Don't rely on us or anyone, says CBC ombudsman

Addressing the question of biased CBC coverage during the Covid pandemic, CBC ombudsman Jack Nagler has told Canadian viewers not to rely on its coverage: "Even if CBC were perfect, it is unwise to rely on any single news source if you want to be fully informed."

CBC ombudsman admits it’s ‘unwise’ to rely on network for the full story | Western Standard | Jen Hodgson:

January 5. 2025 - "It is unwise for Canadians viewers to rely on the state broadcaster 'if you want to be fully informed,' CBC Ombudsman Jack Nagler said in his final report before retiring. Nagler, who served in his role for 34 years, in his final report as Ombudsman faulted the CBC as 'too timid' in failing to acknowledge differing points of view in its news coverage, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.

"Nagler’s term as Ombudsman ended December 31. His comments were in response to viewer complaints of one-sided CBC News coverage of the pandemic including uncritical treatment of vaccine mandates.

"'Even if CBC were perfect it is unwise to rely on any single news source if you want to be fully informed,' wrote Nagler. 'This is part of the problem that has been created in recent years as many of us have slipped into "news silos" or "information bubbles" or whatever other jargon you want to use. We aren’t hearing enough information that conflicts with our pre-existing views, and when we do, too often we reject it out of hand.... Read widely. Watch widely. Listen widely. And don’t assume any source, even CBC News, is going to tell you everything you need to know'....

"The CBC from the onset of the pandemic had a duty to 'make sure the public got consistent information' in dealing with a crisis, wrote Nagler. 'As time went on it’s perfectly fair to argue the CBC and other media should also have been more willing to report on perspectives that fell outside the consensus view of public health officials, not because those officials were wrong, but because there was an erosion of consensus among the public.... Those developments were interesting stories and could have received more attention than they did.

"'If I were writing as a media critic rather than Ombudsman I might say that CBC was too timid about giving exposure to some of the sentiments in Canadian society during the height of the pandemic,' wrote Nagler. 'That does not mean it was wrong to give credence to experts.'

"The Ombudsman in his final report quoted Nancy Waugh, CBC manager of journalistic standards, as suggesting a requirement for balanced news coverage should not be taken literally in all cases. 'CBC policy acknowledges that how widely held a particular point of view is should also be taken into account,' wrote Waugh. 'In other words, fringe notions however fervently held by individuals are not afforded the same time and attention as mainstream views.'"

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/cbc-ombudsman-admits-its-unwise-to-rely-on-network-for-the-full-story/60863 

Canada's Conservatives cut off CTV News

Pierre Poilievre's director of media relations has told Conservative Members of Parliament not to speak with CTV News, after a doctored clip of Poilievre was shown on the network Sunday. 

Conservatives 'won’t engage' with CTV until network admits 'malicious editing' of clip | Western Standard | Jarryd Jäger:

Septenber 24, 2024 - "Conservative MPs will refuse to engage with CTV and its reporters until the network acknowledges that a recent clip of leader Pierre Poilievre was 'maliciously' edited. While CTV issued an apology, Poilievre's director of media relations Sebastian Skamski said it wasn't good enough.

"'Yesterday’s so called "apology" from [CTV News] doesn't cut it,' Skamski wrote in a post on X. 'This wasn't a simple "misunderstanding". Until they explicitly acknowledge their malicious editing & omission of context to undermine [Poilievre], Conservative MPs won’t engage with CTV News & its reporters.' 

"'Effective immediately, all members of the Conservative Caucus will refrain from engaging with CTV News, including commentary to CTV News and its reporters,' Skamski wrote in a letter to MPs. 'This extends to any meetings with Bell executives, staff, or lobbyists'....

"The four-second clip in question was broadcast by CTV on Sunday, and purported to show Poilievre suggesting the Conservatives' opposition day motion and confidence vote were motivated by a desire to end the Liberals' dental care program, not the carbon tax. He can be heard allegedly claiming, 'That's why we need to put forward a motion,' though he is only shown saying the second half of the sentence. The Conservative leader's media relations team quickly realized that what he said in the clip did not match the transcript from the scrum from which the audio was taken. Instead, his comments appeared to be made up of separate words spliced together.

After nine years of this NDP-Liberal government, they've doubled the debt, doubled housing cots, caused the worst inflation in 40 years, sent people to the food bank, unleashed crime and chaos in our communities. That's why it's time to put forward a motion for a carbon tax election. A carbon tax election [is] needed because the NDP-Liberals plan to hike the carbon tax by 300% all the way to 61 cents a litre, which would cripple our economy, put hundreds of thousands of people out of jobs, mean empty shelves at grocery stores. We need a carbon tax election so Canadians can vote to axe the tax, build homes, fix the budget, and stop the crime with a common sense Conservative government."

