This item was first published here July, 2009: Radio talk shows are often wastelands of puffery, babble and prejudice. Well conducted programs, with knowledgeable listeners, occasionally break through with moments of simple passion. One of those occurred recently on Bill Good’s CKNW show. A Vancouver Island caller named Mike thought
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Northern Insight: If you read anything today, it should be Rafe Mair
An illustration of why corporate media is in a death spiral: “…Modesty is not my long suit and I believe that had I stayed, the general public would have been infinitely better served on environmental issues. “A Judge once said to the great Lord Birkenhead, I have read your brief
Continue readingNorthern Insight: More "CRAP!" from the blogosphere
Contrary to the claims of retired newsguy Bill Good, blogs are not invariable distributors of CRAP! Instead, the good ones are sources of information and commentary that Bill Good and others in commercial news operations dare not discuss. Creekside, by Alison, is one of the very good blogs; the sort
Continue readingNorthern Insight: No free lunches… ever
Update April 9: I heard that CKNW’s Bill Good responded on his April 5 morning show to selected critics, people he declined to identify other than through reference to hated bloggers. For a number of days, I tried to listen to the station’s audio vault but the file for 8am
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Still ROTFL
From January 30, updated with an audio clip from The Bill Good Show on CKNW. Monday, in Something Big, Out of Something Small…, Alex Tsakumis mentioned a fact obvious to anyone paying attention, that Bill Good and his CKNW show are dependable instruments playing in the BC Liberal band. “At
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Will The BC Liberal Government Survive Today’s Budget Vote?
Richard Hughes Political Blogger Good Morning, The question swirling around Victoria this morning is whether or not Premier Christy Clark will be able to weather the storm ahead and whether or not the BC Liberal’s ‘Election Budget’ will pass. If it fails then the question of Christy Clark’s leadership will
Continue readingNorthern Insight: More ROTFL
A while ago, long tenured radio talker Bill Good told us he was offended by suggestions that certain callers get special treatment and easy access to CKNW air waves. He then spoke with a number of regular callers who confirmed that what Mr. Good had said was true. This is
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Friends caring for friends
Bill Good mounted a defence of Christy Clark today following release of David Basi’s accusations that Premier Christy Clark was very much involved in the corrupt sale of BC Rail and was leaking confidential information to fixers involved in the deal. Good was joined by Keith Baldrey who wondered even
Continue readingNorthern Insight: The Schultz Theory, Applied
Alex Tsakumis’ release of Dave Basi’s 2003 memo to file was an interesting test for British Columbia’s corporate media. The results were mixed. NW’s Bill Good managed to do 3½ hours without noting the stench surrounding his pal Premier Photo Op. No surprise there since he’s been consistent in saying
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Fact free radio
Friday morning on BC Liberal radio, one of the trio assured us that BC Ferries has been cutting administration costs and its overheads had little or nothing to do with financial problems. Shall we test the accuracy of the comment? Combined passenger and vehicle traffic in 2012 is down by
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Hey, Bill Good
Good job. You won’t find much here that is complimentary about a broadcaster whose work I once respected. But, he deserves credit for working Canada’s Coast Guard story on the west coast, nailing the Conservative government for stupidity, disrespect and callous disregard for public safety. This government keeps chauffeured limousines
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Yes Bill, you are ill equipped
Biill Good & Premier’s Director of Outreach It was an interview so tortured that I suspect Bill Good’s briefing notes had fallen irretrievably from the desk just as his guest was introduced. This morning, the Corus Radio star failed to twinkle light on the glacial pace of re-implementing PST as
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Not a story to be ignored, after all
The following conversation between the three voices of NW’s Trailing Edge from the Ledge was first reported at Northern Insight in October 2009. Today, the boys got to say what they really think about the blog world: Keith: “Vaughn called them nut cases in the past . . .” Vaughn:
Continue readingNorthern Insight: What’s up at PavCo besides operating losses?
Whispered leaks say that PavCo’s professional managers are arm wrestling with political hacks who want only happy talk reaching ears of the public. Trouble is, good news at PavCo is mostly spin that won’t hold up to scrutiny. The result, at least until Liberals create a workable survival strategy, is
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Wingnut alert!
REPLAY: First published Oct 22, 2010, this small piece, with minor updates, remains apropos. BC Liberals Keith “Fore!” Baldrey and Bill “That’s an old story” Good, with Mr. “I’ve Seen No Evidence” Palmer, said on Corus Radio that bloggers are anonymous “wingnuts” writing “things they don’t know.” I might be
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Trailing edge from the Ledge
A reader commenting in the preceding article about corporate journalism left this statement: “A means must be found to reign in the illegality and criminal activity in BC’s provincial government.” I believe that exposing unvarnished truth is the single most important thing. The co-opted mainstream media must be forced to change or
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Toothless media accommodates political fraud
In 2006, Rafe Mair wrote News Media, Defanged for The Tyee. It included the headline: “Politicians, not too long ago, feared the press.” Of course misreants particularly feared Rafe Mair during his post-politician days. Rafe had been a successful lawyer and a capable cabinet minister in Bill Bennett’s coalition and
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: OHWTO
Phil Hochstein and his Independent Contractors and Businesses Association have had a symbiotic relationship with British Columbia’s governing party for more than a decade. ICBA provides financing and political support; in return, BC Liberals shape procurement policies, taxation, legislation and regulations to advantage these loyal supporters. The same goes for
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Self-interested blather from Edge of the Ledge
Wonderful demonstration today of how BC’s tight little circle of political reporters is wilfully blind to the real issue at stake in the CBC conflict of interest matter. Of course, I did not expect anything else from this trio on CKNW because I question their own journalistic ethics because of
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Snoozing, slothful syndicate of political poodles…
At the Rafe Mair birthday celebration last week, we got to hear Rafe tell an anecdote about writing for Ryerson School of Journalism a piece that celebrated free speech, one Ryerson refused to publish. I suspect Rafe got more than a few requests to write the story for the website
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