Big Guy Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 This Friday, the much balyhood Canadian equivalent of Fox in the USA, our own Sun News Network will be history. Will you miss it? I won't. Quote Note - For those expecting a response from Big Guy: I generally do not read or respond to posts longer then 300 words nor to parsed comments.
On Guard for Thee Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 Not a lot to miss unless youre the Fox type. Although I used to look at an Ezra rant every now and then for a few giggles. Quote
bush_cheney2004 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 No worries...Canada will still have a state broadcaster that doesn't have to compete for audience share & revenue, which is guaranteed by taxpayers. The CRTC did not require cable carriage as it did for Sun's competitors. I wonder if Sun would have managed to survive with an extra billion dollars each year.... Quote Economics trumps Virtue.
On Guard for Thee Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 I guess if you want a little balance in the reportage and not just what the boardroom wants you to hear, and without endless, mindless commercials, you have to be willing to pay for it. Quote
msj Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 Huh? Given how Manulife and Sunlife bought Amanda Lang, not to mention her personal connection to a RBC director, I think the CBC listens to the Boardrooms just fine. Throw in the perks to CBC journalists from Parks Canada sponsored trips and the CBC is as bought as any other of the media. Quote If a believer demands that I, as a non-believer, observe his taboos in the public domain, he is not asking for my respect but for my submission. And that is incompatible with a secular democracy. Flemming Rose (Dutch journalist) My biggest takeaway from economics is that the past wasn't as good as you remember, the present isn't as bad as you think, and the future will be better than you anticipate. Morgan Housel http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/01/14/things-im-pretty-sure-about.aspx
AngusThermopyle Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 Never watched it but I think a varied take on issues is never a bad thing. What I don't understand is why so many were so vociferous in their hatred of it. If you don't agree with it or like it just don't watch it. Personally I wont watch CBC, garbage shows and totally biased view of the issues. See how that works? Just my opinion though. Quote I yam what I yam - Popeye
Michael Hardner Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 Not to worry - independent subscriber-supported and free (in all senses of the word) journalism is rising in Canada's small market: http://canadalandshow.com/ Jesse Brown goes after The CBC, Sun News and The Star... and eclipses the "influential" Ezra Levant and Sun TV with his podcast. Quote Looks like someone has a new patronizing catch phrase ! Michael Hardner
Topaz Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 The problem with Sun was some of their host and too much about the USA and of course, it was always one-sided, so I guess Canadians didn't support it. Quote
Spiderfish Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 (edited) Never watched it but I think a varied take on issues is never a bad thing. What I don't understand is why so many were so vociferous in their hatred of it. If you don't agree with it or like it just don't watch it. Personally I wont watch CBC, garbage shows and totally biased view of the issues. See how that works? Just my opinion though. I agree with you on the first point. I've also wondered why there is such an aggresive objection and outright contmpt for diversity of opinion. On the second point, I don't watch the CBC very often either, but it really doesn't affect them at all. The fact that they recieve over $1,000,000,000.00 of taxpayer money every year ensures that regardless of ratings, their survival is pretty much assured. They are not required to be competitive. Edited February 13, 2015 by Spiderfish Quote
Boges Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 (edited) I stopped watching other than occasionally catching Michael Coren's show. The production quality was not good. That being said, had they been allowed automatic carriage fees like CBC News and CTV News they would have survived. They had an uphill climb for sure. Quebecor selling Sun Media was the nail in their coffin. Edited February 13, 2015 by Boges Quote
bush_cheney2004 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 ...That being said, had they been allowed automatic carriage fees like CBC News and CTV News they would have survived. They had an uphill climb for sure. The game was rigged from the 'git go....all the kangaroo CRTC offered was to review their policies after denying mandatory carriage. Quote Economics trumps Virtue.
