Sister Sage's Musings

Posts Tagged ‘corporate media’

It’s getting old real fast, or maybe this is yet another Brother Steve ploy to be able to put the CBC out of business once and for all with the help of his media outlets and pundits.

I can’t believe I must bring this up again and having to do so annoys the hell out of me. Here we go again, with feeling! Most of the Canadian media outlets are right slanted; Harpercon cheerleaders. Hell, even newscasters (which, by the way, as a job requirement, has to be balanced and unbiased; news should always be reported and delivered without prejudice of any kind) like Brian Lilley and Trudy Mason and others across Canada for either Astral or Corus, I’m sure.

I remembered giggling when Jane Taber had  Chuckles Adler and John Tory,  two Harpercon cheerleaders on Question Period, not because I found them funny or Jane Taber to be particularly witty; I didn’t; but, I remembered thinking there are no center, center-left or left wing talk radio ‘stars’ in Canada.  I noticed the cons are not troubled by this. I certainly am, and fellow progressive bloggers, you should be too.

CJAD 800 Am here, in Montreal, only has two hosts who are center-center left; Dan Laxer and Anne Lagace-Dowson respectively. Neither one of their shows are predominantly political talk; their shows mainly touch other current events, life styles,  family, that sort of thing. Although, having been on CBC radio and a candidate for the NDP in 2008 elections, she could make for a good pundit. She would be far better on that Tommy Schnurmacher Gang of 4 panel than Egbert; I can see her not taking the shit Tommy, Kim and Trudy dish out to Egbert on a daily basis.   I wonder if she was ever asked to be on any of those shows like Question Period or Power and Politics?  Are there others in other Canada News Talk Radio like Ms Lagace-Dowson? If so, they should make more of an effort to have their voices heard; I know, not easy when your bosses clearly endorse Harpercon. I digress…Back to the ranting!

I also remember you Harpercon cheerleaders getting all nervous about Torstar buying Canwest papers; oh the horror of  balanced journalism once again coming back to mainstream newspapers. No such luck though,  seeing it’s the old president of Natty Po and his money people, no chance of those papers seeing balanced journalism anytime soon.

About half if not more than half of the Grope & Fail columnists are Harpercon slanted: hello: Blatchford, Ibbitson, Spector, Wente, Galloway, etc. etc.

Do I really need to touch upon Sun Media with the leader of the connie wingnuts, Lorrie Goldstein?

All that’s pretty much left is the Toronto Star, and it too has Conservatives like Angelo Perischilli and Rosie Di Manno. However, even the fact that the Toronto Star even exists seems to be problematic for Harpercon cheerleaders. They can’t really bitch about them all that much as they’re privately owned, though.

Steve and the Harpercons ‘own’ most of corporate media; Steve and the Harpercons have them marching to his drum. Hell, don’t take my word for it, click the link and read it for yourselves.

As for the CBC, the president, Hubert Lacroix is a Harpercon appointee.

They just hired Steve’s former communications director, Kory Teneycke and they have Rex Murphy.   Personally, I’m not bothered by that, so long, of course, Kory Teneycke is no longer on the Harpercon payroll.

Every media outlet publicly or privately owned shouldn’t be right or left.  Each should have an even balance of pundits, talk show hosts, columnists, editorials and opinion writers from every political stripe: right, center and the left.

The news should and must be reported and delivered without prejudice, nor should newscasters or reporters be either hosting an opinion show on radio or TV, nor should they be writing editorials or columns;  in my humble opinion, that just taints their credibility when their news is delivered.

Right now, as I’ve pointed out earlier, most of the  media is in lockstep with Steve and the Harpercons. Remember all those newspapers that endorsed Steve and will continue to do so. This brings me to another point: newspapers and media outlets should not be officially endorsing any political parties.   Given that the media influences electoral campaigns and election outcomes as well as  how the public answer polling questions and surveys,  it is easy to understand much of the reason why Harpercons have such an unfair advantage.

I doubt any of that will change anytime soon, so political parties outside of the Harpercons will have to rely on support from social media, the progressive blogosphere and podcasts.

So, you Harpercon cheerleaders, stop  being such cry-babies over the CBC.  You’ve never had it so good where the media’s concerned.

