Health Channel

How bad is morale at CBC? So bad that a ''major health survey'' of more than half of its 9,000 employees conducted by Laval University's Dr. Jean-Pierre Brun reveals that, any second now, one of them could go postal. Seriously. Well, almost seriously. (Okay, not so seriously. Sometimes I go too far.)

According to an internal communique sent to me in a plain brown email from a reliable source:

The key finding of the survey is that when it comes to psychological well being at work, almost half of those employees who took part are considered to be at high risk of psychological distress. The report identified the principal risk factors for the majority of employees that can lead to burnout and depression.

No wonder. Budget cuts mean producers have to do with much less in an  increasingly competitive environment. In Ottawa, they're crowded like rats in a cage, limited to 32 square feet each. Fears are something similar will happen in Toronto.

Staffers are also walking on eggshells with the CBC-hating Conservatives in power. And the blogosphere has opened up a whole new hatred front against them, most of it ill-informed, distorted and downright stupid.

But there's more to the CBCers' health complaints.

Some of the problems identified in the survey are complex and their solutions will take time. However, it is agreed that positive solutions must be implemented quickly. The committee will begin to focus on some short-term measures to address issues around the lack of employee recognition and the lack of civility in the workplace. These issues are part of a larger picture however, and the solutions to the overall problem of psychological ill health will necessarily be broad and varied.

I'm hearing from many Toronto employees that, post lockout, there has been little or no ''healing,'' that management carries on as if 5,500 people weren't out pounding the pavement for eight weeks, as if the workers just decided to enjoy the sunshine instead of produce programs.

Some management. Hard to believe it benefited from millions and millions of dollars of training at the high-faluting Niagara Institute.

Anyway, I can't get my hands on the complete health survey report just yet but I will. My guess is that it will be brutal.

So much for CBC president and CEO Robert Rabinovitch's frequent boast that the broadcaster is one of Canada's top employers. And, if it is, I pity the rest of us who are not on the list.

UPPITY DATE: I've read the complete report and I note that the data was collected in June 2005, before the lockout. I can only imagine that things are not much better.

Here are some of the stats:

Six risk factors are considered to be high for the majority of employees:
1. lack of recognition;
2. poor relations with superiors;
3. quantitative work overload;
4. low participation in decisions and lack of information flow;
5. role conflict;
6. lack of career or job stability.

Sure, most Canadian working stiffs probably have similar issues. But CBC is a creative enterprise, publicly-owned, whose creative employees deserve considerable creative control over what they produce. Bureaucrats shouldn't be making these decisions. As for factor number three, that's a function of budget cuts. In terms of number six, there's fear of more cuts to come. You can't do your best work with an axe over your head. That makes it very difficult for CBC to hang on to their best and brightest. Which speaks to the dedication of CBCers, many of whom could be making much easier money elsewhere.

Comments

[Sylvia]

It's great to see that someone supports the CBC. They provide an invaluable service. Look at the meglomania of globalized owners in Canadian media! The state of our news is approaching critical mass. If you don't know who owns what, it's time you knew:

http://www.yourmedia.ca/library.shtml

The CBC bends over backwards withholding opinions and reporting in as balanced a fashion as possible. All they get for their efforts are attacks from all sides. We need to hear the voice of Canada, we have far too much of America in our face.

I'm hoping the CRTC will protect our radio waves, so we don't have to listen to the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, et al-- rabble rowsers. It's a lot of noise, signifying nothing!

Who speaks for Canadian news, if it isn't the CBC?

We don't need more American versions of news--there's far too much of already. CNN on 7 days a week/365 days a week isn't my idea of an objective news source.

[Montreal Simon]

This is insane. The CBC gets to call itself one of Canada's best employers, and half its employees are considered to be at "high risk of psychological distress." It would be funny if it wasn't so tragic. It's bad enough that these managers are dumming down the CBC's radio and television programs, in a completely misguided attempt to be trendy and popular. But the way they appear to be treating their employees, is outrageous and inexcusable. I wonder if the employees have considered a class action suit?Something needs to be done right away before something awful happens. The health authorities should get out some kind of restraining order, so trauma teams can enter the CBC buildings and treat the employees. As for Rabinovitch and his management team, after this stinging indictment of their managment skills, they should have the decency to resign. But if they don't the government should fire them before they can do anymore damage to the CBC and its employees.

