What does the future of the CBC look like?

From CanConversations · 27:03

Show by The Walrus Lab

The first of two special episodes marking the 90th anniversary of the CBC.On November 2nd, 1936, the CBC aired for the first time. 90 years later, CanConversations looks back at the history of Canada’s national public broadcaster and how it has grown with shifting media technologies.In this 90th anniversary episode, host Raj Shoan sits down with media policy analyst and author Howard Law to discuss the evolution of the CBC, where it stands today, and what it might look like tomorrow. They delve into the CBC’s fundamental purpose, its representations and criticisms, the challenges it faces in a crumbling media landscape dominated by global tech companies, and the importance of investing in Canadian public broadcasting.About Howard Law:Howard Law is the founder of MediaPolicy.ca. He is a media analyst, author, and former Director of Media at Unifor, representing thousands of journalists and media workers across Canada.3 reasons to listen:Learn about the history of the CBC and how it has evolved in its 90 years.Hear about the CBC’s mandate to represent Canada’s diversity and contribute to a unified national identity amid increasingly polarized times.Explore the future of public broadcasting in an era of algorithms, oversaturation of platforms, underfunding, and fragmentation.ResourcesCBCMediaPolicy.caBroadcasting ActFreedom Convoy 2022Friends of Canadian MediaHighlights[03:22] Reconciling diversity and shared national identity"Canada is a dance between that unity and that diversity, and always has been. I think when you combine the idea of a national passion and the diversity of the country in terms of what you're delivering, the reason you're doing that is because Canadians have a foot in each community at the same time. They have a foot in Canada and they have a foot in whatever community they are in Canada. I think that what the CBC tries to do is try to share experiences of Canadians from different regions, communities, etc., with the other Canadians. And that's just part of our national life."[13:37] Creating trust in a public broadcaster in a fragmented Canada"You need to be able to cover all corners of the country so everybody feels like they're part of the coverage of CBC. And I think the other thing is you need to be bold, you need to be intellectually curious, that engages people. You need to be unafraid of political criticism, which is never gonna end."[22:50] The importance of Canadian public broadcasting in the face of global tech companies"U.S. tech companies and U.S. streamers have made it pretty clear that they will be dragged, screaming and kicking, into the era of making Canadian content prominent on their internet services. And until that attitude changes and changes for good, relying on them to deliver Canadian content to Canadians is fraught. It's very, very difficult."Thanks for listening to CanConversations, a podcast from Friends of Canadian Media in collaboration with The Walrus Lab.Everything we do at Friends of Canada Media is supported by people who believe in strong journalism, public broadcasting, and stories that reflect who we are as Canadians.And we do it without government funding, political ties, or corporate support. If that matters to you too, you can support us at friends.ca.If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share with a friend!Thank you for listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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