CBC Executive Expenses – Is this Groundwork?
On the heels of several media outlets reporting about VP of French Sercives Sylvain Lafrance’s expenses, which amounted to almost $80,000 in 2006, it seems Richard Stursberg is next in line.
A report by the Ottawa Sun yesterday says Stursberg raked up $85,000 in expenses over two years.
These stories have been gaining traction for a few days now, so in case you’re not caught up, here’s the background.
Several newspapers are now running stories based on a bunch of Acess to Information requests on CBC executives. The requests first resulted in the Sylvain Lafrance stories. Now Stursberg’s expenses are in the spotlight. The documents were obtained by Ken Rubin who is described as a Sun paper researcher.
Now I don’t know Ken Rubin, or the process to file access to information requests, but if I were him I’d save a few stamps and check this website. It lists all of the executives expenses since 2007 on whatever, whenever.
The site shows that for instance the President of the CBC has a “Business meal with Auditor General of Canada – $23.21″ on June 27, 2008.
Twenty bucks on the auditor general. Hardly seems excessive.
Now don’t get me wrong. There may be some legitimate excessive spending at the CBC, the Sun story details a meal between Richard Stursberg, Rick Mercer and one other person for $616.34. Yes, that’s a lot to spend on dinner, but let’s keep in mind what Mercer does. He hosts of the one of the most popular shows on the network.
Is a $600 dinner an outrageous expense? Or a smart business gesture to keep on of your highest grossing personalities happy?
It should also be said that the money is a combination of personal and business expenses. If Stursberg puts on an event in the atrium, then it goes against his expenses.
But the larger question is: What’s the motive?
The Canadian Press reported that this may be part of a larger strategy to discredit the CBC and lay the groundwork to cut its spending as we head into a recession:
Libby Davies, the NDP heritage critic, said the successive messages point to a government “laying the groundwork” for a whack at its favourite whipping boy.
“They’re sort of cherry-picking now and zeroing in on expenses . . . really setting the stage for something that they want to come up with politically to go after and attack CBC,” she said.
What do you think? Are the executive expenses at the CBC newsworthy? Or is this something else?
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Just once in my life, I’d love a media story on these expenses to add a line like, “By comparison, our own executives spent $X.”
Not holding my breath, though.
I dunno Paul. An old boss of mine had a story about business meals that’s stuck with me:
Back in the ’80s in Ireland (not a fun time), he’d set up a small IT consultancy shop, and looking to expand, he was courting an potential investor. The investor wanted to see their offices and do lunch. Apparently he’d suggested sandwiches in a nearby pub, but in a naive effort to impress him John took him to the swankiest joint in town. As they were settling in, the then-Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister equivalent) swept in with an entourage. The investor looked at my boss with disgust, said that if they were willing to waste money on places like this they weren’t going to get any of his, and stormed out.
Nobody except the biggest rube is impressed by an expensive dinner. I agree that the sums of money under consideration are miniscule compared to what private media executives probably tip at places the next level up ($600 for 3 people is definitely expensive, but not uber-posh, especially considering the shocking markups on wine in this town) but to argue that said dinner is business-critical is gonna be difficult.
It isn’t the Canadian Press who is saying that, it’s Libby Davies.
My personal opinion?
It’s both, to a certain extent.
Anyone going to ask what it costs to send THAT MANY CBC people to Banff each year? To all stay in the Springs? And it doesn’t even show up as an expense.
CBC spends more on billboards than they do on their websites, I’d wager.
The priorities of a few executives are as screwed up as some MPs. Except you can’t vote them out ever once in a while.
We all know cuts are coming. Even if the Conservatives don’t cut the CBC’s budget CBC Management will use the tough economic times as an excuse to lay waste to newsrooms and programming as they did back in 1990.
Or perhaps they’ll lock us out again?
The network centres in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa will come out once again barely being touched with cuts. All the other operations across the country will bear the brunt of cuts.
More hair brandied schemes to save money, the and the real estate division pimping out CBC buildings to anyone. Look at the farce that the International Academy of Design turned out to be in Toronto. I wonder how the redevelopment boondoggle in Montreal will go?
The executive’s should lead by example during these lean times and carefully consider the optics of their discretionary spending.
The top brass have lost the Olympics, CFL Football and CTV taking NHL hockey can’t be far behind.
As for the other media trying to discredit the CBC .. no doubt about it.
I thought Rick had better sense!! SHAME!!
They’re just about done with the expansion/renovation in Vancouver, aren’t they?
@Dwight:
It sure doesn’t sound like it from where I’m sitting!
Scheduled to be completed in Fall 2009, as per the website: http://www.cbc.ca/bc/redevelopment/index.html
Okay, thanks. I wasn’t entirely sure where that project was sitting on its timeline since my visit to Vancouver this past summer. The whole project looks ambitious, although I can’t entirely understand the idea of linking it to condo/office towers yet.