"All mentions of the carbon tax were left out of the clip....

"CTV admitted that the clip was presented 'out of context,' and blamed the 'misrepresentation' on a 'misunderstanding during the editing process.'"

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/breaking-conservatives-wont-engage-with-ctv-until-network-admits-malicious-editing-of-clip/58112

Update, September 26: Today, CTV issued a second statement:

WOW CTV CAVES In To Poilievre, ADMITS FAKE Report And Fires Employees | Clinton Jaws | September 27, 2024:

The CBC and local journalism

"There may be a role for public policy to support local journalism. That’s the subject of a worthy policy debate. But however one comes down on the question the CBC isn’t the answer."

CBC logo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

The CBC went all in on identity politics. That will be its downfall | The Hub | Sean Speer:

August 10, 2024 - "As the CBC [Canadian Broadcasting Corp.] faces growing scrutiny, including for a new round of executive bonuses in spite of major layoffs, its proponents continue to hang onto the argument that the public broadcaster is still needed to fill the gaps caused by the decline of local news across the country....

"The recent failure of SaltWire in Nova Scotia and the declining value of Corus local radio and television stations reinforce that it’s highly challenging to generate a sustainable return by producing news for local markets. But ... the CBC doesn’t really provide the type of news that most people ostensibly have in mind when they make such an argument. Public interest local journalism would in theory cover basic civic news like city hall, local sports, or community activities. The CBC’s provincial and local coverage is decidedly not focused on these topics.

"A case in point is an article published this week on the CBC Newfoundland webpage about a local trans man who unexpectedly gave birth to a baby. Whatever one thinks about the story it’s hard to argue that it reflects broad public interest journalism. The article itself indicates that the individual’s chance of conceiving a child was 1.8 percent. The nature of their experience — particularly in St. John’s — is even more atypical. It’s highly niche content that is neither representative of the broad-based local experience nor informative of major national or international developments for a local audience....

"The decline in local news isn’t a new issue.... The CBC had plenty of time to reorient itself as a key part of the government’s response to these developments.... In a parallel universe, the public broadcaster could have reconfigured its staff and other resources beyond the 40 or so communities (which mostly comprise provincial capitals and key population centres) in which it’s currently present. It could have gone much further than last year’s addition of 14 journalists in communities like Cranbrook, Lethbridge, and Kingston to establish itself as a major player in secondary and rural communities across the country. It could have dedicated a greater share of its local coverage to public interest journalism and away from its overemphasis on identity politics."

"If the CBC had pursued these changes in the face of the decline of local news, it would have renewed its public broadcasting mission for today’s media environment and made it far more difficult for Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives to campaign on the pledge to defund it. Its failure to be responsive to the evolving local media landscape has undermined its strongest argument for continuing to exist.

"There may be a role for public policy to support local journalism. That’s the subject of a worthy policy debate. But however one comes down on the question the CBC isn’t the answer. The CBC doesn’t do public interest local journalism anymore. It does identity politics. And that will ultimately be its downfall."

Read more: https://thehub.ca/2024/08/10/the-weekly-wrap-the-cbcs-days-are-numbered-and-it-has-no-one-to-blame-but-itself/

Extreme left has killed TV comedy, says Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld on how woke 'crap' killed comedy | Western Standard | Jen Hodgson:

April 29, 2024 - Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, star of the hit ‘90s show Seinfeld, has commented on the sad state of comedy.... Seinfeld, whose 70th birthday is Monday, told the New Yorker's David Remnick on his show Radio Hour the 'extreme left’s' attack on comedy and “PC (politically correct) crap” has all but ruined the industry for audiences and comedians alike. 

"There once was a day, Seinfeld said, where people could come home from a long day at work and expect something funny to be on television each night, such as Cheers, M.A.S.H., and All in the Family  — now, though human nature still craves comic relief, it’s nowhere to be found. 

“'Nothing really affects comedy. People always need it. They need it so badly and they don't get it,' said Seinfeld. 'Well, guess what? Where is it? This is the result of the extreme left and PC crap and people worrying so much about offending other people.'

"Seinfeld almost a decade ago started warning other comedians about performing at college campuses. They are becoming too politically correct, he said in 2015, per the Daily Mail. The stand-up comedian however said there is still hope for people to get their laughs on without being smacked down by the woke mob. 

“'Now they're going to see stand-up comics because they are not policed by anyone. The audience polices us. We know when we're off track. We know instantly. And we adjust to it instantly,' said Seinfeld. 'But when you write a script, and it goes into four or five different hands, committees, groups … well, that's the end of your comedy.

"'With certain comedians now, people are having fun with them stepping over the line, and us all laughing about it. But again, it's the stand-ups that really have the freedom to do it because no one else gets the blame if it doesn't go down well. He or she can take all the blame.'"

