Bored or Unsaturated?

Written By: Mirna EljazovicMay 29 2008

In recent weeks there has been a commercial playing on various Canadian television channels and radio stations about a 24-hour political channel. But it isn’t CNN and it isn’t FOXNews, it is the Cable Public Affairs Channel, also known as CPAC.

Now, have you ever heard of this channel?

According to its background it has been around since 1992, and I, as an avid television watcher have never heard of it until these commercials surfaced. CPAC is Canada’s only not for profit, commercial-free, privately-owned and bilingual licensed television service.

Americans have something similar in C-SPAN which, like CPAC, is a non-profit company that was created by the American cable television industry, 13 years prior to CPAC.

C-SPAN and CPAC can be said to be the same, having strictly political content on the channels with no special interest stories and no fodder about other unrelated topics.

These two can cancel each other out, but then what are Canadians left with? CTV? Global? CBC? These television stations do have well produced and researched stories brought forward about Canadian politics, but that’s only an afterthought because we all stay awake for Grey’s Anatomy, House, Little Mosque on the Prairie and hockey games.

CNN and FOXNews do waiver from political topics, both CNN and FOXNews offer segments on sports, entertainment, business and health. There is one common underlying factor, both continually reverting back to politics. During all these segments there is always breaking news about political-related stories, and that little ticker at the bottom will always keep you updated on even insignificant political stories about Obama’s bowling or Hillary’s choice of beer.

During the Super Tuesday primaries, both channels showed non-stop coverage of each states issues for voters, the diversity of the voters, and most importantly, the outcomes of the votes as the day progressed.

Prime Minister Stephen HarperWhen the 39th General Election was held in 2006 for our Prime Minister, not the nominations of the party leaders, but the main election, there was coverage on CTV, CBC and Global, but only during the respective news slots, and after the polls closed for the day.

Now I’m not trying to say that Canadians don’t care for our politics, but is it safe to presume Americans figured out a way to make the public care more?

Everyone stops to read the tabloids on newsstands in the grocery line, and will occasionally watch the entertainment or gossip stories about their favourite stars on television. Now why can’t we be this interested in our political figures?

Americans have figured out that by consistently digging up dirt and exposing it about political figures, voters will pay attention, everyone loves drama. They tie in interests the common population has that may not be related to politics, but can be tied to politics.

There have been catty discussions by fashion experts about Hillary’s choice of wardrobe for speeches and debates that could atrract a certain demographics attention or it may be the rumour that the NFL season may start early to accommodate McCain’s acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention.

So unless Stéphane Dion begins experimenting with his wardrobe, or maybe Jack Layton’s church leader makes questionable remarks about French Canadians, we may never have a population who pays adequate attention to CPAC.

As an added bonus, you’ll be happy to know that the hockey season openers usually take place in September, and the 40th Canadian federal election will not be held until October 19th of 2009. This is good news for the political winner; they will have the viewers’ full attention on that night, because if the NHL opener was on the same night....

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