[Guido]

Amazing, somebody called you a ‘WASP’ the other day and you dress him or her down for the use of a derogatory term. But when it comes to using the word 'hate', you throw it around like china at a Greek wedding, just for disagreeing with you over your beloved Ceeb.

Unless CBC directed criticism is heaped on Buraman or Rabinovitch, you roll around on the floor stamping your cankles and feet.

Just about every news survey, study and poll conducted in the last 5 years has found CBC, its journalists, news directors, coverage, bias always bending to the left, including CBC's own study.

Try to deliver a little less bias and whahhh of your own and a little more objectivity. That is always what you pretend to be demanding of those you incessantly whine about.

Guido

[FYJ]

I'm as big a CBC booster as anybody, but where do people get the idea we need to be "protected" from foreign people on our televisions and radios we don't like? You have a remote control, you have knobs and buttons on your radio -- you don't "have to listen" to anything. If other people do want to, isn't that their business?

And if we found that 10 times as many people wanted to watch Hannity & Colmes instead of Mansbridge, that'd tell us something. I don't think that'd happen (the ratings for cable shout shows even in the States aren't that great compared to network news), but walling ourselves off from a possibility that you and I (but not hundreds of thousands of others, in this hypothetical situation) would consider unpleasant seems like a bad idea.

[Chazz]

The 'CBC hating Conservatives in power'? Harper stated during his campaign that he believes the CBC provides a valuable service and he thinks it should continue. Does that sound like Conservative hatred? Who speaks for Canadian news you ask? CTV? Global? City? and any number of other news sources that would thrive in a news business that didn't have to compete with a heavily taxpayer funded network. 1,000 million dollars per year (that we know of).

[Cutter John]

Having freelanced at the CBC (among other places, none of this is especially surprising to me. What keeps the place going (as far as I've seen) is the goodwill of the employees who seem to see the CBC as something of a duty (IMHO). It sure as hell isn't the payrate which (at least for the likes of me) tops out at a little better than half what I can get elsewhere.

There's a lot of talented people within Fort Dork (as JD likes to call it) and to gut the place of these people would be a national travesty on a scale not unlike the Arrow. Come to think of it, wasn't there a Conservative connection there? :)

[Cutter John]

Just a post-script. cbcwatch is nothing if not laughable. I would think your link will at least double there hit-count

[Denis]

CBC, like the Star is nothing but a mouth piece for the Liberal party of Canada. I resent that my tax dollars that I work hard for are spent on a institution that hates everything I believe in. Since I have zero say about how my money is being spent on the CBC I fought back the only way I could. CBC television or radio is NEVER on in our house and I am proud to say that my children don't know or care what the CBC is or does. This is the only way to protect my kids from the propaganda that is dished out from the CBC everyday. If people here love the CBC then pay for it yourself and allow me to spend my $50.00 ($1,000,000,000.00 CBC budget / 20,000,000 taxpayers = $50.00 per every taxpayer) I'd save on something that is important to us.

[vinb]

$50 does buy a lot of milliner-quality tin foil.

[Guido]

So, you first modify the post to remove the "postal" comment assuaging offended CBC employees.

You then update to put into proper context the fact that you falsely linked the lockout to CBC employee pre-lockout psychological problems.

But, you continue to have an accusation of a "hatred front" and a related comment about "CBC-hating Conservatives" without any corroborating facts or evidence. That's not going too far?

Your editor(s) must be so proud!

[Antonia Z.]

So, Guido, would you rather I erased the record and made my corrections without pointing to any errors or exaggerations like certain other bloggers do? That's not my style. What is your problem?

And what are you taking about. "Hatred front''??? Whose words are those?

As for CBC-hating Conservatives, where shall I begin? Harper said CBC provides a ''national service." Interesting choice of words.

Here's more:
http://www.friends.ca/files/PDF/Bowdens040519.pdf

[Dana]

But Antonia, you must understand, the campaign to disallow hyperbole, metaphor or simile from all usage save that of the supporters of the Harper government has begun in earnest.

For example, Harper protagonists are permitted the hyperbole of "Liberals are all crooks". Harper antagonists are disallowed "Conservatives are all rightwing religious nuts".

And so on.

This is our new reality.

[Guido]

Unable to read your own post, Antonia?

"And the blogosphere has opened up a whole new hatred front against them"

Your words! And the words link to specific sites.

And merely questioning the reason CBC competes against commercial broadcasters constitutes "hate"?

