Author Archives: Tod Maffin

About Tod Maffin

About the author: Tod Maffin is a senior social media strategist and thought-leader in the areas of social media ROI and recruiting, leading, and teaching, Generation Y/Millennials. His information-rich, funny, and fast-paced keynote presentations keep him in high demand at more than 40 major conferences around the world each year. More at http://todmaffin.com (Twitter: @todmaffin)

CBC Radio Wins Big at New York Festivals

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The CBC was named “Broadcaster of the Year” and a sizeable number of CBC Radio programs took home medals and other honours at the 2010 New York Festivals International Radio Awards(R) last night in New York City.

“This is truly fantastic. My heartiest congratulations to everyone involved in creating such outstanding radio,” remarked Denise Donlon, general manager of CBC Radio.

“The breadth of programming held up for distinction by these awards is truly remarkable and a wonderful testament to the depth of programming choices that CBC provides to our audiences. We are deeply honoured,” Donlon said.

A total of 17 CBC Radio programs were awarded medals at the 2010 New York Festivals International Radio Awards(R), including the coveted Grand Award gold medal, which went to THE CURRENT for its documentary, “Twice Lost” on a brother and sister’s fractuous relationship. Another six CBC programs received finalist honours.

“With the recent pick up of Q with Jian Ghomeshi on American public radio network PRI and the ongoing success of other CBC Radio programs such as WireTap south of the border, these award wins just further send the message that CBC produces some of the finest programming in the world,” said Kirstine Stewart, interim executive vice-president of CBC. “Our heartfelt thanks to the New York Festivals for the recognition.”

“CBC’s stellar entries impressed our international Grand Jury across the board,” said Rose Anderson, executive director of the New York Festivals. “The breadth and depth of their superior programming is the benchmark for the Broadcaster of the Year Award. Kudos to CBC for being awarded the prestigious title of New York Festivals Broadcaster of the Year for the past four years out of five!”

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I sent the following via the feedback form that can be found at the CBC SHOP’s online outlet: Problem: I ordered two t-shirts, size XL, and CBC SHOP sent me two, Size M; they arrived today, Order #192111. OK, these things happen. But the exchange has been horrible: The fellow on the phone can’t get off fast enough (he sounds overwhelmed and overworked), offers no apology, no empathy, tells me someone will call me back with a ‘courier return plan’ but doesn’t know when and, get this, he needs my credit card number!?!

No. Way.

Here’s how it should be handled: Apologize. Flag my account to assure my purchasing history is exemplary, and to make sure I’m not a system-abuser in the future. Send out two correctly ordered t-shirts a.s.a.p., and tell me to keep the two $9.99 t-shirts CBC sent mistakenly (“Please pass them onto children, sir, consider it our effort to say sorry for our error, thanks for your business, and please come back with your wallet open as you have in the past”). Some retailers would even stick a small gift certificate in the client’s next mailing.

I got no reply, so I sent a copy of the above on to CBC ombudsman Vince Carlin, on the Friday before the Labour Day long weekend, acknowledging that I realize this is not part of the ombudsman’s mandate, but with no idea where to turn next, asking him for some guidance. I never expected to hear back directly from Mr. Carlin, but sure enough, he responded immediately, informing me that, no, it isn’t his mandate to deal with such issues, but to leave it with him such that he could, “check around inside to see if I can find who might be responsible for this area.”

An hour later, he emails me again to tell me he’s narrowed it down to two departments and is waiting on a reply from either to find out which (dep’t) might be best suited to help me.

Another hour passes and he writes again, informing me that yes, he’s found the department best suited to help, spoken with them, and that they will be in touch. “Good luck,” he tells me.

Fifteen minutes later my phone rings and it’s a friendly, apologetic Alexandra Menard from the CBC calling to apologize and to inform me they will be following the instructions I outlined in my complaint message right down to the finest detail, including slipping a $25.00 gift certificate into the envelope containing my two correctly-sized t-shirts, to go out that day.

I thank Mr. Menard and then write Mr. Carlin to express great appreciation. And, despite being the end of the last workday before the last long weekend of the summer, Mr. Carlin writes back (and I hesitate to share this but it made me laugh out loud):

“I am glad things worked out. Since most of my work involves dealing with implacable partisans of one ideology or another who are rarely satisfied with judgements based on facts it has been a pleasant end to the week to have been able to help get one thing right! Have a good weekend. Vince Carlin.”