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/watch-jerry-seinfeld-on-how-woke-crap-killed-comedy/54165

Jerry Seinfeld Says Extreme Left Is RUINING TV Comedy; Calls It 'PC CRAP' | The Hill | April 29, 2024: 

Obamas' new Netflix series is stupid propaganda

Netflix Teams Up With the Obamas To Produce Big Government Propaganda | Reason - John Stossel:

October 19, 2022 - "The latest Obama documentary series is The G Word. "G" for government. As Netflix documentaries go, this one is remarkably stupid. It's big government propaganda.

"Obama begins by claiming that he does his own income taxes, saying, 'It's actually easy'.... But that's just silly. It's so complex that millions of us pay to get help.

"Obama's series is hosted by silly comedian Adam Conover. Conover, correctly, calls himself 'an idiot.' He uses his time with the former president of the United States to make lame jokes and, at one point, to make sandwiches. He compliments Obama on how well he cuts the bread. It's not funny.

"The series occasionally covers some serious issues — meat inspection, for example. But instead of honest reporting, actors do a skit suggesting that, without government, meat companies would sell us dead poisoned rats. 'Food regulation was unbelievably successful,' concludes Conover. But food is largely safe today mostly because slaughterhouses cleaned themselves up way beyond what government requires.... One company executive showed me how they voluntarily do extra things like treat beef carcasses 'with rinses and a 185-degree steam vacuum.' Also, 'equipment is routinely taken completely apart to be swab-tested.'

"By contrast, for 90 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture inspected meat with a crude process called "poke and sniff." Inspectors stuck spikes into carcasses and smelled them. They kept using the same spikes, so they sometimes spread disease. The government only stopped poke and sniff in the 1990s.

"A few times, Obama's series admits that government agencies mess things up. Conover mocks the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 'not a name you normally hear after the words "did a great job."' No, but he then claims FEMA fails because it's underfunded.... That's ridiculous. FEMA doesn't fail because it lacks resources. U.S. disaster relief funds have increased by billions. FEMA fails because it's a government bureaucracy, and bureaucracies do wasteful things, like bring bottles of water to hurricane victims but then leave them at an airport. 

"The private sector is more efficient. The G Word sneers at what it calls 'this philosophy that the free market should be trusted over the government.' But Walmart donates supplies much more efficiently than FEMA. They employ sophisticated weather tracking that helps them determine what assets are needed where. They get things to people because they lose money if they don't.

"Obama's series smears those of us who are skeptical of government handouts. 'In the wake of the civil rights movement,' claims Conover, 'some Americans began to resent the fact that the government was now providing assistance to black and brown citizens.' What? We didn't resent welfare because we're racists. We objected because it created a new permanent underclass. Handouts, President Ronald Reagan explained correctly, 'discourage work'....

"Obama's documentary depicts Reagan as a vicious surgeon cutting valuable government agencies, throwing them into a bucket labeled 'free market.' But government wasn't cut under Reagan. Federal spending went up during his terms. It always goes up.... It only grows. Today it's bigger than ever.

"That's fine, says Conover, because Washington rescued us during the COVID shutdowns with 'stimulus checks, small business loans, and corporate tax breaks!' They don't mention how much of that money was stolen or that their spending orgy brought 8 percent inflation.

"For three hours, Obama and his sidekick say government should do more. Whatever the problem, their answer is always more government and more money. Maybe someday a president will point out that government has no money of its own and that spending more than you have is a road to ruin."

Read more: https://reason.com/2022/10/19/netflix-teams-up-with-the-obamas-to-produce-big-government-propaganda/

Impeachment trial tanks in TV ratings

Impeachment trial gets lower ratings than Jeopardy! on a bad night- Tiana Low, Washington Examiner:

January 24, 2020 - "Across half a dozen network and cable channels, the second day of the Senate impeachment trial's viewership fell by nearly one-fifth. It drew 8.9 million viewers in total over the course of four prime hours, according to Nielsen. That's a hair more than the number of people who watched Chicago Fire on NBC that night. It's nearly a million fewer than the average number of viewers that Jeopardy! scored from October through December of last year....

"All of this flies in the face of what the media promised. Lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff, the media swore, was 'dazzling,' 'masterful,' 'eloquent,' and 'brilliant,' a made-for-television prosecutor arguing the case of a century. But the rest of the country knows exactly how this trial ends, and Schiff isn't exactly a lightning rod of charisma....

"Trump drew in 32 million viewers at his Republican National Convention acceptance speech. Last year's State of the Union garnered nearly 47 million viewers.... Tens of millions of viewers are willing to tune in to politics multiple times a year. But they don't think impeachment is important enough to watch."

