New CBC Prez seems like a stereotype

CBC has a new president and she couldn’t fit the stereotypical mold better. Not that you would have heard of any of what I will tell you from the MSM coverage of her appointment.

The headlines mostly focused on one thing, CBC’s new president Catherine Tait, is a woman.

It does her long career in media a disservice to be frank. Tait has worked for decades in various aspects of the media in Canada and the United States, she has vital experience and that should have been the focus for people that care about the state broadcaster.

For me, what stands out about Tait the more I read about her is that she is a stereotype of what you would expect of a CBC head honcho.

From reports and public information we know that Tait supports left wing political causes and projects, is a Liberal donor and, as a producer, has made a bunch of stuff I’ve never heard of.

Isn’t that what you would expect of a CBC boss?

Tait started her career working for the government, worked for Telefilm, went to NYC for a bit and then became the president of Salter Street Films; if that name sounds familiar it is because they are the folks behind This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Canada’s reliably left-wing comedy show.

She was also president there as the company helped produce Michael Moore projects including Bowling for Columbine. Do you get more far left than Michael Moore, the Bernie Sanders backer and supporter of the Occupy movement?

Along the way, the wealthy Tait made sure to donate to the Liberal Party. A $400 donation here, a $750 donation there. It only adds up to a few thousand dollars over the years but it is still telling.

When Hubert Lacroix was appointed to head the CBC it was a major issue for the left that he had donated $2,000 to the Conservatives. It was a constant charge that it made him unsuited for the job.

I don’t care that Tait is a Liberal donor, I expect it. Despite Justin Trudeau promising to make every appointment based on merit and not appoint party supporters, he has consistently appointed donors.

That doesn’t mean Tait doesn’t have valuable and suitable experience, but she is still a donor.

As for her professional experience, I looked Tait up on Internet Movie Database and was met with a pile of projects I’d never heard of and likely would never watch.

Doesn’t that sound just like CBC, a bunch of things you’d never watch?

And for all those CBC supporters calling out how much you love watching the state broadcaster, know that you don’t have much company. The most recent results for TV ratings show that CBC had three shows in the top 30, Murdoch Mysteries, Hockey Night in Canada and the Juno Awards.

For the previous month the only two shows to crack were Murdoch and HNIC.

Looking over Tait’s comments about where she wants to take the state broadcaster, I can only assume she likes the current irrelevance of CBC TV. Most Canadians don’t watch the shows and her direction will keep it that way.

The same old CBC, only more of it and eating up more of your money.