Sorry about the delay in postings. I've been a bit under the weather Still it gave me a chance to visit one of our great Canadian icons - and launching pad for aspiring Governor Generals - the CBC

Oh Dear

I try and listen to the Toronto Morning Show when Andy Barrie is off. In Britain, the BBC has an equivalent show full of top politicians duelling with hard-nosed interviews about things that matter to their country and the world. The high-point of today's programme over here was a twee discussion about an upcoming workshop on transgendering for Seniors.
Yikes

Still even that pales compared with the catastrophe that is the TV's 'At The Hotel', Ken Finkelman's latest CBC project. KF seems to have some Rasputin-like hold at the CBC court. The first season of 'The Newsroom' was amusing, albeit derivative, but that was a decade ago. It has been a precipitous decline ever since; hitting rock bottom with this six part series whose lavish budget reputedly meant cancellation (or merciful eradication whichever way you look at it) of 'Da Vincis Code' and 'This is Wonderland'

It's unclear what hold the Atom Egoyan of the small screen has over Rabinovich's crew and the public purse. One might surmise that it was lingering respect for his successful spell down south; but his credits there amount to eminently forgettable sequels. Grease 2, anyone?

The CBC will be in trouble if ever Harper inadvertently happens on the show whilst surfing for Fox news. He might have the answer to the question that Finkelman poses

Is the CBC in the game of making money or is it in the business of making things that are of cultural value?

With 'At the Hotel' it is clearly neither and may just hasten the demise of Canada's Auntie

Our funding of 'At the Hotel' shows how fully committed we are to that concept