Stursberg and Cruikshank and your media

The Globe and Mail quotes Stursberg:

He was a great fit here. We got on great. I’m very fond of him. People in news admired him as a great leader. Sometimes these things happen.

And Fake Tod Maffin at insidethecbc quotes Cruikshank:

I’m going to The Star because I want to go back to newspapers because I understand them and love them. I miss the feeling of being directly involved with a story from conception or event right to the doorstep.

Stursberg shot down 70% of Cruickshank’s ideas and proposals. For the other 20% there was no budget, and for the remaining 10% the budget was so small that it wasn’t worth doing. It must have been frustrating.

And there is more frustration to come.

Last Wednesday Stursberg and his entourage were stalking through the 4th floor and took a detour through News Sunday. At that point Evan Solomon stopped Stursberg and asked if his contract was going to be renewed. Stursberg refused to answer. Evan’s contract expires Dec.1 and he’s now updating his resume. So what about Carole McNeil?

Stursberg and his entourage continued their way through the 4th, heads together, mumble, mumble, mumble. Then Stursberg snapped rather loudly: “Well if Peter doesn’t like it, he will just have to live with it.”

There is, of course, only one Peter.

The fifth estate had a staff meeting with senior managers a couple of weeks ago. Stursberg said that the only reason the fifth was being kept around was that it got “good numbers.” At that point a senior manager piped up: “I know the fifth estate does documentaries, but what do you people actually do?”

It seems that Cruickshank’s resignation has postponed the reorganization of CBC News. It’s now set for Dec. 3. Without the meagre defence of John Cruickshank, its future is in the hands of Stursberg and his minions and the direction they think it should take.

8 Comments

  • Allan says:

    Watching The Fifth Estatetonight as it once again redeems the CBC and journalism in Canada.

  • Anonymous says:

    Clearly Allan has never negotiated a CBC contract.

    Do they have contracts at the marina?

  • Johnny Happypants says:

    This is where the new VP of People comes in.

  • Allan says:

    Seems odd and inappropriate for Evan to be asking about his contract within earshot of other people, and bad timing when it’s done during a walkabout by King Richard.
    The story shows how hopelessly demoralizing and unprofessional and crude the situation is within the corridors of the TBC.
    While Hubert makes every effort to promote respect and harmony, everyone waits on Stursberg as the person who will actually decide their fate. And he’s clearly not so nice and friendly. But worse is that he doesn’t value the actual work being performed.
    While at the same time taking credit for it, and justifying it.
    Some serious irony in the CBC diet.

  • Anonymous says:

    Bets: Evan and Carole – staying or gone?
    Discuss.

  • Allan says:

    Sensitivity training has failed Richard Stursberg, as well as any number of other human traits that define someone in the role of leadership.
    He has no business being in broadcasting, running other people’s lives, and the CBC is better off without him.
    Were it not for The Fifth Estate and As It Happens, the CBC would have no credibility left.

  • Bytowner says:

    Aw no…

  • Eric S. Smith says:

    Stursberg said that the only reason the fifth was being kept around was that it got “good numbers.”

    I’m pretty sure that’s the only reason that any show stays on TV, Dick.

    At that point a senior manager piped up: “I know the fifth estate does documentaries, but what do you people actually do?”

    The sense of irony is located in the brain. Note that managers lack this sense.

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