Richard Stursberg fired

“When Richard was appointed executive vice-president of CBC Television six years ago he brought with him a revolution that shook the foundation of the organization and eventually of the whole of our English services. He challenged every premise, attacked conventional wisdom, and uprooted whole parts of the internal culture. Six years later, the institution is better off than it was. I want to acknowledge his success in turning CBC Television around and thank him for his contribution.”

President Hubert Lacroix
Knowlton Nash@cbc_archives via Twitter
Helen Spitzer @helenspitzer via Twitter
john doyleJohn Doyle via Twitter

insidethecbc-2010-08-07-at-9.49.41-AMInside the CBC

55 Comments

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  • Albert from Kelowna says:

    Please privatize the CBC. Very few Canadians watch it. Most Canadians don’t want to pay for it. And it is very damaging to public discourse by being so crassly politicaly correct so that stories can’t even be told. Please give me a cheque for 33$ instead.

    • why are we all paying for these shits? says:

      Agreed. These clowns are incapable of understanding why the CBC is in its death throes. Canadians didn’t leave the cBC; the CBC left them. You can read the contempt the Corpse’s apperatchuks have for the public they claim to serve in the comments here.

      Competition is desperately needed to give Canada a true marketplace of ideas. Put Sun TV on basic cable, and remove taxpayer funding of the CBC.

    • Anonymous says:

      With you 100%. Why exhibit effort? CBC liberal civil servants get paid regardless. G-20 protesting hippie socialists at the CBC demand tax dollars to create news & entertainment geared towards 3% of Canadians, who happen to be g-20 protesting hippie socialists. Funny how that works, ain’t it?

    • Fake David Séguin says:

      You bleeding-heart Trotskyists who want the state-controlled, so-called “free market” to run the CBC probably lap up the anti-capitalist, collectivist garbage that spews forth from CTV and Global, unchecked and unfettered.

      Your lack of skill at grammatical construction shows me you think it more important to toil under the collective farms under the hammer and sickle than to be properly equipped for a true, free 21st century marketplace.

      I guess a Stephen Harper majority will have to do in order to sweep you anti-CBC types into the dustin, but when we get a REAL leader into place — someone with actual intestinal fortitude — you pinkos who are against the CBC will thankfully be silenced. I’m sure when the time is right you’ll leave your place in queue at the welfare office, blindly slap on some patchouli and stand arm-in-arm in your road-beaten Birkenstocks at some “privatize-the-CBC” sit-in. YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU’RE BEING PLAYED. You who are against the CBC are the worst kind of socialist: you don’t even know that you ARE one.

      Go watch your Marxist Sun TV. I’m sure it’ll gladly provide you with the directions to your new jobs in the forced labour camps you dream about in your Commie paradise. Maybe they’ll teach you how to write while they’re at it; you can spend your days etching out homilies to the “Dear Leader”.

    • holy crap says:

      What the fuck are you people talking about???

    • Anonymous says:

      Liberals cut CBC’s funding, Canadians didn’t care. Conservatives cut CBC’s funding (but not enough) and Canadians didn’t care. It’s only a matter of time. CBC preaches to a very tiny audience, mostly radical green/NDP types, and some far-left liberals. Its funding will continually be cut back, so that’s good news. We could privatize it tomorrow, and only 5% of Canada would get angry.

  • Richard Rambone says:

    Finally! Awesome!

    Billinger is next – about time too! You can only bullshit somone with acess to google so long. All those backstabs will be comming back to haunt you Stevie! See ya, wouldn’t want to be ya!

  • Kon Rad says:

    Well don’t stop there. Already the cunning cockroaches of the seventh have moved up. Someone grab a can of Raid.

  • Anonymous says:

    Oh, thank God for this! I never thought I’d see the day. Six years too late, in my books. I sure do hope that his replacement will be someone who can pull the CBC out of its terrible malaise, but I fear that they will only try to find his clone. His interim replacement, for example, is best known for bringing us The Hour. How could any fresh face in that corp hope to revitalize a culture that has had too long to commit itself to a self-destructive path?