Yeh! Yeh! Yeh! I know, you don’t like your tax dollars going on media you disagree with, well, I don’t like my tax dollars going to a CRTC that actually allows the semi-shock jockdom of Redneck Ryan Doyle, Chuckles Adler or Tommy Schnurmacher or Kim “let’s talk peeing in the shower at lunch time on live radio” Fraser (yes, folks, she really did devote a show segment to that nasty topic at the height of lunch time, since that is when she is aired)  on the airwaves, nor regulates media outlets to balance themselves much like in the ways I’ve suggested above or in any other way. Once again, I’m dealing with that; you too should deal.

After reading Harpercon media, looked at the polling numbers, listening to folks talk and of course, we can’t forget the Romper Roomies,   I’m seriously wondering if Stevie can do anything wrong in their eyes?  I really am!

Lessee,  Stevie prorogues parliament twice in 13 months in order to run away from the evul opposition, he is not only praised and they jump to his defense, but the opposition parties, namely the Liberals get blamed for being, well, oppositional.

When St-Stevie breaks his own law regarding ony calling elections every four years, to engineer his own defeat simply so he could get his totalitarian regime oops! Majority, no problem. In fact, I seem to recall many thinking that this was a necessary excercise. On the other hand, when Iggy drops the gauntlet like he did last fall, he gets lambasted.  In fact, everytime he does something oppositional, he gets lambasted. Lesson here? For an election call to be valid and acceptable, it has to be done by Stevie and not the opposition.  I think from there most can see democracy eroding.

For three years, they deflect and avoid questions of torture rather than try to correct the situation or to just face up to them.  Like these Afghan detainees or not, they are entitled to the same rights any prisoner of war would be entitled to under the Geneva Convention, but who cares, because it’s Stevie, he’s my hero and he can do anything he likes because whatever he does is best for me is what the Harpercon pundits and other cheerleaders like the Blogging Tories.

Get tough on crime? Glad ya brought it up!! We got so many bills to fill those prisons right up! Hell, we’re going to start locking up kiddies too because, they’re just going to grow up into bigger criminals anyway.  However, if you’re a Harpercon or a Harpercon’s relative, you can get off scott free or with a little slap on the wrist, yes, even for hard drugs like cocaine. Didn’t Stevie or Nicholson or another Harpercon talk about manditory jail sentencing for drug posession?? Not if you’re the hubby of the bombastic Ice-Queen Harpercon MP.  Oh yeah! And while we’re on the subject: temper tantrums or any hint at frustration at an airport can put you on a terror watch / no flight list or worse, if you’re Dziekanski, get you tasered.  Not if your that same afore mentioned bombastic ice-queen MP.

Religious extremism will not be tolerated in St-Stevie’s Canada…unless, of course, you’re one of them fundamental Christians from a polygamist  sect like oh, say, Bountiful who can’t seem to get convicted for things like polygamy and child molestation.

Harpercons campaigned on accountability;  they’ve been everything but…that’s ok, because….he’s Super Stevie and he’s my hero.

When idiotic commenters like Mary T express a wish for all opposition parties to be decimated and shrieking  shrews like Hunter want to get rid of veteran reporters who ask tough questions to Harpercons (as well as others, but, yanno, they don’t matter, because they’re insignificant leftie parties, right Hunter?).

Not only do Steve and the Harpercons (as well as their family members) seem to get away with murder (Actually, I would love to see how the corporate media and Romper Roomie Blogging Tories react if Stevie or any of the Harpercons committed something heinous like murder; would they still stand up for as staunchly as they do today?)

I do share Thwap’s disillusionment with not only Stevie and the Harpercons, but with Canadians in general.

The best way I can describe this would be…St-stevie and the Harpercons would be the vice: the alcohol, the heroine, the gambling addiction. The Harpercon corporate media, blogging tories and other neo-con pundits and other staunch supporters would be the co-dependants; and the rest of Canada (yes, talking about them apathetic voters for the most part, I am) are  the enablers.

Indeed, another hit to commercial radio happened in Montreal today. Canada’s oldest radio station (arguably perhaps even the world’s oldest), originally sporting the call letters XWA in 1919, changing to CFCF (“Canada’s First: Canada’s Finest”) in 1920, and subsequent other call letters, frequencies and format changes for 91 years, ending up as CINW 940AM’s Greatest Hits,  is now no more. 940 AM, owned by Corus Entertainment ceased programming at 10AM this morning along with French station, CINF Info 690Am and faded off the air at 7pm tonight. For more background on these two radio stations, go over to Fagstein’s; his radio blog is always an interesting read.