Read more: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/impeachment-trial-gets-lower-ratings-than-jeopardy-on-a-bad-night

Impeachment Gets Worse Ratings Than Soap Operas - Tristan Justice, The Federalist:

January 25, 2020: "This week’s numbers echo the same ratings that the House impeachment hearings earned last fall, when only an estimated 13.8 million people watched the first public impeachment hearing by the House Intelligence Committee across all 10 networks. These values represent a stark difference from the 20 million people who watched Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s testimony during his confirmation hearing in the fall of 2018.

"The lack of viewership ... illustrates a public understanding of what a show trial the proceedings have become. In other words.... Americans recognize the difference between performative actions full of useless bravado and events where major outcomes may result, such as the Kavanaugh hearings.

"Democrats need at least 20 Republican senators to vote in favor of a guilty verdict, an event which is certain not to happen, given public support for impeachment has remained underwater for more than a month, according to Real Clear Politics’ latest aggregate of polls."
Read more: https://thefederalist.com/2020/01/25/impeachment-gets-worse-ratings-than-soap-operas/

'via Blog this'

Chafee joins Libertarian Party as life member

Lincoln Chafee dances around question of presidential run | WJAR 10, Bill Rappleye:

November 20, 2019 - "Lincoln Chafee took to Rhode Island airwaves Wednesday morning to tout his new political party -- Libertarian -- and dance around the question of whether he will run for president.

"The former mayor, senator and governor registered to vote as a Libertarian in his new home state of Wyoming, and also attended the Libertarian National Committee meeting in Miami last weekend, where he became a lifetime member of the party, according to his posting on a new Facebook page titled "Virginia for Lincoln Chafee 2020."

"Wednesday morning on WPRO, Chafee told host Tara Granahan that the Libertarian Party is a good fit for him, because it is 'anti-war and anti-deficit. The two go together.'

"He would not commit to running for president, noting that there are 43 Libertarians who have said they are running. He said the party’s national convention is not until May, in Austin, Texas."

Read more: https://turnto10.com/politics/lincoln-chafee-dances-around-question-of-presidential-run

'via Blog this'

Trump's right: Press is 'enemy of the people'

National View Column: Trump is right: The press is the 'enemy of the people' | Duluth News Tribune - Gordon Marino:

August 28, 2019 - "[I]f there is one point Trump seems right about, it is his infamous declaration that the press is the 'enemy of the people.' After all, it was the press, and especially cable television, that, more than anything, helped elect the president who would carry on a fake war against 'fake news.'

"Media today are driven by a desperate need for ratings because it is the number of hits that reels in the lifeblood of advertising revenue. No cable networks have criticized and lampooned Trump more than MSNBC and CNN; for three years now, Trump and his antics have monopolized their offerings. Why? Because those of us who wince at the words of our self-described 'stable genius' revel in hearing him excoriated....

"Recently, MSNBC’s 'Hard Ball' host Chris Matthews ended a segment by shaking his head in disgust over Trump’s extreme indifference to immigrant children. Then, almost under his breath, Matthews archly chuckled something to the effect that it would be hypocritical of him not to acknowledge that cable networks love Trump, too — and for the obvious reason that Trump is a magnet for viewers.

"TV talk-show hosts Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, Jimmy Kimmel, and Seth Meyers have been bottom-feeding off Trump for years, and even the incurious and uninformed president well understands that all publicity — or almost all — is good publicity. As for Fox, sometimes referred to as 'state television,' watch host Sean Hannity and company for a few days and you, too, might feel befuddled by people distraught over Trump’s behavior....

"The president’s mistruths are legendary, but hear something enough and it becomes hard to dismiss. Hear enough false blather, and it eventually drowns out both the truth and the demand for truth. It used to be a problem for a politician to blatantly contradict himself or herself, thanks in large part to never-ending press coverage. But the public now shrugs when Trump says one thing and then a few days later says the opposite — even when it is all caught on tape.

"Yes, Trump is right; the press is the 'enemy of the people,' because it is the press that not only provides him with boundless coverage but gets us to bite on the glittering lures Trump casts whenever he seems to want to divert attention from something like the Mueller testimony.... Trump loves to gin up conflicts and then congratulate himself for protecting us from the self-created conflicts. Likewise, the media created this Frankenstein’s monster of a president, and for all their vitriol against Trump, the talking heads know they depend on the man they love to hate."

Read more: https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/opinion/columns/4632056-National-View-Column-Trump-is-right-The-press-is-the-enemy-of-the-people

'via Blog this'

Matt Kibbe TV show debuts Feb. 18 on BlazeTV

BlazeTV adds libertarian, comedy fare to its pro-America line-up - Washington Times - Jennifer Harper:

January 16, 2019 - "BlazeTV, the independent company launched in December by conservative titans Mark Levin and Glenn Beck, has expanded its programing to include libertarian content and humor, featuring longtime grassroots activist Matt Kibbe and comedian Chad Prather.

