Doing What I Can, even though...

For anyone who is waiting for this to turn back into a lockout blog, it won't. The lockout is over. Going on the offensive, against management or anyone won't help solve the CBC's current problems. Perhaps if there is a new round of heritage committee meetings or something I'll venture an opinion, but until then it won't accomplish anything.

There is a disconnect between CBC Television and the public. I don't know what it is, but it's there. From what I understand the Hour, with the Tragically Hip, last Sunday got 69,000 viewers - 69 Thousand. If you stand on the roof of the CBC's Toronto Production Centre with a megaphone, on a weekday around lunchtime and shout "Look at me!!!" you'll get almost 69 thousand viewers. So, to me, the George and the Hip not being able to muster more than that is evidence that much of the public has simply tuned out.

I don't understand, as Bill Brioux asked today why the CBC would stop doing the things that are still getting them numbers or why it was necessary to make big changes to programs that seemed to be working. I suspect the disconnect may be a symptom of some of this. But there is, at the moment, really no one I can ask.

So, in the meantime I'm trying to do what I can. If anyone has further suggestions, I'm all ears.

Losing the Stroumboulopouli?

What does it mean if people who started a blog for the sole purpose of singing the praises of George and the Hour stop watching the Hour? Barbara of the Stroumboulopouli wrote a goodbye letter to the Hour today, not because of the format changes, but because of the time slot. It appears from the comments that she is not alone.

Dead Things on Canadian Television

For those of you who aren't regular readers of 'Dead Things on Sticks' check out writer Denis McGrath's thoughts on how to make better Canadian television. Alot of food for thought, whether you agree or not.