In spite of a nationwide emphasis on cbc’s potential plan to cut over a dozen regional/local newscasts, changes to children’s programming on cbc English television will include more weekday hours and an enhanced kid’s website.

Adrian Mills, creative head of cbc’s children’s, youth and daytime programming, announced at the Summit 2000 conference that each weekday, 1.5 hours will be added from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to the children’s programming schedule, a 33% increase.

With the new time added, the schedule will now break down into three blocks to serve three audiences: Get Set For Life, which started as a support campaign for parents, is now also a block for the 2- to 5-year-old demo; CBC4Kids is for 6- to 11-year-olds; and the continuation of the youth block is targeted at kids 12 and up.

‘Extra hours are great, but it isn’t just about hours. It’s about creating a significant place and space for kids – space that reinforces the idea that kids are important, space that allows them endless opportunities to be engaged with the cbc in ways that respect them as citizens of Canada, not just consumers. And this is something that only a public network can do,’ said Mills to a roomful of mostly cbc and Chum execs, who quietly guffawed at the last part of the statement.

On the Internet, Mills’ department is developing a joint strategy with CBC New Media and CBC Radio to augment the already-established CBC4Kids Web site. It is also launching the first phase of its educational site by providing a daily news/current affairs component for junior and senior high-school students.

Mills’ announcement was made on May 16, just hours after cbc president Robert Rabinovitch revealed, in front of the House of Commons standing committee on Canadian heritage, transformation plans that would cut 14 regional supper-hour newscasts in favor of the cost-saving creation of a Toronto-based national newscast.

The plan is an attempt to solve the financial woes of cbc’s English television unit and the cancellation of such programs would result in close to 700 layoffs of cbc regional staff.

‘This time we’re cutting off a limb. We are not spreading the pain across the country,’ Rabinovitch told the House.

Sparks fly

Meanwhile, sparks are flying nationwide over the announcement, particularly in the Atlantic regions, while the cbc board neglects to reschedule a meeting to review the plan. Originally the board was supposed to meet over the new tranformation plans on May 1, but the meeting was postponed to an unspecified date. The cbc has given no reason for the cancellation of the meeting, but media reports suggest the board is embarrassed and opposed to the plan.

Among the endless position papers circulating, the Canadian Energy and Paperworkers Union, which represents 1,600 cbc technicians, has called on the crtc to suspend the cbc’s licences if the pubcaster carries through with the plan to ‘dismantle’ its local and regional newscasts.

However, crtc spokesman Denis Carmel says, ‘There were no conditions of licence that spoke of newscasts.’ Instead, he says, the word ‘required’ was used, which generally carries less weight. ‘Conditions are a legal must, ‘requires’ means a strong suggestion.’

Furthermore, when the cbc filed its future plans to the crtc, Rabinovitch had yet to be named president, Harold Redekopp, vp of cbc, had yet to come into his job and the Corp.’s financial situation was not entirely known, says cbc spokeperson Ruth Ellen Soles.

However, she says, ‘We are still committed to regional reflection both internally and outside. We’ll do what we can afford to do.’

Rabinovitch’s plan also calls for a reduction in commercial advertising revenue, particularly on news and public affairs programs, and a significant effort to augment documentary, children’s and youth programming.

‘It seems they’re really hung up on the newscast issue,’ said Rabinovitch referring to the standing committee that voted unanimously against any dismantling of cbc regional services.

The committee also voted to encourage the Corp. to expand its coverage of both English and French news in the regions and to ask the federal government to increase its funding.

The cbc refused to provide details on its current financial situation.