CANADIAN MEDIA COMPANYQuebecor announced this week it plans to launch Sun TV News, a right-wing all-news network that will take aim at the nation’s existing players: CBC and CTV. Here’s the promo:
The station — which will be fed by the Sun Media chain of newspapers – is promising “hard news” and “straight talk” when it launches Jan. 1.
“English Canada today … is ill-served by the incumbent specialty news channels,” Quebec CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau said at the station’s launch Tuesday. “We see a real opportunity in offering Canadians something new, something better, something distinct. It’s time to shake up the players of the existing Canadian broadcasting system.”
“We’re taking on the mainstream media,” one of Peladeau’s lieutenants added. “We’re taking on smug, condescending, often irrelevant journalism, we’re taking on political correctness. We will not be a state broadcaster, offering boring news by bureaucrats for elites and paid for by taxpayers.” (He’s referring to CBC, in case it wasn’t painfully obvious.)
Sun TV News will be “controversially Canadian,” the guy said, no doubt prompting snickers from folks outside of Canada who consider “controversially Canadian” an oxymoron. “Canadian TV news today is narrow, it’s complacent and it’s politically correct. It’s bland and boring. Our aim is not to bore people to death, we’ll leave that to the CBC.”
Zing!
Sun TV News is being characterized by some as “Fox News North.” Indeed, much of the chatter surrounding its launch has focused on the left- versus right-wing media thing. I’m more interested in the competition this new network will create on Canadian airwaves.
I can’t really say much about CTV’s all-news network; it’s so far up the cable dial I rarely see it, unless I stumble across it (and when I do, I don’t linger long).
I do watch CBC News Network, though. The fact that it’s seen as left-leaning doesn’t matter much to me. But I tend to agree with that Quebecor exec: most of the time it’s pretty boring and kinda lame, despite any recent attempts to recast itself as hip and cool (hey look, the anchors stand up now, and they tweet!)
So if this new Sun channel can offer a bit of competition, lighting a fire under CBC’s tight ass, I’m all for it.
It may turn out that Canadians don’t want their news seasoned with opinion and delivered by loudmouth personalities a la Fox News. But we should at least have the choice — a rather novel concept in this country.
They say competition is good, so I’m all for it. I have to say I played that video, before I read any of the article. I thought it was satire until it finished, and I realised it was serious.
You read my mind with the “controversially Canadian” thing. Hey maybe they’ve found an untapped market.
Blame Canada
They say competition is good, so I’m all for it. I have to say I played that video, before I read any of the article. I thought it was satire until it finished, and I realised it was serious.
You read my mind with the “controversially Canadian” thing. Hey maybe they’ve found an untapped market.
Blame Canada
OT, you know what’s a good comment system that works as a plug in for blogs? Disqus.com
I assume its free, and I think it will have the other functionality (eg email you when someone replies to your comment). I think it might increase your readership also, as there’s a bit of a community element (I think)
Note, this isn’t spam, but a genuine suggestion on how to improve the site. I don’t work for these guys or anything.
Blame Canada
OT, you know what’s a good comment system that works as a plug in for blogs? Disqus.com
I assume its free, and I think it will have the other functionality (eg email you when someone replies to your comment). I think it might increase your readership also, as there’s a bit of a community element (I think)
Note, this isn’t spam, but a genuine suggestion on how to improve the site. I don’t work for these guys or anything.
Ryan Starr
Another great suggestion. I’m going to look into it. Keep em coming. BTW: Where’s your blog? : )
Ryan Starr
Another great suggestion. I’m going to look into it. Keep em coming. BTW: Where’s your blog? : )
Blame Canada
Ha, I said “I think” about three times in one paragraph.
I’m just uncertain about the whole thing okay
Blame Canada
Ha, I said “I think” about three times in one paragraph.
I’m just uncertain about the whole thing okay
rlstarr
Just installed Disqus. Let's see how this goes.
Blame Canada
Wow, you got this up quick. No messing about huh. Looks good. I used to have a blog but now its out of action, I have a twitter feed though. Its http://twitter.com/EarnestCandour
Blame Canada
Woohoo, avatar pictures.
Ryan Starr
Yes — I need to get on that, too. Not a fan of updating your Twitter, eh? Love your handle, tho.
Blame Canada
This comment system is awesome, almost real time huh. Yeah, I haven't updated for a long time. I found my old blog, hasn't been updated since '07. Though as you may have noticed, I'm getting back into the whole online thing, who knows what the future holds.
Blame Canada
Oh oh, another thing. Not trying to push my luck here, but I've noticed most blogs have some kind of legal disclaimer at the top of the comments section. Gotta cover your ass these days. I mean, I wouldn't hire a solicitor or anything. I'm sure there's some canned disclaimer out on the net. Keep it simple, don't promise anything you can't deliver ;D
Blame Canada
Plus you got the whole moderation thing going on now. Don't let the power get to your head. Firm but fair right?
Ryan Starr
Well, I could moderate comments before. This is just a more effective interface.
Ryan Starr
Yikes – don't know where to begin on that one. Hopefully moderating using some common sense will prevent legal disasters. But I'll look into it.
Blame Canada
oh yeah, that's right, forgot you already censored me once or twice in the past.
Re: disclaimer (shhh…cut and paste is your friend, I won't tell anyone, everybody does it, just mix things up a little, just between you me and teh interwebs)
Ryan Starr
Ha. I wouldn't call it censorship as much as not including “crap” comments, as I believe you described them? “Rand Paul” doesn't exactly add to the conversation : )
Blame Canada
Yeah, I should have put a /sarc tag at the end of that Rand Paul comment. The “First” comment I thought was funny though, at the time there wasn't a lot of comments so I was being ironic by adding first (as if I got in there quickly)
hey, we've gone way off-topic. Its almost like a little community, you and me and…uh…where's ben?
Ryan Starr
Ha ha. Yes, a very small but wonderful and intelligent community. Ben is spending the summer at the lake, I believe – which would explain why she's (and yes, Ben's a she) is MIA. And BTW: If I knew you better at the time, I wouldn't have axed those two comments.
Blame Canada
well I haven't made the best first impression, this disqus thing has allowed me to go back and see comments I've made (on other blogs too).
So far I have: 1. Posted 'first' 2. Posted 'rand paul!' 3. Accused you of censorship 4. Criticized the blog 5. Accused you of being biased based upon financial incentives 6 .Encouraged you to plagiarize 7. My username is Blame Canada 8. Insinuated that the ability to moderate would be power that goes to your head
hmm, in retrospect I come off as a right bastard, gotta work on those first impressions haha
Ryan Starr
No worries matey. At least you're commenting – and you've helped make this blog better.
Why does that ^ make me feel like a lead character in a 1980's Whoopi Goldberg film?
Talk about the collective unconscious. I typed 'jumping' into YouTube and it auto-completed with “…jumping jack flash” not based on my previous entries.
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NOVEMBER HAS BECOME synonymous with “Movember,” the annual event during which guys around the world grow moustaches to raise money and awareness for men’s health, prostate cancer specifically. It’s a brilliant publicity campaign that has gathered a huge amount of … Continue reading → […]
HOW’S THAT FOR heeding a warning? Saw this head-shaking piece of work on the way into a Toronto-area hospital yesterday. If the genius driver responsible for the damage could read the sign, apparently he didn’t get the message. ryan@roadtostarrdom.com […]
CANADIAN NOVELIST Russell Smith had a thought-provoking column in the Globe and Mail a few weeks back examining the growing tendency these days for young creative people, writers in particular, to work for free. The spur for the discussion was … Continue reading → […]
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