Thursday, March 1, 2007

Charlottetown Senator Percy Downe has written to the President and the members of the CBC Board of Directors urging them to increase the funding allocated to the CBC Compass news program on Prince Edward Island.

“While I am aware that CBC/Radio Canada is a crown corporation which does not take instructions from Parliamentarians, I am confident that the CBC Board of Directors will see the necessity in reallocating resources to CBC Compass, and will advise CBC management accordingly,” says Downe.

“The return of a one-hour evening news program is a positive development for Prince Edward Island, but CBC has to return the appropriate resources to the Charlottetown station,” concluded Downe.

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March 1, 2007

Robert Rabinovitch, President and CEO
Acting Chair of the Board of Directors
CBC/Radio Canada
P.O. Box 3220 Station C
Ottawa ON K1Y 1E4

Dear Mr. Rabinovitch:

I am writing to you in your capacity as President and Acting Chair of the CBC Board of Directors regarding the funding of Prince Edward Island’s 6 p.m. evening television news program. As you are aware, on February 19, 2007, the CBC evening news in Prince Edward Island returned to its original sixty minute airtime under the name of CBC Compass.

In 2000, the locally produced Prince Edward Island early evening news broadcast was reduced from a one hour program, to a thirty minute segment, which resulted in corresponding budget and human resource cuts. Now that the program has been returned to its full sixty minute length, more resources need to be allocated to Prince Edward Island.

The issue that the CBC station in Charlottetown currently employs significantly fewer staff members than it did a decade ago must be addressed. Although there is an argument which will be advanced that new technology requires less people to run the news program, there is still a need for additional journalists, producers and support staff to produce a quality news program for sixty minutes.

The CBC 6 p.m. newscast in Prince Edward Island has consistently ranked among the highest rated CBC early evening news programs in the country. It should be rewarded for its success with additional financial support so that it will continue to provide Prince Edward Islanders with an evening news program of the highest quality and excellence.

While I am aware that CBC/Radio Canada is a crown corporation which does not take instructions from Parliamentarians, I am confident that the CBC Board of Directors will see the necessity in reallocating resources to CBC Compass, and will advise CBC management accordingly.

Please note that I am sending a separate letter to all members of the CBC Board of Directors in order to make them personally aware of this situation.

Sincerely,

Percy E. Downe
Senator