Editor's Note: CBC News has reversed policy and as of March 25, "CBC will continue to restore our local TV news offer for local audiences with an expanded 30-minute local news segment on CBC News Network. Viewers in all our regions will see their trusted anchors back on air reporting the local news that pertains to their communities."
CBC has worked to make its CBC News Network coverage of the COVID-19 coronavirus more available to Canadians. That is great news. Unfortunately, another CBC News move is hurting Canadians wanting to get information.
CBC News is running CBC News Network instead of supper-hour TV newscasts at 6 p.m. and local newscasts at 11 p.m. after The National.
The COVID-19 coronavirus is a worldwide story, a Canadian story, and a local story. Those local stories are being lost because CBC doesn't have the person power to cover those stories. That is what we are being told.
"We are an essential public service, and we will be here for Canada through it all. That is our mandate and promise to all Canadians."
"Television is resource intensive, and much of it can't be done from home. The spine of our television broadcast infrastructure and the support for many of our local supper-hour newscasts run through Toronto facilities. On Monday, with fewer technical staff in the Toronto building, that spine was at risk of breaking."
"More importantly, we see what's coming: more cases, more illness, more people in isolation, more restrictions on travel, more staffing challenges in all of our newsrooms. To get ahead of the curve and the enormous strain we expect it will place on our news service, we were forced to act."
So, we put a temporary pause on one piece of what we do — local TV newscasts at 6 p.m. and some at 11 p.m. — in order to protect everything else: local and national reporting; local and national radio service; local and national digital service; our national nightly newscast; and our 24-hour news channel, CBC News Network (NN)."
These words are from Brodie Fenlon, editor in chief and executive director of daily news for CBC News. We don't doubt the integrity of anything said or the issues of limited resources.
We just think shutting down the local supper hour newscasts is a huge mistake.
CBC isn't just The National and CBC News Network. Viewers have a relationship with their local news people. Canadians need more security, not less.
The promise of CBC Gem was CBC News Network and getting streams of other CBC channels across the country. If you live in Ontario and your parents live in British Columbia, you will want to check in on what is going on there. No local news means you don't know what is happening in another part of Canada.
As far as resources, the late night comedy shows have been resorting to doing videos from couches and backyards. A local CBC anchor could give an update from their home. Local information delivered by local people. Doesn't even have to be a whole half-hour: 12-15 minutes would work.
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As we have noted, Canadian journalism isn't that strong. Most of Canada can get updates from CTV, Global, and Citytv. Those markets would have a leg up on CBC once the crisis is over since their local anchors are still delivering local news.
Prince Edward Island as well as Newfoundland and Labrador have a different issue: CBC is one of the few news outlets in those provinces.
CBC North is exempt from the changes.
National newscasts aren't going to break down Alberta or Manitoba numbers. They might mention Edmonton or Winnipeg, not so much Red Deer or Flin Flon.
The private networks have more money and American shows as lead-ins to their news. Canadians want good local news. If they can't get from CBC, they will turn elsewhere.
CBC is great but can get locked in unfortunate decisions made by people not thinking above and beyond a limited box. This is one of those times.
Canadians and non-Canadians can watch CBC News Network online. They don't need CBC News Network to interrupt local newscasts.
Bring back the supper-hour broadcasts. Make them hybrids with some local coverage and fill the rest of the half hour with CBC News Network. Better than what is happening now.
photo credit: CBC News
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