Forwarded: CBC independence at risk (fwd)

[Kathy Chung]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 13:05:34 -0400
From: Russ Smith <russ.smith at SYMPATICO.CA>
Reply-To: Canadian Literature / Litterature canadienne
     <CANLIT-L at INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA>
To: CANLIT-L at INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA
Subject: Forwarded: CBC independence at risk

I hope this concerns all writers:

Subject: CBC to become government mouthpiece
      Date: Tue, 06 Oct 1998 12:09:58 -0400
    From: Friends of Canadian Broadcasting <friends at friendscb.org>

To:                     FRIENDS Supporters
From:                 Ian Morrison
Subject:             CBC to become government mouthpiece

Legislation that will be debated starting October 8th in the House of
Commons would shatter the CBC's independence, turning our public
broadcaster into a state broadcaster.

Bill C-44 threatens to place the CBC President and Board of Directors
under
the political control of the federal government. Section36 of the bill
seeks to amend the Broadcasting Act so that Directors of the CBC's Board
will hold office during pleasure, which means the government would have
the
power to arbitrarily fire - without notice or cause - any member of the
CBC
board, including the President.

Former CBC President Pierre Juneau recently published an article on the
threat posed by this legislation -http://friendscb.org/globe6.htm -
detailing the consequence of this legislative change and the impact it
will
surely have upon the CBC's independence.

Your help is urgently requested. Please take a few moments to send a
message to the Prime Minister, copy your own MP and FRIENDS. Let him
know
how concerned you are about Section 36 of Bill C-44 and why you want it
rescinded. All the information you need is available on our web site at
http://friendscb.org/billc-44.htm

Please share this note with your networks and friends. We don't have
much
to time change the course of the government. Bill C-44 is up for second
reading in the House of Commons on Thursday, October 8.

As always, thank you for your continuing support and energy.
--
E. Russell Smith
Maritime tour -- Watch for my arrival with WHY WE STAND FACING SOUTH -
Sackville NB (Oct. 14), Halifax NS (Oct. 18), Fredericton NB (Oct. 2?).
For details, please visit... <http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~ab297/>