  • Manford says:

    No repacements are needed. NO TAXPAYER FUNDING IS NEEDED

    • Charmin says:

      Hello Manford.
      How are things goin in Darwin’s waiting room?
      I see it’s before noon so they probably haven’t handed out the meds yet.
      Looking forward to your next response because you bring so much
      to the party.

      • Anonymous says:

        You seem a little upset with any opposing views. Do you think all Canadians love having to pay for left wing Liberal views being shoved down our necks. Not all of us believe in anti capitalism, David Suzuki crap, and socialism. People like yourself have been listening to this BS so long you actually believe in it.

        Good Luck

        • Anonymous says:

          Friend, you are tedious and annoying, and you either don’t know what you’re talking about or you’re doing a very poor job of being deceptive.

  • Anonymous says:

    Former CBC manager Ron Devion’s note to CBC President Hubert Lacroix:

    Dear Mr. Lacroix,

    We have never met, however, as a person who spent 40 years as a former CBC TV employee in various capacities e.g., Program Director CBLT Toronto, Head of TV Network Sports, Director of TV for CBC B.C., Head of the Host Broadcaster for the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games, I wish to applaud your decision to rid the organization of an individual who almost single-handedly destroyed the reputation of Canada’s English Public Broadcaster.

    Mr. Stursbergs ill-advised strategic decisions, in both television and radio, during his tenure, has done more to erode the confidence of Canadians, especially those loyal CBC audiences, and current and former staff and contract employees, than any other single individual who has ever held a decision making position at the public broadcaster.

    It was obvious to most listeners/viewers/employees past and present, that he did not understand or care about the purpose and importance of a public broadcaster’s role in maintaining a healthy and vibrant Canadian democracy. Chasing ratings is not and never should be the end game of a public broadcaster.

    The silence of the politicians and CBC Board speaks volumes. I just hope it is not too late.

    Good hunting in your search for a more suitable replacement(s), i.e. one for CBC TV and one for CBC Radio.
    Two very distinct services that require separate leadership.

    Sincerely yours,
    Ron Devion
    736-6880 Wallace Drive,
    Brentwood Bay, B.C., V8M1N8
    250-652-6718

  • Duck Boy says:

    So will Carole be banished the weekends on CBCNN or will they give her the anchor chair at CBLT that Diana couldn’t wait to leave?

  • CBCblah says:

    Garbage in, garbage out. I wonder which Moses Znaimer disciple Hubert will hire as Dick’s replacement?

  • Anonymous says:

    Doesn’t matter…top CBC execs are execrably interchangeable, as are their talent, shows and ideas.

    I am sure the leftist incest party that is the corpse will continue on its merry way after Stursberg is gone.

  • Raoule Duke says:

    Can we hire someone with experience and talent this time?

  • iggy arbuckle says:

    May his replacement start by reversing The Fifth Estate cuts… and finish with the reinstatement of regional radio current affairs.

    • Manford says:

      Goodbye CBC you 1.2 billion dollar per year blood suckers. Wait for the Harper majority. CBC will have to stand on its own feet. Left wing TV will be goneYahoo

      • Bytowner says:

        One problem with that: you need both wings in order to fly at all. Amputate left or right wing, and you’re left with a grounded bird. Which isn’t that much fun to watch. Or be.

  • anon says:

    Amazed at how many posters think this was about the nature of CBC TV. This kind of 4 pm Friday dismissal is usually about money.

    • Anonymous says:

      Actually took place THURSDAY afternoon. Stursberg had vacation time starting Friday – serendipitous? Not just about the money dweeb…

  • Charmin says:

    A ten ton elephant just took an eight ton dump.

  • Anonymous says:

    I vote for Nicholas Campbell. He knows the business, and he’s not afraid to gamble.

    • Manford says:

      I vote not to fund this left wing loony toon network

      • God Hates You For Being So Stupid says:

        I vote we spend that billion dollars euthanizing fuckwits like you!

        • Manford says:

          You seem a little upset with an opposing view. You been watching a little too much of that CBC vitreol. Not all Canadians believe in socialism and spread the wealth crap that CBC espouses continually.