"'As a libertarian, I’m proud to be joining BlazeTV. I’m going to put some new ideas forward, have thoughtful conversations with smart people from different perspectives, and reach for new audiences outside of the usual silos,' said Mr. Kibbe, who founded the grassroots groups Freedomworks and Free the People, and will anchor a new offering called Kibbe on Liberty.

"It showcases his basic guiding principle — 'Don’t hurt people and don’t take their stuff' — and is set to debut on Feb. 18.

"'This isn’t just about producing quality content. As supposedly public social media platforms censor certain voices to shelter their ideological biases, BlazeTV will be a vital platform where speech is truly free,' Mr. Kibbe noted."

Read more: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jan/16/blazetv-adds-libertarian-comedy-fare-to-its-pro-am/
'via Blog this'

Matt Kibbe on the Libertarianism wiki: https://libertarianism.wikia.com/wiki/Matt_Kibbe

BBC TV's Yes Minister a primer on civil service

The BBC's "Yes Minister" Is Everything You Need to Know about Government - Foundation for Economic Education - Bill Wirtz:

November 18, 2018 - "The British satire show Yes Minister was unique in its display of the inner workings of government. It's as up to date as ever.

"The series ... on BBC Two between 1980 and 1988 ... has in its core the characters of Jim Hacker (the minister), Sir Humphrey Appleby (permanent secretary), and Bernard Woolley (Hacker's principal private secretary). Hacker plays the role of minister of administrative affairs, making him responsible for the British civil service and any type of reforms deemed necessary for the inner workings of the government. He is what Americans would probably describe as a 'dork': he's unable to understand the intrigue of the civil service, optimistic about his actual power, and easily swayed........

"Sir Humphrey represents the civil service: he is stubborn and opinionated, and manages to protect his interests and those of the bureaucrats with ingenious wit and plot. Humphrey characteristically says 'Yes Minister' repeatedly, though he's clearly understood to mean 'No.' Bernard ... is easily broken by Sir Humphrey and ... is also used to parody the civil service: he constantly chips in with unnecessary knowledge....

"The questions Yes Minister asks are not impertinent: Are long-term appointments of top-class civil servants really a good idea?...

"In 2015, the United States employed a total of almost 22 million government employees in federal, state, and local government.... Civil servants aren't only employees; they are, in fact, employees who vote for their bosses in significant numbers. All of the 22 million government employees vote, and they are closely associated with people (in this case their own families) who share their financial interests. When politicians do not exchange civil servants as they take office, they can get stuck with hostile and powerful bureaucrats who lobby for their own interests....

"Yes Minister shows how fear-mongering and delay are among the civil service’s tactics to stay in power. In fact, Jim Hacker continuously gets confronted with the wrath of the Deep State as soon as he tries to reform any of it.....

"[I]n today's Britain, a show like Yes Minister would be unlikely to be produced. The BBC would be worried about offending people or even ... undermining public faith in the institutions of the country."

Read more: https://fee.org/articles/the-bbcs-yes-minister-is-everything-you-need-to-know-about-government/
'via Blog this'

Ohio Libertarians begin modest TV ad buy (video)

Libertarian candidate for governor unveils TV ads in Toledo - Toledo Blade - Liz Skalka:

November 1, 2018 - "Libertarian governor candidate Travis Irvine launched his first television ads in Toledo and Cincinnati less than a week from Election Day.... The buy is for a modest $2,000 worth of airtime on Fox News and CNBC, campaign manager Ken Moellman said....

"Irvine, whose campaign has already invested in radio ads, said the TV ads are ones already featured online and are produced by Mr. Irvine himself. The 35-year-old from Columbus runs his own media company and also dabbles in comedy. 'I guarantee I’m the only candidate to edit his own ads,' he said....

"Irvine reported raising more than $5,000 from Oct. 1 through Oct. 17 and spending $7,300. [Republican Mike] DeWine and Democrat Richard Cordray have raised more than $44 million....

"Irvine said he would campaign in Lucas, Geauga, and Butler counties, where he said he has the support of some conservative Republicans who have balked from backing Mr. DeWine."

