Public Broadcasting Roundup

BBC'ya London

The BBC has implemented a forced relocation of programs and staffs to sites scattered around the United Kingdom.
The quest for "geographical correctness" has come under blistering criticism from London-based national newspapers who estimate the huge bill for the exodus will exceed £1 billion.

Further, the moves are being orchestrated by a consultant who is based in the US state of Kentucky, and limits his UK presence to less than half the year... Which the press has characterized as a tax evasion scheme.

Casualties of the Culture War

In the US, although fact-averse conservative attempts to cut off funding to "liberal" news coverage on NPR and PBS is the motivation, local station managers point out that eliminating the budget for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is more likely to damage music programming.

For a big city station like LA's KCRW it'd impact their exposure of indie rock acts and its substantial impact on the record industry... Culture warriors wouldn't care and might even enjoy the effect.

But 70% of the $1.39 per American the feds spend on public broadcasting goes to local stations to purchase the shows they run. And on many smaller stations "culturally significant" (some say "elite") jazz and/or classical music programming blocks may disappear... While the news programs under political attack survive due to a greater level of local listener donations and business "underwriting."

O Canada

CBC & Radio Canada have ambitious expansion plans. CEO Hubert T. Lacroix outlines goals with greater production value than detail.