          Have a nice day and change the channel

  • 'bout time says:

    Can we please stop using “properties” as the reference to programming, that was indicative of dick’s attitude… property this and property that, I swear to God he thought he was playing monopoly, put a hotel on park place, sell the railroads etc… oh yeah and “eyeballs”, we need more “eyeballs” which means more ad dollars. Don’t for a second even think about content, focus on “properties” and “eyeballs”.

    He was such a one-trick pony, he must have taken a stats 101 course in the 50s and then got a lobotomy…”look at this red, look at that number, we are increasing our green and reducing our percentage over there and now look at the picture of the ocean and all the dolphins swimming” It may give people a relaxing sense of simplicity, but can the entertainment business be run on the numbers alone? It takes foresight, fortitude and a bunch of other f’s an old fucker like dick just doesn’t have. The biggest joke was that senior managers just ate that shit like candy.

    Who is the right person now? I’m not paid enough to think that hard, but it sure as hell was not him and will be nobody like him. Maybe we need to link the next chumps salary to the success of the business… not just the bonus. Oh and maybe try not to hire a white man over 45… wrong demographic, those eyeballs are worth – less.

  • Uniontype says:

    If only Richard Stursberg had used his intellect, skills and position
    for good, instead of evil.

  • goodbye to the CBCkiller, get the fuck outta the building and dont forget you lame ass artwork, you waste of human existence!
    You destroyed my beloved CBC, & you need a good blowjob from georgie s, wait, he cant give you a blowjob, (he’s too busy swallowing Light’s warm cream), oh wait you just looked down and realized you have no decent size friend down there, good to see it matches you overwhelming lack of testicular fortitude.
    good riddance stursberg, go cannibalize global or CTV they would love your style.

  • Anonymous says:

    Can we finally wave goodbye to all the B-list American celebrities selling themselves to Canadians on the CBC?

  • Happy Anonymous says:

    Stursberg never had the balls or business clout in the private sector to raise capital and funding to start his own broadcast network IPO so he raped a crown corporation network instead and used taxpayers money to compete with the private sector : ” ratings are the #1 priority factor” he professed.
    Goodbye Richard and please close the door behind you ( for forever) when you leave the building.
    Let’s now once again try & regain radio’s integrity
    Let’s hopefully restart to produce in-house productions again ( as the French network did (thank you Sylvain) and produce more than just news.
    Oh and by the way Richard – Don’t call us – we certainly won’t call you.

  • A-nony-nony says:

    … and Radio 3 as a broadcaster, and Radio 4, 5, 6 for other streams.
    I know, lets imitate the BBC, the ABC and so on

  • Fork Dorkus says:

    So, when do we get Radio One and Radio Two back?

  • Anonymous says:

    also good that helen spitzer is not currently at cbc!

  • Anonymous says:

    bye bye ‘socks’

  • Anonymous says:

    what will happen to carole? will he leave her behind enemy lines? will she stay?
    awkward.

  • Aww yeah! Thanks for that, Tweet Makers. Maybe we can reach 2,000 followers by the end of August after all.

  • Anonymous says:

    I think I speak for many of us when I say, good riddance, motherfucker.

  • Enik Sleastak says:

    Yeah, he uprooted whole parts of the internal culture, all right. Whee.

    • Bill says:

      Its sad that this took so long this man has done CBC huge damage..

      Let’s hope its not too late!

      Bill

    • Manford says:

      When will this 1.2 billion dollar per year taxpayer funded network have all funding cut. I am sick and tired of this Leftwing Liberal BS parading as a real news source. Amazing how many LOSER Canadians believe the crap on CBC. Welcome Sun News TV.

      • anonymous says:

        Sun TV is geared towards mouth-breathers. People who are dumb enough to be manipulated by fear.

        • Anonymous says:

          …and people who are myopic enough to see the world in simple left-wing vs. right-wing terms. No complexity or finesse allowed. Or reality, for that matter.

          • Manford says:

            I just do not like to fund CBC an arm of the left, loser, entitlement crowd from the Saskatchewan border east. No difference in the CTV anti Conservative bunch only that CTV is not getting 1.2 billion per year from the taxpayer. I have no problem with CBC spewing their anti capitalism, green, David Suzuki crap. I believe in FREE speech. I just don’t figure taxpayers need fund this nonsense.

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