Sometimes, it’s just funny to see how desperate CBC’s detractors are sometimes to find fault with the Corporation.

CanWest (a direct competitor to CBC Television, natch) has had all its various media guns out decrying that CBC staffers can smoke inside the Toronto broadcast centres speciallly designated, air-filtered rooms.

The Global news report is practically a parody, imho. They have a “hidden camera” in one of the smoke rooms, which they describe as being outfitted with “plush sofas.” (Have a look at the video and tell me if you think they’re lush. They look more like discount Ikea to me.)

They even ambush CBC employees outside the building.

There’s only one problem with their report — it’s a non-story. It’s perfectly legal for the CBC to have smoking rooms, as it is a federally regulated business.

Then the National Post (a CanWest publication) weighs in to promote to the Global report (three cheers for media consolidation):

Despite Ontario’s strict prohibition on smoking in the workplace, employees at the CBC’s downtown Toronto headquarters are legally lighting up inside two smoking lounges outfitted with plush sofas and ashtrays, a Global News investigation has found.

Hidden cameras captured smokers puffing away and ashtrays filled with cigarette butts inside the public broadcaster’s Toronto building, and the CBC says its workers can smoke in similar designated rooms at its locations in Montreal, Moncton, St. John’s, Nfld., and Saint John, N.B.

Wow. Good scoop guys; you caught us providing our employees with a place they can keeping the smoke away from their fellow non-smoking employees.

Uh, yeah.

Slow news day?

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	The Odd File	Posted at 5:01 pm (28 Feb 2007)

I’ve been hearing from lots of people who’ve listened to the Hacking the Mothercorp session I led at Northern Voice. Seems it’s struck a chord out there in the blogosphere.

David thinks it was the best session of the conference.

Yes, the “right people” are listening to your feedback. Senior executives are listening to the audio. (One of them even transcribed the content for his team.)

Please keep the comments coming.

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	CBC Policies	Posted at 5:27 pm (27 Feb 2007)

The Danish Poet, the 2007 Academy Award-winning animated short film co-produced by The National Film Board of Canada will debut on CBC this Sunday, March 4 at midnight. (Technically speaking, on Monday.)

Montreal-based Torill Kove’s The Danish Poet is narrated by multi-award winning Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann and follows Kasper, a poet whose creative well has run dry, on a holiday to Norway to meet a famous writer. As his quest for inspiration unfolds, it appears that a spell of bad weather, an angry dog, slippery barn planks, a careless postman, hungry goats and other seemingly unrelated factors might play important roles in the big scheme of things after all.

It’ll air on Canadian Reflections, the the longest running showcase of independent short films, highlighting the first documentaries, dramas and animated films from up-and-coming Canadian directors, producers and writers.

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	Specials	Posted at 5:18 pm (27 Feb 2007)

I’m always amazed at how busy the CBC job board is these days.

For the record, here are the jobs that got posted yesterday and today:

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		Posted at 4:23 pm (27 Feb 2007)

Now that the “Living” series (the regional daytime TV shows) have started to get their footing, I thought I’d do some quick captures of what the various shows are covering. This is taken from a couple of days last week.

Although what I don’t understand: In some cities, the show is called “Living [City]” and in others, it’s called “Living In [City]“. I know it’s not a big deal, but I hate inconsistencies.

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	Living In, Maritimes & Nwfld., Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg	Posted at 12:08 pm (27 Feb 2007)

First, they launched the Radio 3 podcast, and quickly shot to the top of the Canadian podcast charts. Now, CBC Radio 3 has launched two new podcasts — the R3-30 and the New Music Canada Track of the Day podcasts.

By now you already know that the New Music Canada Track of the Day comes out — you guessed it — every day. The only difference now is that you can download it and take it with you wherever you go. And the new R3-30 podcast, featuring the gloriously effervescent Craig Norris, will be waiting for you every Monday morning when you wake up.

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	CBC Radio 3, Podcasting	Posted at 11:52 pm (26 Feb 2007)

On this day in 1932, actor John Vernon was born in Zehner Saskatchewan. He first achieved Canada-wise celebrity as the star of the CBC coroner drama Wojeck. He went on to a Hollywood career as actor/voice actor in TV series like Delta House, Matrix, Acapulco HEAT & Batman. He died after heart surgery Feb 1, 2005 a few weeks shy of his 73rd birthday.

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	Asides, Today In CBC History	Posted at 2:16 pm (24 Feb 2007)

About 60 people showed up for the standing-room only session to give advice to the CBC on what it should do to move into social media, web 2.0 technologies, and just become a better public broadcaster overall. You can download or listen to the audio of the session here.

Photo by Megan Cole

[Read more →]

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	CBC Policies, Technology	Posted at 8:19 pm (23 Feb 2007)

I’m attending the Northern Voice blogger conference in Vancouver and will be doing a listening session called Hacking the Mothercorp: Building CBC 2.0. Basically, it’s going to be a room full of people who are making social media, and I’ll ask them to brainstorm about what we should be doing better. Be sure to tune in later today for the audio of the session.

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	Asides	Posted at 1:56 pm (23 Feb 2007)

CBC Radio’s new daily arts show, hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, will launch on April 16, according to radio veep Jane Chalmers. (In the meantime, Freestyle will be extended.)

Mark O’Neill has been hired as Executive Producer of the show. Mark has had a distinguished career at CBC Radio and was most recently Executive Producer of Radio One on Sirius, and prior to this he led the Toronto afternoon show, Here and Now. Mark also has a long history in the arts as an arts reporter and producer.

Problem is, the Jian show still doesn’t have a name. It’s a daily show that covers the arts in Canada. So, any ideas for a name for the show?

The Arts Tonight, Freestyle and Between the Covers will remain on the air until April 16. All of the other changes to Radio One that were announced, including the launch of the one-hour version of Dispatches, will happen March 19.

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	, Bloopers	Posted at 4:03 pm (22 Feb 2007)

Things are looking brighter on T Floor at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Vancouver. Renovations are complete and the folks from both CBC Radio 3 and Living Vancouver have moved in.

So far, nobody has run gremlin-like screaming from the windows.

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	CBC Radio 3, Living In, Vancouver	Posted at 1:21 pm (21 Feb 2007)

Turns out the squeaky wheel does get the grease.

Jim Shaw of Shaw Communications now says he’ll resume his company’s monthly payments to the Canadian Television Fund. Shaw said he now feels assured the government will examine the structure and accountability of the disputed fund.

Remember, kids. The secret to getting what you want is holding your breath until you turn blue. They’ll cave. They always do.

More at cbc.ca

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	The Outside	Posted at 3:35 pm (20 Feb 2007)

The very observant of you may have noticed that the CBC.ca web site went down today for about ten minutes, thanks to a problem at their upstream provider. It’s back up now, and everyone who reported it has won a lifetime subscription to Sirius. (Not available in all provinces. Some restrictions apply.)

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	Asides, CBC.ca web site	Posted at 3:27 pm (20 Feb 2007)

On this day in 1900, Canadian radio pioneer Graham Spry was born at St Thomas Ontario. Spry founded the Canadian Radio League, and is regarded as The Father of Canadian Public Broadcasting. He helped mobilize public opinion that led to the formation in 1932 of the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission, the predecessor of the CBC. He died November 24, 1983 at age 83.

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	Asides, Today In CBC History	Posted at 10:45 am (20 Feb 2007)

Photo: “CBC fangrrrl” by becky b.

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	Fanatical Fans	Posted at 10:34 am (20 Feb 2007)