Thanks right back at you Mr. Carlin – thanks for your efforts on my behalf, and thanks even more for bringing your authentic self to your work.
David Ward

Summary of comments on CBC.ca regarding Stursberg’s departure

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Here are a few comments from the CBC.ca story:

Stursberg has presided over the dumbing down of the CBC, a policy for which he should be held responsible.
JackMcFadyen

A good opportunity for Harper to bring someone in that will ensure truly “fair and balanced” news coverage instead of being a Liberal Party propaganda force.
Logi Biob

Is this the guy who gave us Little Mosque On The Prairie? May he never work again.
I_See_The_Matrix

I think the last line confirms…. the information “Hub” was a failure and was universally hated by all of the services. Radio and Television may be more modern these days, but they are still fundamentally different mediums and information simply cannot be spread between them equally. Add the Internet to the mix and they all need to work to their strengths.
chrisale

I am surprised it took six years for CBC management to realize this guy was about the worst thing that has happened to the English services in recent memory. I remember the last six English TV vice-presidents and this appointment was the most stunning shock to anyone who cares about public television.
LannyMorry

I would guess that Richard Stursberg is fully aware of the huge budget cuts being planned for the CBC.
BCworkinman

He shouldn’t be ALLOWED to leave until he cleans up the mess he made. THe man never understood public broadcasting; hence your tax dollars are paying for Canadian cultural gems like Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, and reruns of the Ghost Whisperer. He never understood that public broadcasting shouldn’t have its success calculated by market share; rather by the quality of programs with which it reflects the nation, and the regions of Canada, to themselves.
smudgebuck

Stursberg is leaving because his job is done: there is nothing left to be gutted that the new owners won’t be able to do themselves, such as reducing further classical music to a daily 3 hours max. Just listen to the new grid soon enough
AntonioSan

Stursberg was brought in to amalgamate & consolidate, in the best possible fashion, the CBC’s English Language TV, Radio & Online services into a fiscally viable media services delivery system… And at that, he’s pretty much succeeded. Yes… It’s different. No… It doesn’t please everybody…. But so what??… Even back forty-odd years ago, people complained that the CBC was too-rigid & elitist in it’s programing… And those were the days of TV programs like Juliette. Front Page Challenge, the Tommy Hunter Show, Wayne & Schuster, and Reach For The Top…  Things Change… Like Them … Or Leave Them For Somebody Else To Appreciate Them… ;-)
RU Outa Ur Mind

$100 says he joins Al Jazeera, following other CBC ‘luminaries’ such as Avi Lewis.
TJOttawa

The CBC changed totally when this man took the helm. The fellow before him (Rabinovich) tried to break it and this man changed it into a more “American” type. Changed forever. Nothing stays the same.
ollie12

Richard, you can’t please everyone. Thank you for your contribution to the CBC and best wishes for future endeavors.
Maritimer

Is it too much to hope for that Ghomeshi will be next?
The Dude on Pender

Maybe the issue is that a national broadcaster like CBC was a good idea fifty years ago but in today’s world of instant communications, it can’t appeal to much more than a niche market. Perhaps that’s why Richard Stursburg left.
AButters

Stursburg was pandering to the Conservatives everything-has-to-be-marketable carpet-bagging ideology. The Harper supporters are the ones on here decrying the CBC as a “waste of taxpayers” money, an argument which got old when the Cons started shoveling money off the back of a truck to their private, corporate pals instead of using it to support our Canadian institutions like the CBC, health care, and our social safety net.
Emmy P Citizen

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Richard Stursberg leaves CBC; effective immediately

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Richard Stursberg, head of CBC’s English services, is leaving after six years in the position.

CBC president Hubert T. Lacroix announced his departure Friday in a statement to employees. Lacroix gave no reason for Stursberg’s departure, which is effective Friday.

“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,” Lacroix said in his statement.

“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.”

Kirstine Stewart, currently general manager of CBC Television, is to take his job as executive vice-president of English services on an interim basis.

(original text from CBC.ca)