From 10Am, when programming ceased on both stations until they faded off the air 19;00 this evening, both stations simply looped a piece of rather ominous music with their respective general managers in French & English announcing their signing off the air due to financial reasons and basically thanking staff, listeners and advertisers.  You can also catch the loops here.

Eight jobs are lost from the closure of  Info 690, but five of them will move to 98.5FM, another news station belonging to Corus Entertainment and two jobs would be lost from the closure of 940AM.

Mario Cecchini, vice-president of subsidiary Corus Québec, said in a prepared statement:

“We put tremendous effort into trying to find the right format and content to grow our audience base and operate profitably, but after years of effort it is clear these AM stations are not viable,”

Only two positions (1 announcer; 1 technician)??  When  it changed from New Talk to Greatest Hits Radio in 2008, I noticed there wasn’t an announcer on all the shifts. However, I wonder how a station running 24/7 could run with only one tech? I’m sure it can be done with all the modern equipment surely at their disposal, particularly if everything is pre-recorded, with the commercials in their appropriate time slots. Who knows? I’m guessing here.

My point is, between that, and all the reruns playing at CJAD 800Am as well as Astral Media simulcasting week-day evenings with CJAD, Toronto’s Newstalk 1010 CFRB and some other station in Niagara; the new way of broadcasting commercial radio (in Canada anyway); all in the name of finances; wouldn’t not only listeners, but also sponsors take their business elsewhere? This way of broadcasting with a skeletal staff, while operating on the cheap, would surely be costly in the end.

Since the  mass layoffs over at CJAD last summer and  subsequent layoffs over at Corus’ Q92.5′s morning show as well as the mass layoffs over at TO’s Newstalk 1010 CFRB (including Michael Coren, now if only his tv show can go off the air), I have been wondering if perhaps Commercial radio is slowly becoming obsolete, like the turn table and the VHS? Is that Astral Media’s goal in the case of their News/talk radio stations? I mean, while certainly cost effective, I just simply can’t understand the rationale of letting a 20 year veteran of the night and class act, Peter Anthony Holder of both CJAD and CFRB in favor of reruns of the arrogant, aging, has-been, Tommy Schnurmacher with his Friday Teenie-boppers & valley girl sound-a-likes, The sometimes on; sometimes way-off Kim Fraser and Dan Laxer (I actually like Dan’s show; he’s one of the minority who isn’t a right wingnut or Stevie and Harpercon cheerleader; still, would prefer PAH over reruns of any kind). Cutting off the Saturday Solid Gold show with another veteran, Al Gravelle, thus closing live shows at 17;00 on Saturdays rendering it to once again, reruns until 6AM Sunday morning would surely eliminate sponsors in the long run. Everyone knows, without advertising, there would be no radio station (or media conglomerate for that matter).

The other thing I don’t understand is CHOM FM playing less & less classic rock and more 90s music crap?

I simply don’t understand these stations insisting on trying to attract a younger audience, who have grown up in the technological age of Satellite Radio, catching American shock jocks on the internet and of course, the podcast and music downloading? They’re not going to tune into FM or AM radio when all of those more modern high tech options are readily available to them. Trying to pander to younger audiences makes no sense, especially if it alienates the Baby Boomers or even the Gen-X ers; after all, who spends the most money on products and services advertised on these stations anyway?  Certainly not those youngsters who are ignoring commercial radio.

Speaking of adapting with technology & the times, four Montreal former and current radio hosts have podcasts of their own, now.  One of them being, Peter Anthony Holder, himself. It’s called the Stuph file which is now syndicated over at Cyber Station USA and at World FM in New Zealand in less than 4 months since he started podcasting. I highly recommend you listen to his podcast. It is a shorter version of what he did on CJAD; great interviews with authors, former Hollywood stars and some pretty quirky people, as well as reviewing the most bizarre news around the world, Idiot of the Day and Email reading from listeners and a lot more. No, it’s not political.

Three other former and current radio hosts have podcasts out there as well. A sign that some radio personalities are adapting to the changes in technology.

