forward.

What is our role? What is our responsibility? How can we improve? What kind of show would you like to see replace the irreplaceable Arthur Black?

So you can see that we are full of life….full of enthusiasm….bursting with ideas and possibilities.

The one absolute underlying everything we do is our belief in the importance of our mission: Canadian Public Broadcasting.
We are supported by every one of you here today….by Canadians across the country….to fulfill our mandate.

We are an independent voice…your independent voice. Surely there is a place up there on that big satellite in the sky for Canada, our values, our ideas, our talent.

But we are going to have to fight for our place; no one is going to do it for us…
Not the Americans with their hundreds of channels
Not the BBC, Not the Australians
Not even, dare I say it, the privates.

…allow me a last word about the privates…. And, again, some of my best friends run the privates…
(you know, when you live long enough, you have a lot of history —I spent some 12 years working for CTV!)

In fact, I remember visiting Regina in 1972 when we were just beginning Canada AM, and as the co-host, I did a cross-country tour. Your welcome then was as warm as today….24 years later!!!!

So I do understand that our private broadcasters are in business to make a profit, and I have absolutely no quarrel with that.

I understand that they must drive for ratings in order to sell advertising, even if that means running AMERICAN programming in 75% of their prime time schedule. (We, by the way, are the reverse, running 90% CANADIAN content in prime time.)

Private broadcasters are in business to make a profit for their shareholders, otherwise they are not in business long.

We, on the other hand, because of your generous public support, we have a different mandate:…to serve….to entertain….to enlighten…to educate. To be Canadian. To celebrate Canada.

And so, my long winding path (I hope, not too windy a path), has led me back to my initial question:
CBC: WHY BOTHER?

And in the end, the answer is not mine to give. I can't promise you success — success in saving and growing and enriching public broadcasting in this country….I can only promise you effort.

To me, the future of public broadcasting is completely intertwined with the feelings we have toward Canada.

How strongly do we feel our sense of nation?
How passionately do we want to celebrate our talent, trumpet our values, preserve our differences?

In the end, it is up to you, each one of you here today, your families, your children.

….and so the question is: Canadian Public Broadcasting….is it worth the bother?