New CBC chairman lifts hopes in worker lock-out
Union happy empty post finally filled ‘Silver lining’ in dispute: Minister
OTTAWA— The federal government has appointed screenwriter and journalist Guy Fournier as new chairman of the CBC’s board of directors, prompting hope among the broadcaster’s lockedout employees that the board will move to resolve the four- week- old dispute.
Fournier, who was also instrumental in founding Quebec’s Télévision Quatre- Saisons network, was named to the board for a four- year term in February and takes over a top job that has been vacant throughout the build- up to the labour showdown.
Heritage Minister Liza Frulla extolled Fournier’s virtues as a veteran of both the English- and French- language services of the CBC. She said he will be the right person to lead the broadcaster’s board once the labour standoff with 5,500 employees in the creative and news divisions across Canada is resolved.
Frulla also said there’s a silver lining to the dispute.
“ I think there is going to be something positive out of this conflict,” Frulla said. “ Why? Because then again, you know, we have to re- launch and when you relaunch, you ask yourself questions on the content,” Frulla added, insisting in the same breath the government remains a strong booster of public broadcasting. Those comments provoked the ire of NDP culture critic Charlie Angus, who said the dispute threatens to cripple the broadcaster’s ratings at the workers’ expense.
“ It seems to me what she’s saying is . . . CBC management has taken money out of employees’ pockets for four weeks and now can use it toward new programming,” said Angus, who called Frulla’s position “ insane.” The Canadian Media Guild, which represents CBC workers in every province except Quebec, welcomed Fournier’s appointment in hopes it will give the board “ more of a backbone” in helping settle the conflict.
“ None of us really know too much about Mr. Fournier, but I’m happy there’s finally a chair, or at least a proposed chair. I think the fact there hasn’t been a chair has led to some of this tumult,” said Lise Lareau, the union’s president.
Lareau said the Guild hopes Fournier will curb the influence of CBC President Robert Rabinovitch, who the union contends has had a free hand since former chairperson Carole Taylor stepped down in the spring.
“ There has effectively been no checks and balances in the system, the man who has managed this lockout has also effectively been chair of the board,” she said, adding “ what we’re hoping is the whole board of directors seizes more control over this whole situation.” But Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, an independent watchdog group, poured cold water on the hope that Fournier’s appointment — which is expected to easily pass muster at the Commons’ Heritage Committee — will help break the labour impasse.
“ Guy Fournier is a very talented person, but Canadians would be misled if they thought this will affect the current situation. The president is not accountable to the board . . . until that issue is dealt with nothing can really change,” said Ian Morrison, a spokesperson for the group.
Frulla’s comments also came in answer to Conservative MP Bev Oda, a former CTV executive and CRTC commissioner, who was quoted in news reports yesterday questioning the value Canadians are currently getting from the CBC’s English- language television network.
Frulla shot back that she expects nothing less from the Conservatives, and insisted the Liberal minority government remains committed to public broadcasting.
According to Fournier’s official biography, he began his career as a columnist, documentary- maker and scriptwriter, who worked on some of Radio- Canada’s most celebrated dramatic series before moving into a management role. He replaces Taylor, who left the board in April and is now provincial finance minister in British Columbia. First there were the rival podcasts. Then there’s Toronto Unlocked, the competing morning show with Andy Barrie on CIUT 89.5. Now some of the 5,500 locked out CBC workers are taking on management with the launch of a national online news service, CBCUnlocked. ca.
“ While managers are locked in CBC buildings, the talent left on the street by this lockout is doing everything it can to restore the national conversation,” say CBCUnlocked.ca organizers in their news release.
Operating from a rented newsroom in the University of Toronto area, the site is produced by volunteers who are providing original news and features in both English and French. They say they are following CBC’s strict journalistic policy.