So, is commercial radio on the way out? Will modern techologies like Satellite radio & podcasts replace it very quickly?  Given a local French language radio station just left airwaves, thus, no longer able to blame a limited English language market, I would think so. Beginning with the departure of Terry Dimonte, who is now the morning man for Corus’ Q107 in Calgary, in November, 2008 to the mass layoffs to the recent departure of Ted Bird, the other half of the formerly successful morning show of Ted and Terry on CHOM; most of the greats are gone.

While I never really was a listener of 940AM or INFO 690, I can’t help but feel sad and somewhat nostalgic as radio as I knew it growing up is no longer, nor will it ever be the same. I’m all for progress,  but what’s happening on Montreal commercial radio today hardly qualifies. All the changes in the name of cost-cutting will surely be their demise.   I just hope that most of them will have been retired or young enough to train for new vocations by the time that happens.   That would be the worst: mass layoffs. These mass media conglomerates will have only themselves to blame.

Well, since the success of the rallies yesterday, many media outlets have covered this. Craig Oliver was impressed. Too bad CTV didn’t send anyone to many of the venues. I never saw them or Global TV at the Montreal event. I heard this was the case at other venues.

Blogging Tories and other Harpercon cheerleaders are scrambling trying to save face. Blogging Tory Craig Smith’s page was particularly ridiculous in explaining the events failed due to the proximity of the photographers when pictures were taken. A common refrain is that they would like to compare the  numbers of the anti-coalition rally (ies) of last year to our event of this year.  Stupid. Apples and oranges, really. Besides, no one can ever provide precise numbers of each and every event,  particularly those where a march and a rally took place. There are always stragglers. There are those who join in the middle of the procession and of course, those who only attend the main event at the end of the line.

Montrealers who listen to CJAD, how about we take bets as to Tommy Schnurmacher trying to  scoff at yesterday’s events and try to tout them as ‘insignificant’ or ‘just some Harper bashers’? How much do you want to bet he calls Canada hypocrites for not setting up and attending anti-prorogation events when the Liberals did it? Yes, I’m afraid Tommy is slipping in his old age and has become quite predictable.

After all, Tommy, like his other minions on the Gang of 4 appears to suffer from Liberal Derangement Syndrome ( I got the term from Pale Cold from A Creative Revolution puts it. Read her piece about Liberal Derangement Syndrome as well as other Conservative mythologies).

Will 1010 CFRB’s John Moore eat his words like he said he would in the National Posties if the rallies succeeded? Clearly, they have. When a veteran like Craig Oliver who has seen and heard everything over the years, uses words like ‘extaordinary’ to describe the events of yesterday, call it a bonus. Johnny boy, it was successful, so when can we expect to witness the event of you eating your own words?

Then, of course, they will call us liars for having promoted this as a non-partisan grass roots movement.

Hell, I love Blogging Tory Monte Solberg’s reverse guilt trip, saying the media spoon fed Canadians to things they just don’t care about. I would refute him directly, but, comments are disabled at his page. Why would that be?? Ok, Monte, here’s a comment, wishful thinking don’t make it so!

Ok, I’m going to give a kick start to your jobs for tomorrow; I’m feeling charitable today. I will speak for the Montreal Event that we did invite Conservative MPs, Senators and other Conservative party members to join us and to even even speak. They declined or didn’t answer our emails.

Another thing, it was a grass roots movement. If politicians were in attendance and speaking, it’s because we asked them to speak. All were offered equal air time. Not our fault if some either refused or didn’t answer.

Over at Section 15, Mark launches a challenge to con pundits, Harpercon cheerleaders and others like minded and other Harpercon minions. Launch your own cross country movement.  Launch a movement in support of prorogation. Set up rallies and marches equipped with colourfully designed signs with witty slogans in support of St-Stevie. Find a group like the Raging Grannies to put on a musical number showing support.

I will add this to Mark’s challenge though: just to keep things fair and to make sure we’re not comparing apples and oranges, but rather apples with apples and oranges with oranges: Same rules apply as our events did. It must be grass roots.  This means, only citizens getting together to organize their events.  No media types. Nothing even resembling Fox News’ 9/12 tea-bagger hit parade.  No politicians. Just citizens getting together and organizing.

Also, make sure to coordinate a date with other Canadian cities.

When you invite speakers, have civilians and different politicians speak.  Your invitations must include all of the MPs, senators and members and a paper trail would be required to proove this at any time if requested.

