Massive Cuts To Canada’s CBC – Is This The End Of A Once Great Public Broadcaster?

“In announcing that he was tired of overseeing annual budget cuts, president and chief executive Hubert Lacroix announced a massive cut: as many as 1,500 employees or almost 20 per cent of the workforce over five years, though a lot of that, it is hoped, will be achieved through attrition. The scythe will be taken most significantly to the local news and sports operations, with dinner-hour newscasts pared from 90 to 30 minutes and sports productions taking an inevitable hit from the loss of NHL broadcast rights to Rogers.”

Canada’s CBC Says It Will “Disrupt” Itself (Read: Radically Downsize)

“CBC says it will “privilege content” by getting out of the activities it believes aren’t at the core of its mandate: It will, for example, try to sell a chunk of its real estate, so it can be a fleet-footed tenant instead of a lumbering landlord. CBC will also, most contentiously, get out of the business of producing its own content, except for news, current affairs and radio.”

America’s Fastest Growing City Has No Crime (Or Kids)

“That the most rapidly expanding U.S. metro area is a Manhattan-sized retirement village — with more golf carts than New York has taxis — highlights the transformation of the world’s demographic profile. The over-60 set — which the United Nations projects will almost triple to 2 billion by 2050 — offers opportunity to marketers and homebuilders even as it confounds governments that must care for an aging populace.”

Should Public TV Stations Be Allowed To Sell Ads? Station Wants Supreme Court To Decide

“While some underwriting announcements come awful close to resembling the commercial networks’ ubiquitous 30-second spots, the FCC does draw the line when it comes to public TV’s flagrant promotion of for-profit products and services, like the sale of insurance, cars and airline tickets, as well as running spots for political campaigns or certain issues.”