scribblet Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 The problem with Sun was some of their host and too much about the USA and of course, it was always one-sided, so I guess Canadians didn't support it. They were harpooned by the CRTC, no doubt had they received megabucks of Canadian $$ they would be doing okay. You might be interested in Liberal Kinsella's take on it (he worked for them too) http://warrenkinsella.com/2015/02/dear-sun-news-network-folks/#sthash.D87eJ0UV I was on Twitter, past midnight, reading some of the things people were saying about the network’s demise. There was a lot of gloating and awful stuff being said. I slept for four hours, then got up to watch the network disappear. They showed a promo for Pat Bolland’s show, and then that was it. The screen in my bedroom went black at exactly 5 a.m. I stared at it for a while, and tried to formulate what I wanted to say. It’s not you who I want to say it to, former Sun News Network folks. It’s to those people on Twitter, last night and this morning, the ones who were gleefully celebrating the end of Sun News. They’re celebrating, I guess, because they disagreed with the opinions that were found on Sun News. They didn’t like conservative opinions being broadcast, so they think it’s funny that 200 people have lost their jobs. I find that completely insane, for two reasons. Quote Hey Ho - Ontario Liberals Have to Go - Fight Wynne - save our province
Shady Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 No worries...Canada will still have a state broadcaster that doesn't have to compete for audience share & revenue, which is guaranteed by taxpayers. The CRTC did not require cable carriage as it did for Sun's competitors. I wonder if Sun would have managed to survive with an extra billion dollars each year.... Quite right. Msnbc of the north (CBC) survives with the aid of tax money. Quote
BubberMiley Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 I think their main problem was that Canadian politics aren't sufficiently polarized for them. Even though the comments sections of newspapers, political forums like this one, and the PMO would suggest it's all us-vs-them, dark-vs-light, libs-vs-cons, most everyone in Canada, including the MSM, are in the mushy middle and have no interest in wedge politics. Quote "I think it's fun watching the waldick get all excited/knickers in a knot over something." -scribblet
Boges Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 I think their main problem was that Canadian politics aren't sufficiently polarized for them. Even though the comments sections of newspapers, political forums like this one, and the PMO would suggest it's all us-vs-them, dark-vs-light, libs-vs-cons, most everyone in Canada, including the MSM, are in the mushy middle and have no interest in wedge politics. I can agree with this. I'm obviously conservative minded but Sun News was 24/7 Outrage Central. Quote
The_Squid Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 Right wingers sniveling about people being happy with the demise of Sun "News" Outrage Network are hypocrites. They would be the first ones dancing on CBCs grave if they met the same demise. They would be ecstatic about the hundreds of people out of work and the "lefty" network being gone. (It's not left, btw... that's a silly argument... they held Chretien to account as much as they do Harper) So keep your crocodile tears and whining to yourself... no one believes your sudden compassion for the out of work journalists would translate to anyone other than the rabid right wing news network. Quote
bush_cheney2004 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 I can agree with this. I'm obviously conservative minded but Sun News was 24/7 Outrage Central. How many viewers were already watching Fox News ? As for too much 'American content', that is laughable given what I read on CBC.ca. Quote Economics trumps Virtue.
Boges Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 How many viewers were already watching Fox News ? As for too much 'American content', that is laughable given what I read on CBC.ca. Fox News is a specialty channel up here, right there with the American Heroes Channel and Animal Planet. I did think they talked a lot about American politics. And I did kind of cringe when seeing the likes of Ezra go after Obama. Some would argue Obama is to the right of Harper on many issues. Quote
bush_cheney2004 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 Fox News is a specialty channel up here, right there with the American Heroes Channel and Animal Planet. I tried to go down this wabbit hole before, but it is hard to get viewership ratings for Fox News in Canada, despite being available on many cable systems. That's one reason calling Sun the "Fox News North" was somewhat silly....Canadians already get the real thing, along with lots of other 'merkin content. Quote Economics trumps Virtue.
Moonlight Graham Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 At least they gave a different point of view. I don't mind conservative news but they didn't do it very professionally. Quote "All generalizations are false, including this one." - Mark Twain Partisanship is a disease of the intellect.
Boges Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 I tried to go down this wabbit hole before, but it is hard to get viewership ratings for Fox News in Canada, despite being available on many cable systems. That's one reason calling Sun the "Fox News North" was somewhat silly....Canadians already get the real thing, along with lots of other 'merkin content. It's a simplistic comparison. Unless you care about Murikan politics, you don't watch Fox News. I think many people that do watch Fox News simply hate watch it. The comparison is made because Sun News was clearly conservative but the content was obviously much different. Quote
Boges Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 At least they gave a different point of view. I don't mind conservative news but they didn't do it very professionally. I'm not much for TV news in the first place, unless there's some major News Story going on like a terrorist attack or a horrific storm (If it bleeds, it leads right?) Often I'd switch to Sun and they were bitching about JT or a Union story. Which is fine but they do know what's going on in the world right? It had way to much opinion. Opinion is cheap afterall. BUT I'm sure they could have done more actual news had they been afforded the money that other news stations in Canada got. Quote
Remiel Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 The fundamental problem with Sun News was that they wanted to be called a news channel when their core content was editorial. Here you guys are complaining about losing their opinions. If CBC, or CTV, or Global went off the air people would be complaining about losing their coverage. Quote
bush_cheney2004 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 It's a simplistic comparison. Unless you care about Murikan politics, you don't watch Fox News. I think many people that do watch Fox News simply hate watch it. The comparison is made because Sun News was clearly conservative but the content was obviously much different. It's hard to get real numbers...for Fox News or MSNBC in Canada....but we know there is an audience for both. We even have Canadians commenting on NBC and Brian Williams, so lots of eyeballs on 'merkin content it would seem. Murdoch wanted to just straight up bring the Fox News model into Canada. Sun News was an underfunded, half ass alternative. Quote Economics trumps Virtue.
Boges Posted February 13, 2015 Report Posted February 13, 2015 It's hard to get real numbers...for Fox News or MSNBC in Canada....but we know there is an audience for both. We even have Canadians commenting on NBC and Brian Williams, so lots of eyeballs on 'merkin content it would seem. Murdoch wanted to just straight up bring the Fox News model into Canada. Sun News was an underfunded, half ass alternative. Fox News North was seen as a pejorative from opponents who think anything conservative is dumb. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.