Read more: https://www.toledoblade.com/local/politics/2018/11/01/libertarian-candidate-for-governor-tv-ads-Toledo-travis-irvine/stories/20181031155
'via Blog this'

Ontario Libertarian leader interviewed on TVO (video)

Steve Paikin on Twitter:

June 1, 2018 - "We've got the leader of the Libertarian Party @allenatlarge (his real name is Allen Small...get it?) On @TheAgenda tonight at 8/11 pm. #onpoli #Election2018 "

https://twitter.com/spaikin/status/1002653237168648192
'via Blog this'

Swiss students fight against mandatory TV fees

How Swiss students fight against imposed TV fees | Freedom Today Network - Bill Wirtz:

November 20, 2017 - "Together with other classical liberals in Switzerland, Frédéric Jollien is fighting against the royalties imposed by the government for media consumption. 450 Swiss Francs, the equivalent of €382, is the annual fee that consumers need to pay, regardless if they want state-run TV and radio channels or not. 'We are not trying to abolish anything. We merely want consumers to choose for themselves which channels they want to watch.', says Frédéric, who works in the campaign of 'NoBillag', the citizen's initiative that intends to overturn the fee via referendum.

"The state-run channels in Switzerland date back to World War One, when they were used to communicate with the citizens. The government had completely monopolised both TV and radio 'for security reasons'. After the war period, Switzerland opened the market to private media companies, but it kept the 'Billag' fee in order to pay for the state channels which still absolutely dominate the market until this day.

"The fee even has its own website www.billag.ch, on which the mandatory contribution is explained as follows: 'In Switzerland, you are legally obligated to pay the radio and television fees. By paying the fees you enable radio and television programmes in every part of Switzerland.'

"Which almost sounds like you couldn't have any TV or radio stations if it wasn't for governmental control. For Frédéric Jollien, who is a Senior Local Coordinator for European Students for Liberty and founder of Swiss Students for Liberty, this description is dishonest: 'The opponents to our campaign claim that without the "Billag", nobody would pay for state channels, yet they simultaneously also argue that people are very fond of the content. Which one is it now?'

"The 'NoBillag' campaign has been working on the issue of media royalties for three years now, and effectively managed to get their citizen's initiative approved. This means that a public vote on the repeal of the 'Billag' will take place on March 4, 2018. Until then, the campaign is tirelessly working to promote its ideas.

"However, running such a campaign demands considerable efforts: 'The government has extended the "Billag" to include private companies as well. Despite them only receiving less than 10 per cent of the revenue generated by the fee, they now also have vested interests in keeping it in place'.... The print media is equally unimpressed by the 'NoBillag' campaign, as owners also seek to convince the government to initiate large subsidies for the papers, the same way it is practiced in countries like France.....

"Jollien is very optimistic regardless: 'We started a crowdfunding campaign and raised over 50,000 Francs in only ten days, bringing us closer of our 100,000 CHF objective. But not only that: several polls have indicated that we might very well be able to win the public vote!'

"[J]ournalists (who by the way, are exempt from paying this fee) are releasing heavy verbal fire on the campaigners. They claim it would cause massive unemployment in the media sector, that it is anti-democratic or that it would enable big foreign companies to take over the Swiss market. "It's actually quite peculiar: the Swiss conservatives, who are usually the ones spreading fear of foreigners, support us because they believe that state media is being biased against them, while the Left opposes us because they believe the evil foreign media channels from Germany, Italy and France will eat us up. This shows how strange the idea of a free market can sound to people', says Frédéric."

Read more: https://ftn.media/how-swiss-students-fight-against-imposed-tv-fees
'via Blog this'

The Prisoner turns 50 (video)

The Prisoner Turns 50 - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Jesse Walker:

September 29, 2017 - "The Prisoner — a science fiction series about a former spy confined in a mysterious totalitarian enclave — was both the most experimental and the most anti-authoritarian TV program of the '60s. It first aired 50 years ago today, so I'll mark the occasion with one of my favorite installments: 'Living in Harmony,' the episode that answers the question, 'What would a western written by Philip K. Dick look like?'"

Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2017/09/29/the-prisoner-turns-50
'via Blog this'

Jedediah Bila dropped from The View

In defense of Jedediah Bila: Another “View” conservative bites the dust - Salon.com - Danielle Ryan:

October 1, 2017 - "Another day, another conservative co-host on The View bites the dust.... Jedediah Bila’s exit from the daytime talk show after barely a year stunned viewers last week. The announcement was abrupt and awkward. It was clear that something was amiss from both the suddenness and the fact that Bila didn’t seem to have any future plan mapped out. She gave no explanation for her departure other than to make vague reference to a hypothetical book she may be writing....

"According to reports, Bila received no indication that her firing was in the offing. In the end, she (apparently) found out from a friend at CNN who called to let her know ABC had done a deal with Meghan McCain — former Fox News host and daughter of Sen. John McCain — to replace her.

"The real problem, it seemed, was that Bila, who is a registered Independent and identifies as a libertarian-conservative, wasn’t quite conservative enough for executives.

"A source told the Daily Mail that Bila’s 'unique political position made her someone the audience struggled to connect with.'