Is there something I'm missing?

Perhaps the only blogger that throws hate around that frivolously is Robert Mcclelland.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=RNWE,RNWE:2005-52,RNWE:en&q=hate+site%3Amyblahg%2Ecom

[Antonia Z.]

I stand corrected Guido. I said it.
And I stand by it.
I just get too busy sometimes.

Show me where the Conservatives have expressed their love for CBC. Show me where they have not questioned its continued existence. Show me where they have supported strengthening it.

Why don't you go to the Conservative-supporting blogosphere and you'll see what I mean.

Here.

Try this.
http://www.proudtobecanadian.ca/blog/

Or this fan site.
http://www.cbcwatch.ca/

Enough time spent with you, my dear.

[Denis]

Antonia Z

How would like it if the Canadian government who is suppose to represent all Canadians spend 1 billion dollars a year to promote a TV?radio network with a right of centre/Neo Conservative point of view? Lets say a Canadian version of Fox News paid for by millions of Canadians who absolutely disagree with it's views.

Leftist people like you would be screaming at the top of your lungs that a rightwing propaganda TV network is unacceptable and should not be paid for with public money.

BTW, I would agree with you if this was indeed the case.

Government have no business using public funds to support a TV network that only represents only one side of the Left/Right debate.

Did you ever ask why conservatives hate the CBC so much?

If the CBC had a right of centre point of view do you think that conservatives would still hate the CBC and leftist love it?

I think not!

[Guido]

Get less busy before scampering back down your hole, Antonia.

Standing by an accusation of "hatred front" by posting links and running away nothing short of cowardice!

You contend, with certainty might I add, that there is a "hatred front" and as proof, what, two web links?

So after all, your attack WASP as derogatory, but "hatred front" is just an acceptable limit of free speech?

Explain now, or explain later, but at some point you are going to have to do better than that! And you know it.

Now is your chance, my dear.

[Jim Jones]

Budget Cuts? Nothing a CBC pledge drive couldn't fix. I'm going to love the next 90 days with Harper and the new cabinet dealing with the Bloc. Decentralization and neutering unessential Crown Corporations.

[Justin Beach]

Guido,

Please post some links to some CBC loving conservatives, just to prove your point. Conservatives who want a commercial free CBC with increased and stable funding and more responsible leadership.

Let's see some links to Conservatives who want a better, stronger CBC. There are lots of possible links to Conservatives who want to shut down or privatize the CBC - but hold up your end of the argument and show us the other side.

Some tiny, insecure Canadian wrote: "we have far too much of America in our face.

I'm hoping the CRTC will protect our radio waves, so we don't have to listen to the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, et al"

Grow up. Do you really need and want the nannystate to protect you from other's opinions? Why is the left always ready to shut down contrary positions? What are you so afraid of - that your own beliefs can't stand the light of rational debate?

If you look closely, you'll note that both your television and your radio have little buttons or dials that allow you to change the station. It's not that you don't want to hear Rush Limbaugh, it's really that you don't want me to be able to hear him either.

The left: it's all about control.

[kj]

Justin Beach,
[Full disclosure - I consider myself a small-c (and recently also large-C) conservative.]
I can appreciate your position, but I think perhaps your comment in response to Guido misses the point a bit. Certainly conservatives dislike what we perceive as the pervasive bias in CBC's news and opinion programming; but we also generally dislike the notion of publicly-funded broadcasting of any leaning.
Part of the dislike stems from the potential for abuse of mandate by the government for political purposes (whether you believe that such abuse exists currently or not, I think most people would concede the possibility in theory). But more so, we object to the use of public funds for purposes we consider outside the legitimate mandate of government. So, you're unlikely to find many conservatives looking for a "better/stronger CBC", not because conservatives are inherently hypocritical, but because we'd generally prefer no CBC to any CBC.
This is not to say that CBC has no good programming; everybody loves HNIC, and I've enjoyed some of CBC's dramatic programming over the years (have to get something for my tax dollars, eh?). But I believe the monetary costs and social risks are too high. The private sector could provide as good or better programming more efficiently and therefore at less cost to all of us, with less potential for governmental abuse.
I can't claim to know the feelings of all conservatives, but I think you'd find my remarks reasonably representative.
Sidenote - for many posters here, including both Guido and Ms. Zerbisias, more real debate and less name-calling would be refreshing. Words like "hate" and "stupid", as used here, inflame without informing.