Then invite the media outfits. One thing though, make sure they’re there solely to cover the events and not promote them as Fox News seems to be guilty of.

Go ahead, tell Canadians how a Harpercon totalitarian regime benefits Canadians, because when Stevie says opposition parties bring down the markets , Jason Kenney saying they can get more done without the opposition, When Tommy, Kim and Don Crook said prorogation is best because ‘they do less damage, they won’t squabble like children’ on the Gang of 4 last Friday, Jan 22, and of course, who can forget last November’s by-election placard slogan in Hochelaga of “de l’action, pas d’election”? It  looks like ambition for a  totalitarian regime and for washed up buffoons like Tommy Schnurmacher and his buddies to say things like what they did on the Gang of 4 sounds like they’re also for it and are spoonfeeding that message to Canadians.

Tommy, Kim, Danny boy:  Do you support a totalitarian regime for Canada? How about the Blogging Tory Trolls: what say you?

Of course,  judging by only a 22 member pro prorogation group on Facebook,  compared to over 200 000 members on Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament Facebook group; I wish you all the luck in planning this event. Let me help you, your fellow Blogging Tory, Tamara of Rightchik, claims to be an event planner extaordinaire.  I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding that blinding near flourescant page of her’s.

So, I say let the games begin! So Harpercon cheerleaders and all other neo-cons who support prorogation, I put it to you. Do your worst! Let’s see your rally (ies).

Speaking of that Facebook group witht that rather paltry membership. Matt Gurney, the next time you feel inclined to whine about censorship  at  the Facebook CAPP group, I suggest strongly you keep that claptrap of your’s shut.  Apparently, over at pro-prorogation on Facebook,  potential members have to request to join, their wall and contents are invisible to all who are not members. I dunno, but that looks like censorship to me. The fact that they’re restricting membership proves they’re afraid of debate.

So, boys & girls of the pro prorogation faction, organize your events. Until then, shut the hell up and be good sports.

Here are some video highlights of the Montreal event from  Matness4dummies’ channel on Youtube. Thanks Matt!

Added Bonus: People outside Canada organized events to support us. Still think our events were a failure? Can you get outside of Canada support for your pro-prorogation events?

Yes! We have been blessed!!   Gracing Montrealers (& the rest of Canada who will see pictures &/or film footage for that matter) with their presence will be Marc Garneau, Liberal MP & the Quebec Lieutenant; Thomas Mulcair, the one and only Montreal NDP Mp, and Professor Daniel Weinstock of Universite de Montreal will be speaking.  Also, songs and dancing from the Montreal Raging Grannies. There is another group (I’m sorry, their name escapes me right now).

I am especially happy that Gilles Duceppe will be making an appearance. No, I’m not a separatist, but as most of my readers know, I had been concerned about the lack of interest amongst French Quebecers.

I was also concerned about the seemingly laissez-faire attitude of Gilles Duceppe, who at the time, only gave us a tweet of a reaction from his Twitter account. I always believed if Gilles Duceppe came out and reacted as he did when he announced support and cooperation with last year’s coalition government, all Quebecers would be enthusiastic about protesting. The rally for the coalition attracted quite a few folks, included separatists at Guy Favreau Centre last year.

That post did get quite a reaction over at noprorogue.ca.  Quite a bit of anger really. I (as well as others, I’m sure ) would have liked that anger channeled into what Stevie did, to all of us, no matter where we lived, what political affiliation or what language we spoke.

Now, it looks promising for tomorrow. I am now confidant we will have a great turn out. I also know there will be a great turn out at most of the venues, anyway. Sixty towns and cities is already a big thing.

Yah, Blogging Tories and Tommy “I like prorogation because it means no new taxes”  Schnurmacher, of CJAD 800am (Astral radio, naturally, just one of the right arms of the Harpercons & Tax-phobic Tommy & Chickenhawk Ric Petersen & his unabashed support for Blathering Blatchford are the cheerleaders: God, I can’t get over axing Laurie & OLga and Peter Anthony Holder for those ass-holes) & Harpercon shill and others like him: get with the technology. This is the new activism. Most Canadians don’t want prorogation.

Tommy, when you fail, the professional & classy thing to do is not to lie,misquote politicians, berate, shove words down the throats of, and call your callers who disagree with you names. Also, it is especially unprofessional to humiliate your technical director just because he excercises his right to freedom of assembly and joins facebook groups you don’ t like. You really should apologize on the air for you ill behavior as of late. NO, I know you won’t. Stay classy, Tommy!

