[Swprograms] RCI -- Abandoned Ukrainians and a forgotten anniversary?

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

** CANADA. Abandoned Ukrainians and a forgotten anniversary?

Hi Glenn, More bad news: I guess you're aware, the Ukrainian service has been
reduced much more than most people realize - it's no longer on shortwave, and
only on cable around Kiev! And CBC president Robert Rabinovitch says the
decision is "final." Details:
http://www.geocities.com/rciaction/UkrainiansAbandoned

Canada?s Radio Voice Abandons Most of Ukraine

Montreal - 16 February 2005 

As Ukrainians enter a new era of democracy, Radio Canada International (RCI)
has almost completely shut down its radio programming to Ukraine. Canadian
government ministries are assuring supporters of RCI?s Ukrainian Section that
the service is being maintained. But it?s not clear that the government
spokespeople really understand what?s happened.

At the beginning of February, RCI management followed through on its plan to
drastically cut the service. The cuts were announced last year, but they were
put on hold because of the Ukrainian presidential election. With the election
over, the service has quietly been cut down to almost nothing. It?s now heard
only by subscribers to a cable system in the Kiev area.

The staff at the service is in shock and doesn?t know where to turn for
support. Senator Raynell Andreychuk has brought the issue up a number of times,
as has the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. But everyone is trapped in a Kafkaesque
bureaucratic nightmare. 

Officials at Canadian Heritage say the ministry of Foreign Affairs is
responsible for which countries are broadcast to. Foreign Affairs says Canadian
Heritage is responsible for RCI?s budget. And everyone is saying that the
CBC/Radio-Canada, which manages Canada?s Voice to the World, has to be dealt
with at "arm?s length" for journalistic reasons, since the government is not
supposed to interfere with editorial and programming decisions at the public
broadcaster.

In this limbo, what?s clear is that a popular daily radio program from Canada
has been reduced to two half-hour programs: one on Saturday, and one on Sunday.


But there?s more: the Ukrainian service is no longer on shortwave frequencies,
which means the station has effectively stopped broadcasting to Ukraine and the
neighbouring countries which could hear the shortwave signal. Now, the only way
people can listen to RCI?s Ukrainian service is on a cable system in a small
area around Kiev. The rest of the country does not have access to the programs.

"This is a time when we should do all we can" for the Ukrainians, says the
President of the Quebec Branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Dr. Ihor
Kutash. "What better way to present the Canadian perspective?"

Kutash has met with Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew, and with the man
responsible for the broadcasting division at the Ministry of Canadian Heritage.
He?s received sympathetic hearings, but no promise to restore the service. 

This weekend (19-20 February) Kutash and other Congress representatives will be
meeting to plan further actions. They?re determined to restore the service, but
the president of CBC/Radio-Canada, Robert Rabinovitch, seems as determined. In
a letter dated, 7 February 2005, Rabinovitch informed Kutash that the decision
is "final".

This cut to Ukrainian programming comes just as RCI is about to celebrate its
60th anniversary on February 25th. The Ukrainian service is one of the oldest
at RCI. It started in 1952, seven years after RCI came into existence.

I also put down some thoughts as we approach RCI's 60th anniversary on February
25th. Details:
http://www.geocities.com/rciaction/RCI60thQuestions

Take care, (Wojtek Gwiazda, QC, Feb 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.:

RCI's 60th: Almost No Publicity and a New Mandate?
Montreal - 16 February 2005 
http://www.geocities.com/rciaction/RCI60thQuestions

Two weeks before the 60th anniversary celebrations of Radio Canada
International (RCI) on February 25, there were still employees who didn?t know
there was a staff party of present and former employees on the 24th. Perhaps as
surprising, it appears no news media has been invited to the party. 

Even on the RCI website you?ll have a hard time finding any mention of the fact
that RCI has been around, and survived, for 60 years.

It is true that CBC/Radio-Canada, RCI?s domestic service, has been carrying
promotional messages about two RCI contests to mark the 60th, but that?s about
it.

This almost secret celebration of RCI comes as the service continues to be
transformed and its mandate subtly changed. Anyone even vaguely familiar with
RCI?s past knows that despite valiant efforts by its own employees, RCI has
faced extinction three times in the 1990s, and is never safe from a sudden
decision to shut it down, or at least to reduce services (see articles on the
most recent cuts at the Ukrainian and Chinese services).

An outside observer only has to look at the program schedule for "Canada?s
Voice to the World" to see a strange aberration of RCI?s mission. According to
the liner notes, the service is no longer offering a "Canadian" point of view.
The message from RCI?s Director Jean Larin is that RCI presents a "unique North
American perspective" on world affairs.

RCI?s increasingly mangled mandate is reflected in the two 60th anniversary
contests, as well. One contest?s theme is "Re-Discover the World" and the other
is "Building the Future Now!". " Re-Discover Canada" and "Come visit and learn
about Canada" might have been more appropriate. 

In both contests, prizes are trips to other countries ? not one, to Canada. It
would almost seem that the service is targeting Canadian citizens who want to
travel, rather than RCI?s foreign listeners who tune in to the station for
Canadian news. (And yet broadcasting to Canadians abroad is no longer part of
RCI's mandate.)

Throughout its history, RCI?s most important role has been presenting Canadian
news to the world, something any traveler knows is in short supply in the
world?s media. But even on this question there are concerns. Staff is being
told RCI will decrease its news content in the near future. What will replace
it, has yet to be defined clearly.

The service also clearly lacks enough resources to do everything it?s trying to
do. With each RCI redeployment and facelift, it is the employees who have to
take on even more tasks, in an already full day.

For those of us who have battled to save RCI over and over, the continued
cutting of programming, the reduction of resources, and the bigger workloads,
are creating an increasingly difficult situation at RCI. But, despite the
obstacles, we will continue to serve our listeners who depend on us, because we
can?t let them (you) down!

If you have comments, questions or suggestions on how we can protect RCI please
get in touch with us at rciaction@xxxxxxxx

The RCI Action Committee is an inter-union committee that has fought to protect
the mandate and programming of RCI, and for years has received generous support
from listeners around the world to keep the service on the air. For more see
About Us (Wojtek Gwiazda, RCI Action Committee via DXLD)



		
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