CBC Cuts: Inevitable?

A friend lamented the impending CBC cuts via Twitter earlier today, retweeting Kevin Smith‘s exclamation:

someone explain the logic behind cutting the CBC, maker of Hockey Night in Canada, and bailing out GM, maker of the Hummer?

Now, I’m hardly one to defend the bailout of the auto industry, but given that cars are amongst Canada’s biggest imports and exports it seems a prudent decision. After all, if you’re going to violate the laws of the free market, you might as well go big.

But that alone doesn’t seem like a justifiable reason to leave the CBC out in the cold, now does it? Yet I still have no sympathy for the CBC – why? Here’s why:

Unlike the BBC, which is typically led by a board-appointed media veteran, the CBC is often led by a political appointee. Like most of his predecessors, Mr. Lacroix has never had a top job in a media company. At the same time, he is accountable only to the Prime Minister.

So…the CBC is run by a guy who doesn’t have the requisite skills to do the job. And is a political appointee.

Relatively speaking, not bailing out the CBC is actually a sensible decision in comparison.