I think the TV stations could stand on their own, perhaps. Is CBC going to be the only station left in many small markets across the country? The big media outlets are going to be closing them or already have. There is certainly a demand for those stations.

Not sure what the answer is. If we have a reasoned debate about it and decide that CBC shouldn’t be in the TV business, I could probably live with that. If it’s a knee-jerk Conservative agenda directing it, forget it. On the other hand, why shouldn’t we have a true, nation-wide network? Private media organizations are not going to be fulfilling that role by the end of this, if they ever have.

CBC on the web and CBC Radio definitely should not be touched. I swear I won’t be listening to commercial radio if they shut down CBC. The ads really do defile the medium. I know it’s a necessary evil, but they really are bad. I’m sure if you asked people at the stations they’d agree.

(OK, I have heard a few good radio ads…but…)

My kids are frequent visitors to the (brilliantly) produced CBC kids web site. Web content is generally inexpensive to produce, interactive, and easily accessible. So, again, I’m all for supporting the CBC’s web program as a “public service.”

Television, on the other hand, I think should stand on it’s own. As a medium it’s a bit more pretentious, and definitely more costly to produce. I think if you’re going to produce a drama, like “Being Erica,” then you’d better be able to get eyeballs (and dollars) somehow. My wife loves “Being Erica” and downloads it off iTunes each week so she can watch it (commercial free).

On gun control I don’t believe in banning all guns. I do believe in controlling access to them. Some people like criminals and mentally unstable people shouldn’t have access to legal guns. We can’t control illegal access. But, if I want to buy a handgun, rifle or shotgun, I should be able to. Obviously we shouldn’t have machine guns, and we don’t have them here.

Right now Edmonton is talking about banning knives. Same mentality. Never works.

Adam: I think parties that want to succeed in Canada can’t operate on a US-style left and right label politics. Canadians have a mix of views. We’re pretty accommodating here. I certainly won’t be voting Conservative in the next election. If they had a majority now, the CBC would be dead. Guaranteed.

I totally agree with this. While my views are all over the place, I tend to be very left-leaning with regard to social matters, but more conservative when it comes to fiscal matters. That tends to make voting a bit difficult to me, as I may strongly agree with parts of a particular party’s platform but strongly disagree with other parts.

However, like you, I believe that the CBC is important and a party that supports it will definitely gain huge points in my books.

But Canada’s political institutions were created to be exactly that. .. a Liberal/Conservative dichotomy. :P

I am curious though.. when you say you don’t want gun “control”… does that mean you want complete access to guns or a complete ban of guns?