I wonder, if I started a Facebook group, called something like this., ” Bring back Peter Anthony Holder and Laurie & Olga and get rid of Tommy Schnurmacher, how many folks would join?? God, he even makes Redneck Ryan of 1010 News Talk in TO look like a class act. Yikes!  At least, I’ve never heard Ryan humiliate a co-worker on the air. Maybe we should be thankful for small favors?

Speaking of  Conservative media against prorogation: I can’t believe I’m saying this: Congratz to Ryan Doyle for speaking on the air against prorogation. I sincerely hope that you will attend a rally near you.  As stated before, the cross country rallies need all affiliations; that means Conservatives welcome.  Quite a coup and a rarety: a conservative talk show host surely of a minority of  his brethren.

Speaking of Conservatives,  we invited Conservative MPs, local politicians and senators: they have not responded. I do not want to hear that this is an exclusively lefty movement.

One can only hope. When something makes Jabba the Roy’s knickers go up in a bunch, one has to believe it can be a good thing. Before I go on: I have to know: since when do real  doctors have time to call in radio shows? I think someone likes the sound of their own shrilly voice.

Beryl Wajsman, editor of  The Suburban, Montreal’s largest community weekly,  is one of the potential buyers along with Ray Heard, former managing editor of the now defunct Montreal Star and head of  Quebec Global TV along with former Liberal Senator, Gerry Grafstein are going to be submitting a bid for the Montreal Gazette, The Ottawa Citizen and the Conservative Bird Cage liner, the National Posties. If they get to purchase these three papers, could this mean more balanced journalism? A better balance of opinion writers?

What the hell is so wrong with that? Isn’t that what responsible media is supposed to provide for the public? Stevie and the Harpercons have more than enough media right arms and Cheerleaders for them.

Besides, in spite of the trio’s pasts with the Liberals, I doubt it would steer the papers sharply to the left.  In fact, one of them said they wouldn’t change the Right leaning NP (groan!). Why that would be, I don’t know. Perhaps to keep them competitive during the bidding war.

In fact, it appears that a so-called small ‘c’ conservative will be joining this consortium.  Also, they say that they wouldn’t change the National Posties. Too bad. Question: When has  this wingnut daily turned a profit?  One should perhaps take this as a sign that even the National Posties should change direction. Maybe this particular consortium is just saying they won’t make changes in order to remain in the bidding game.

Who is this so-called small ‘c’ conservative, anyway? Personally, I don’t believe they exist anymore: they seem to have either shifted their support for liberals or most of them followed Stevie on that sharp right turn (that is, until prorogation). Where does this individual fall?

All of this may be moot given that Canwest has always preferred to sell all to the same buyer.  It appears that offers from the larger media conglomerates: Astral, Corus Entertainment and Torstar Corp (owner of the Toronto Star) are being considered. In the past, it had been said that the enterprise as a whole has more value than if the assets were separated.  John Douglas, spokesman for CanWest had this to say:

“When third parties have looked at these operations they have concluded that they’re collectively more valuable than they are as single entities,”

However, are all of these papers worth more together than separate? Chris Diceman, senior vice-president with Dominion Bond Rating Service didn’t seem clear on that at the time he was interviewed.

“We saw in the case of Nortel if you can split it up and create auctions for specific pieces that other companies want, you end up generating more value,”

According to a report by Scott Cuthbertson, a TD Securities Analyst, says that a  conventional media company bidding for CanWest assets would  would raise their debt loads to unacceptable levels. He was considering the bids from Astral, Corus and Torstar. Such a report could well keep these corporations out of the running. That’s already a plus.

Whether it is the consortium Wajsman, Grafstein, Heard and Mr./Ms Mystery ‘small c’ conservative purchasing only part of the operations or someone else purchasing part or all of CanWest’s assets, I can only hope for more balanced journalism of days’ past: no political cheerleaders for any party.  Columns & Opinion pieces? Great; but make sure there is an equal mix of these writers with different views all getting published equally. What’s old should be new again.

As for Jabba the Roy and his ilk, there are still plenty of Harpercon cheerleaders to spoonfeed them without CanWest.

I think most Canadians share my wish for balanced and unbiased responsible media. Is that really too much to ask?