Monday, January 14, 2002
More than just another radio station - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- The patron saint of this column, Rafe Mair, went on the last couple of weeks ago on his CKNW show, about the pitfalls of corporatisation in his profession -- radio. CKNW, for me is the only station I have time for and will listen to nearly every day. Rafe was worried about the demoralisation that surrounded the station because of the cutbacks and firings, that had taken place in early December. CKNW’s owners Corus Entertainment had knocked out a number of people in the hopes of making the station operate on less overhead. Rafe Mair, not your average socialist, said Corus made a mistake by gutting the station just for the sake of making profits.
As I said, Rafe Mair isn’t a socialist, actually the most ardent of free traders and a noted conservative on many an issue. I guess he could be a hypocrite, but the question of globalisation is the forefront of it all yet again. Corus Entertainment, controls CKNW, NW2 and Rock 101 in this town, as well as dozens of radio stations across the country. Corus however is run out of Toronto and New York, thus the reservations Mair has with his parent company is the fact CKNW is being dictated to by foreign corporate interests. CKNW has always been representative of this community and this province. CKNW has always been the leader in news, talk and sports. Mair contends that if Corus’ particular plans at CKNW were to make profits by lowering expenses, then the station itself would suffer by losing audience and the credibility of being a landmark in this town.
Sure, CKNW should be protected from the pratfalls of globalisation and corporatisation, but why just CKNW and not our water, or automobile factories or clothing manufacturers that faced the exodus to Mexico post-NAFTA?
The point Mair makes, and the point I’d like to stress in this space is the fact that although globalisation is inevitable, we have to worry -- even us ardent capitalists -- about some of the things that we hold near and dear to our hearts, namely historical institutions and the like. More and more, if we allow competition, we’ll be beholden to the bottom line of making profits. I don’t mind profits, but for myself, I believe in the maintenance of certain traditions and institutions like a certain radio station in the community.
Now, perhaps that makes me a socialist. I do not consider myself one, rather a classical liberal believing in things like the unfettered growth of competition and the rejection of legislated equality, such as affirmative action schemes. What this whole episode does for me, I guess, is wonder about globalisation. Whether it’s good or not, is not the question. I guess the question is how far we want globalisation to go. Are we then hypocrites for claiming to be non-socialists, yet when they lay a hand on CKNW we cry blue bloody murder? Why should CKNW be off limits; how about the carpet factory in Burlington or an electronics assembly line in Hull?
To return to Rafe Mair his main argument was that, should Corus stick to maintaining a bottom line of cheap broadcasting, Rafe Mair himself would not be found on CKNW. (Rafe happens to be the highest paid radio host in this country). Where, Mair asks, will the tough talking -- and costly -- personalities who unwaveringly question and fight the ‘Establishment’ be found? CKNW (and many media outlets around today) have as of late hired economical and ineffective personalities who prod gently, rather than stringently hold the power’s that be’s feet to the fire.
It all gives us something to think about, this. Are we going to move and accept that globalisation and corporatisation is inevitable? If not, will we not become more and more regulated for equality. Rafe Mair and certainly I, cannot have the answers and solutions. What we can do is think about what kind of society we want to have now and in the future.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .