There was a delay last week in getting news up to this site owing to a technical problem. Oh, hell, okay… my notebook computer got stolen. Er, well, or maybe I left it in a cab. Anyone, thanks to Visa, I have a shiny new computer {sigh}, so we return to regularly scheduled blogging.

I’m going to make a page here listing all of CBC’s blogs (which hopefully one day can migrate to something like www.cbc.ca/blogs).

If you work on a show that has a blog,
please email me the web page address (and, if you know it, your RSS URL).

Thanks!

With the departure of senior news honcho Tony Burman, someone has stepped in to fill his role as the CBC’s news blogger.

I say someone, because whomever the writer is (or writers are), they’re not identifying themselves it’s not clear at first glance who the author is. It doesn’t show up in RSS readers or on the blog’s main page. This sadly, is probably the least effective way of engaging the dialogue that the blog desperately wants:

Tell us how you get your news and why you prefer it that way. Has the digital news world changed how you find out about things? What would you like to see covered in this space? Who would you like to hear from?

More than just being less effective, I believe it could actually hurt our brand image. We’re anxious to showcase the innovative programming and great people we have here. We spend lots of money advertising to that effect. A nameless blog, written as “we,” just reinforces the image many Canadians have of us as a bureaucratic and impersonal broadcaster.

Don’t get me wrong. The CBC News Editors’ Blog is better than not having one at all, but people want to engage with other people, not a huge faceless organization.

UPDATE: Since this original post went up, the web site was tweaked and now includes the names of the authors   Next to change: Full-text in the RSS feeds.

The new blogging guidelines are out (now officially called “Self Publishing and Self Expression on the Internet” cause, you know, it’s snappier ) and while the document takes a friendlier tone, CBC journalists still require their supervisor’s permission to maintain a personal blog, post a comment on someone else’s blog or Facebook.

The restriction, though, is simply an extension of existing Code of Ethics policies.

The new guidelines say:

“…Journalists must get permission for all outside freelance and journalistic work, including written articles for self-publication or blogs….

If you work in News and Current Affairs, in particular, in addition to seeking the permission of your supervisor, you should also ensure that nothing that you are self-publishing or expressing during the course of such activities risks undermining the integrity or impartiality of CBC/Radio-Canada’s News divisions.”

The original document which was distributed to some news staff (later said to have just been a draft for discussion) required the permission of workers’ bosses to have or even maintain an existing personal blog. This was to apply to all employees, not just those involved in news.

While written in a simpler, less punitive voice, the document still occasionally lapses into CorpSpeak:

Self-publishing activities and self-expression on the Internet should also be done in a way that respects our policy on Corporate Information Technology (IT) Security and Employee Use of IT Assets. For example, “Employees are provided with access to CBC/Radio-Canada IT Assets for business use and for the purpose of performing job-related activities. Although some limited personal use will be tolerated, it is subject to this Policy and must not interfere with or detract from employees’ assigned tasks.” In this respect, all such activities should be done on an employee’s own time, using a personal computer and personal e-mail address.

(Would it have killed them to just say: “Remember that while it’s fine to use your workstation computer for infrequent personal tasks, please use your own home computer and personal email address for most of your blogging and other personal uses.”?!)

The full guidelines are after the jump.

So, what do you think?

(more…)

Starting today, I’m going to change a little bit of the editorial focus of this blog. I’ve had lots of feedback from within and outside CBC and people seem to want more about the people and events at the Corp, and less acting as a news aggregator of stories about the CBC.

As a result, there will be fewer (but, hopefully, more interesting!) posts here.

I’d love to know your feedback on story selection over the next few weeks.

However, I know many of you really like having a place that aggregates stories about the CBC so I’ll be ramping up posting links to stories elsewhere in the “Elsewhere” section of the sidebar.

• If you read this by visiting here directly, it’s over there on the right in the grey box under “Elsewhere.”
• If you read this through an RSS feed, you’ll get these links once daily.

Here are some recent stories posted to the Elsewhere section:

• Emmy-winning producers to create show for MySpace

  MySpace social networking site has a deal to obtain exclusive rights to TV series Quarterlife, which it describes as the first “network quality” program to be shown exclusively on the internet.

• Multi-Platform Variations on Gould Airs on CBC

  Streaming video, multi-media presentations, live relays between venues and other media platforms will be used to celebrate the life, legacy and lasting inspiration of music virtuoso Glenn Gould with Variations on Gould a 10-day radio festival…

• Drabinsky looks to elevate reality TV

  Some critics believe that our national broadcaster shouldn’t even go near reality shows. Triple Sensation is only the latest in a series from the Ceeb that also includes the successful Dragon’s Den, the forthcoming No Opportunity Wasted…

• Canadian TV could face American invasion

  There was a lot of gnashing of teeth among Canadian television honchos yesterday. A few garments may even have been rent. The cause of all this angst was a report that calls for changes that could shake the Canadian TV business to the core…

• Net radio pact may be near

  Listening to radio over the Internet is easier than ever, as high-speed connections proliferate and online offerings become more sophisticated. Now the legal aspects may be falling into place too.

• Change rules to promote Canadian drama, CRTC told

  Two prominent communications lawyers asked to review broadcast policies for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission say the rules should be changed to promote more Canadian drama on prime-time TV.

• Media merger wave has passed, Corus chief says

  The wave of consolidation that has washed over the media industry in the past year - with more than $5-billion worth of deals in the broadcast sector alone - is starting to subside, executives say.