Premier Pat Binns today expressed dismay that the CBC Board of Directors chose to make a significant cut to Prince Edward Island's only locally produced supper hour news show.
Under a plan announced this afternoon by CBC President Robert Rabinovitch, CBC Charlottetown's Compass will be reduced from its current one hour broadcast to a new half hour format. Premier Binns said it has been his preference all along for Compass to be maintained as a full hour program.
"Islanders need and deserve a full hour of local programming. I will continue to make that point whenever and however possible. But in the meantime, there is some small consolation that some local news, produced on PEI, will still be available for our local audience. Nevertheless, we must continue to aggressively advocate for a full hour of Compass."
The Premier also voiced concern for the fate of regional news coverage. CBC President Rabinovitch acknowledged that late night broadcasts, such as The Maritimes Tonight, would be done away with completely. "The Maritimes Tonight provides valuable coverage of the happenings in Prince Edward Island, as well as other parts of our Maritime region. This cut will create a tremendous void."
Premier Binns congratulated Islanders for their efforts to make their voices heard during the debate about the future of Compass. CBC Board Chair Guylaine Saucier said it was because of the intense pressure from the regions that some local supper hour service would be maintained.
"All indications are that the protests and the letters of support for Compass made a tremendous difference when it came to making a final decision about supper hour news shows," said Premier Binns. "Islanders should be proud of the effort they took to save our local broadcast."
In the meantime, Premier Binns said he will continue to monitor the situation closely to make sure Islanders are getting the type of news service that is most beneficial to the province, and that job losses at CBC Charlottetown are minimal.