"The fact that audiences can’t relate to someone like Bila — an independent mind who regularly saw both sides of an argument — is a sad indictment of the state of media and political culture today. Audiences being dumbfounded by a person who can straddle the political spectrum, and who doesn’t fit neatly into a predefined box, is a byproduct of the extremism that the media has promoted for so long.

"The most extreme voices, the voices that shout the loudest and say the craziest things, are always promoted up the ladder. TV executives aren’t looking for nuanced, intelligent debate (newsflash, I know) — they’re looking for drama, fighting and the ratings that go with it.

"Bila looked at the media far more critically than any of the other View hosts, whose blindness to some of its problems is frankly embarrassing. She had been critical of the media and its treatment of the Trump campaign in comparison to its treatment of Hillary Clinton. Her goal was never to defend Trump (whom she did not support), but to explain how such open hatred of Trump and blatant bias in favor of Clinton would only strengthen Trump’s base and confirm their distaste for the 'lying media'."

Read more: https://www.salon.com/2017/10/01/in-defense-of-jedediah-bila-another-view-conservative-bites-the-dust/
'via Blog this'

Dave Smith releases comedy special Sept. 11 (video)

Libertarian Comedian Dave Smith on the Alt-Right, Christopher Cantwell, and How the Left 'Went Off the Rails' - Reason.com - Nick Gillespie & Mark McDaniel:

September 8, 2017 - "New York comedian Dave Smith says he 'became a libertarian through the Ron Paul movement. He challenged all of my preconceived notions about what government was [and]...inspired me to read all of these people, like Rothbard, Mises, and Friedman.'

"When Bernie Sanders became a national figure, what Smith hated most about the Vermont senator was that he was aesthetically like a carbon copy of Paul — 'a kind of disheveled, older guy who's just a truth teller.'

"[The difference was that] 'Bernie would go around to these kids and be like, "Hey, so you're a college kid in 2017, you're among the richest, freest, most privileged people who have ever existed, [so] billionaires should be paying your bills for you" ... It was the difference between a propagandist and a truth teller.'

"Smith, 34, is a regular on the New York City stand up circuit and hosts two popular podcasts on the GaS Digital Network, Legion of Skanks and Part of the Problem. On September 11, he'll release his first comedy special, Libertas, which will be available for download here."

Read more: http://reason.com/reasontv/2017/09/08/dave-smith-ron-paul-libertas-comedy
'via Blog this'

CBC equates 'radical libertarianism' with racism

Does Canada take the threat of far-right extremism seriously? - Montreal - CBC News - Jonathan Montpetit:

August 16, 2017 - "Despite the recent racist violence in the U.S., and an increase in right-wing extremist activity here in Canada, experts disagree about whether Ottawa should make such groups a national security priority.

"Since the Sept. 11 attacks, Canada's intelligence community has devoted much of its attention to preventing Islamist terrorism.

"While right-wing extremism, including the activities of neo-Nazi and other racist groups, is monitored by CSIS and the RCMP, it doesn't receive the same amount of resources as threats from ISIS or al-Qaeda.

"Yet the outburst of deadly racist violence in Charlottesville, Va., last weekend is not without parallels in Canada. Recent estimates suggest there are dozens of active white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups across the country.

"They advocate everything from biological racism to anti-Semitism to radical libertarianism."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/canada-far-right-extremism-csis-1.4248183
'via Blog this'

What's William Shatner doing at FreedomFest?

Is Star Trek Icon William Shatner a Libertarian? | The American Conservative - Todd Seavey:

July 24, 2017 - "'Is there a free mind? Are our minds free? Are we programmed by something up there to follow our fate? Or are we programmed by Mom and Dad at a very early age? So is there free will? Do we make choices?'

"So wondered William Shatner during his July 21 speech at the annual Las Vegas convention of libertarians and other free-marketeers called FreedomFest. He urged the audience to stick to its principles, not compromise as he says he did when he directed Star Trek V by giving up on his original vision of having the real God attack the crew with an army of lava men in the film’s climax.

"Compromising principles is a mistake, suggested Shatner. 'Nobody can tell you what to do. Somewhere inside us is a core.'

"Is William Shatner a libertarian, you might ask? If not, what’s he doing there? Well, it seems more like he’s an environmentalist worried about overpopulation — and he’s a Canadian, of course — but he’s also expressed some populist longings for someone to sweep away the bureaucrats and make American democracy work again. And he avoids commenting on Donald Trump....

"None of this makes him too much weirder than a previous FreedomFest speaker who went on to bigger things, namely Donald Trump. I suppose the question is how big you want the libertarian tent to be. You probably want a tent big enough to let in optimists who still believe we can invent and build things, but not a tent so big that it lets all the carny-barkers inside....

