3 seasons of the Fox Series Arrested Development now available on Netflix
Two weeks ago, when I called a reporter buddy about a story, he was engrossed in watching several episodes of the drama series Mad Men.
We only talked briefly about the story but did compare notes on which Netflix series we were watching. Continue reading
Taylor Swift performing “Reds” wins 8 Billboard Awards
Taylor Swift swept the 2013 Billboard Awards in Los Vegas with 8 awards, including top artist and top album. Other winners include Justin Bieber, Gotye and Rihanna.
Swift has totally crossed over winning Top Country and Top Artist in the same year.
“You are the longest and best relationship I ever had,” said Swift whose songs chronicle the ups and downs of her personal relationships. Continue reading
The Office of the CBC Ombudsman represents the public to ensure CBC upholds its information standards and practices.
I filed a complaint with the CBC Ombudsman this week.
The human rights abuse of the CBC Charlottetown office is so egregious, it just called out for a formal complaint.
A lawyer friend said yesterday “I just don’t get it. What’s in this for the CBC to harass you and then hide the story?”
Ester Enkins, the current CBC Ombudsman, replied that she got the complaint but made no other comment.
I don’t know how much a complaint is worth. Does the Ombudsman just excuse bad journalism and defend the CBC or do they represent the public? I will ask them how many complaints are resolved in favour of the complainant.
The CBC Ombudsman exists to listen to complaints from the public about CBC reporting and broadcasting. The former Ombudsman was Vince Carlin, a CBC journalist. Mr. Carlin worked with my father at CBC Radio Canada Montreal in the 1970s. I remember him from dinner parties. Call me a CBC brat.
Esther Enkins Ombudsman for CBC English Services. Represents public’s interests re CBC news and information content. Intrigued by challenges for modern journalism.@CBCOmbudsman (Twitter photo)
The current CBC Onbudsman is Esther Enkin. She ”was appointed Executive Editor, CBC News in 2008. Ms. Enkin has worked in radio and television at CBC since 1975. She was a founding member of The Journal, and went on to be a documentary field producer.
In her position of executive editor CBC News, Ms. Enkin was responsible for the quality and standards of CBC journalism. She oversaw policy and standards, developing policy and ensuring CBC’s journalistic standards were met nationally and regionally. (Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma)
You can only complain about news reporting with the Ombudsman. They will not fix human rights problems, just how the story is told.
Here is the Complaint -
“I am an internet journalist. In October 2009, the press gallery of PEI expelled me for trumped-up charges that amounted to human rights discrimination on the basis of disability and association with a disability advocacy group.”
“For 2.5 years, CBC fought the complaint. Then in April 2013, the Chairperson of the PEI Human Rights Commission granted me the right to a Panel Review.”
“What did CBC do? They filed for a judicial review to quash the panel.”
“So far so bad for Canada’s public broadcaster with a policy of inclusion and human rights for all.”
“When a CBC reporter, of his own volition, tried to interview me and cover the story, Andrew Cochrane told him to stop.”
“CBC is effectively covering up the story about my allegations of human rights abuse, and trying to derail the legal process of a fair hearing.”
“Tell me how that fits into the policy of the CBC both in Human Rights and in freedom of the press? Here’s what happened in the newsroom in Charlottetown when the story broke.
“This is the short version of the story and all stories have at least two sides. CBC is censoring all sides of the story. Shame on them.”
Complaint – On October 19, 2010 Stephen Pate (complainant) filed a complaint against The Press Gallery of the PEI Legislature and Wayne Thibodeau (Guardian), Teresa Wright (Guardian) and Donna Allen (CBC) (respondents) alleging discrimination in employment and membership in a professional organization on the basis of association, physical or intellectual disability, and source of income.
Pate is self represented and the complaint runs over 330 pages with more than 200 exhibits, including an audio recording of the meeting which forms the basis of the complaint. During the meeting, the respondents stated 10 times they objected to an advocate, or lobbyist as they called it, for a disability organization in their membership.
Important dates - On November 2, 2012 the Executive Director of the PEI Human Rights Commission (PEI HRC) dismissed the complaint because he found it had no merit.
On December 2, 2012, Pate filed a request for a review by the Chairperson of the PEI Human Rights Commission.
On April 4th, the Chair of the PEI HRC issued her ruling that the executive director was in error and that their was enough evidence to call for a Human Rights Panel under the PEI Human Rights Act.
Before that panel could be organized, the respondents, represented by a CBC and Guardian appointed lawyer, filed a motion on to cancel the human rights panel. This is a legal tactic to delay, stall or end the human rights process.
The court can refuse to hear the judicial review until after the public panel hearing, send the decision back to the Chair of the PEI HRC, stay all proceedings, among other decisions.
This sidebar is summary of the Complaint and is not a complete legal statement of the complaint. Specific details of the complaint and response are confidential until they are revealed in court or at a human rights panel.
CBC News Producer Donna Allen named in Human Rights Complaint – dodging the bullet (CBC photo)
“Wayne Thibodeau and Donna Allen have won journalist Stephen Pate’s human rights complaint against CBC and Transcontinental,” court reporter Brian Higgins gleefully told the May 1st 2013 meeting.
Cheers and laughter broke out in the CBC Newsroom on University Avenue in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
Higgins waved in the air a copy of the Supreme Court application for a judicial review that had just been served on the PEI Human Rights Commission.
Thibodeau, political reporter for the Charlottetown Guardian, and Allen, the Executive Producer of CBC News on Prince Edward Island asked the court to “overturn the decision by Anne Nicholson” PEI Human Rights Commission chairperson. Continue reading
Charlottetown Guardian erects paywall for digital readers – will it be enough (Guardian photo)
From Rupert Murdoch to the 25 local newspapers in the Quebec based Transcontinental chain, newspapers are struggling to survive the double whammy of the digital world and young readers who don’t give a flying fig about reading a paper.
Paywalls, charging for online access, is a temporary fix for the huge decline in newspaper subscription and advertising revenue.
The long-term survival of newspapers is in doubt. Continue reading
David Onley digital journalist at CITY TV (photo digitaljournal.com)
David Onley was a weatherman with a polio disability for City TV who used a scooter on camera.
Prime Minister Harper liked Onley so much he made him Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
Looking back I can see my career mistake was being a regular news journalist instead of a weatherman in a wheelchair.
The PEI Press Gallery hung me out to dry and the Prime Minister never calls me, even on a sunny day. See Media wrong in Pate-gate
Other than that, David Onley and I are pretty much alike – 60ish, male, polio survivors, journalists, and disability advocates. Continue reading
“A group of the world’s top guitar makers have banded together and traveled to the largest temperate coastal rain forest in the world, to slow down logging and save the acoustic guitar.
Continue reading