Thursday, March 31, 2005

I chose to pay for the network where "Liberal" is a cuss word

Last week I had to decide after three months of viewing Fox News Network for free whether or not I would pony up the extra cable fees and keep Fox News Network on the home dial. Two things happened in the last 24 hours that convinced me I made the right decision. Last night I caught the last 15 minutes or so of a CBC Fifth Estate episode on what I suppose was an expose on right wing media bias in American news suitably titled Stick and Stones.

My only comment concerns CBC interviewer Bob McKeown who must be either a great actor or incredibly naïve if he is moved by Al Franken’s teary tirade on his patriotism and then shocked almost into an epileptic spasms by Ann Coutler’s reaction to Big Al’s tears. I am with Ann on this one, and me thinks that maybe Bob McKeown has had a few too many sensitivity training courses. What he really needs to do is go spar a few rounds with my son in the ring or get himself a good anatomy book so he locate his balls.

Which of course leads me back to a question I have been mulling in my mind for sometime; why do we need a publicly funded CBC in this country? I may not agree with the creation of the CBC in the first place, but I have lived in some of those remote areas of Canada where the only option for television or radio news/entertainment to be had was the CBC; so I have experienced first hand a somewhat practical benefit - better than nothing. But that was a good 25 years ago. In today’s day with easy and affordable cable, internet or satellite access; the CBC has no place. If anything, the CBC has no business operating as a publicly funded business in direct competition with privately owned and operated Canadian media companies. If Canadian artists could create for the CBC - then there is nothing to stop them from creating for Canwest, Alliance Atlantis or Sun Media group and its time for the government to return my family’s forced/fleeced contribution to its rightful owners - ME.

The final incident that convinced me I made the right decision concerning Fox was while watching Fox & Friends this am. Two demonstrators/supporters of Michael Schiavo were being interviewed. No doubt the decision to interview this dynamic duo on the air was made for the sake of fairness and balance. I ask you; where else but on Fox News Network would I learn that the American Communist party is demonstrating on the behalf of Michael Schiavo and they support without reservation his right to murder his wife? Certainly, not on the CBC.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"maybe Bob McKeown has had a few too many sensitivity training courses. What he really needs to do is go spar a few rounds with my son in the ring or get himself a good anatomy book so he locate his balls."

Brawn over brain always means happy ending.