"[A] decade or two ago ... it seemed that the worst thing that could happen to the libertarian movement is that it might get too screechy and radical and alienate mainstream Americans.... Nowadays, I worry more that in American politics, even the most radical road always leads back to the same mushy centrist middle, with a few highly predictable TV pundits guarding that middle against the emergence of any truly new ideas. So, if Shatner is unlikely to express a precise, coherent philosophical argument, I should at least root for him to leave crowds slightly confused, even if he says something stupid. That can spur thought.... Absent utopian unanimity, one should root for competition, always....

"Let my fellow libertarians fight viciously and devolve into factions (pausing to enjoy the occasional near-meaningless Shatner speech or other entertainment). Like small and decentralized states, the factionalism might afford a better chance for truth to survive out there somewhere than would one bland, homogeneous consensus version of the philosophy with all the rough edges polished and gleaming."

Read more: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/is-star-trek-icon-william-shatner-a-libertarian/
'via Blog this'

‘Game of Thrones: Libertarian Edition’ (video)

Reason releases hilarious parody video ‘Game of Thrones: Libertarian Edition’ – TheBlaze - Brandon Morse:

July 14, 2017 - "With season seven of the smash HBO show “Game of Thrones” debuting on Sunday, Reason has released another hilarious video putting a libertarian spin on the fantasy epic.

"Reason’s  Austin Bragg, Meredith Bragg, Andrew Heaton, and Remy Munasifi have made libertarian versions of “Star Trek” and “Star Wars” in the past. “Star Trek: Libertarian Edition” won a Southern California Journalism Award for Best Humor/Satire Writing of 2016.

"The video features Heaton and Austin Bragg playing numerous roles. Heaton plays the Hand of the King attempting to convince the small council that small government and non-interventionism is the key to a more prosperous Westoros.

"Heaton and Austin Bragg also play two members of the Night’s Watch trying to figure out why their ancestors built a giant wall to keep out the 'free folk,' people who marry whoever they want, live however they please, and elect leaders instead of being under the rule of someone they never approved of."

Read more: http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/07/14/reason-releases-hilarious-parody-video-game-of-thrones-libertarian-edition/
'via Blog this'

Wilder & Lane's Libertarian House on the Prairie

Wilder’s ‘Little House’ on a libertarian prairie - San Francisco Chronicle - Christine Woodside:

December 26, 2016 - "Libertarian ideas are woven into the very fabric of American life.... I think of the libertarian branch of the Republican Party as the 'Little House on the Prairie caucus.' Why? Because the beloved Little House children’s book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder was full of free-market ideals.

"Wilder was a chicken farmer and occasional journalist who became the author and heroine of the Little House books about her 1870's-80's pioneer childhood. Wilder’s secret collaborator, her daughter Rose Wilder Lane, infused the books with libertarian views....

"In 1930, during the Great Depression, Wilder and Lane were 63 and 44 years old and living on the family farm in southern Missouri. At Lane’s request, Wilder sat down and wrote of the family’s migration from Wisconsin to the future state of Kansas to Minnesota to Dakota Territory, with her Pa, Ma, and sisters, looking for the ideal farm.

"In Wilder’s early drafts, the family withstood frontier life staunchly, jaws set. Wilder told her daughter the Ingallses never showed emotion. But as Lane rewrote Wilder’s notes, she removed difficult events, like a baby brother’s death or the government’s subsidy of their blind sister’s schooling, and inserted plenty of happy dialogue with no bitterness, resentment or remorse.

"Within a few months, Lane had sold the first book, Little House in the Big Woods. One editor said it was 'the book no Depression could stop.' Readers asked for more, so the two women wrote seven more books together.

"The books extolled the power of ordinary people to make their own destinies. Consider this scene in The Long Winter, the sixth book: When frequent blizzards kept trains from bringing supplies to their Dakota Territory town, the storekeeper tries to overcharge starving neighbors who want to buy the last stock of wheat. A riot seems imminent until Pa speaks up: 'Don’t forget that every one of us is free and independent, Loftus. This winter won’t last forever, and maybe you want to go on doing business after it’s over.' It’s an appealing distillation of the idea that a free market can regulate itself....

"The series has sold millions of copies and inspired the TV show Little House on the Prairie.

"With the comfortable income provided by book royalties, Lane helped fund a free-market academy in the early 1960s in Colorado called the Freedom School [run by Robert Lefevre - ed.]. Two of the graduates were perhaps the most profoundly influential donors in modern conservatism: Charles and David Koch. Both joined the new Libertarian Party, along with Lane’s heir, Roger Lea MacBride, in the 1970s, before later returning to the Republican Party."

Read more: http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Wilder-s-Little-House-on-a-libertarian-10819927.php
'via Blog this'

See also: Wilder's Little House books as libertarian propaganda