Major TV networks have politely declined a chance to air the traditional sit-down, year-end interview with the Prime Minister because of fears about how it would play during an election campaign.
CBC TV, CTV and Global Television have all taken a pass on interviewing Paul Martin this year, as has Radio-Canada TV, according to Melanie Gruer, a spokesperson for Martin.
Many of the networks were afraid they couldn’t get the other party leaders on the air as well and worried they would appear biased, Gruer explained. Others simply didn’t have the staff because the campaign has stretched their resources.
Year-end interviews with the prime minister have become customary over the past couple of decades and this will mark a rare abandonment of the practice.
Some networks -- CBC Newsworld, CTV Newsnet, OMNI TV and the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) -- will do the year-enders with Martin, as will CBC Radio.
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