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Tag: CityTV

Big Red Continues to Slash and Burn

Published by NiteMayr on June 26, 2008

Rogers has brought down the axe on yet another CityTV mailstay, Ed the Sock is out:

In another move that signals changes at Citytv, Ed and Red’s Night Party is being cancelled as of Aug. 31, but according to the man behind the incorrigible sock puppet, Ed the Sock is far from dead.

“There’s no ill will. Things change,” said Steve Kerzner, Ed’s voice and creator. “We just don’t really fit, I guess, as presently constituted, with what they wanted to do with the channel.”

Kerzner says he was told that Citytv’s new corporate parent, Rogers, would like to attract more female viewers. He also says that he’s been feeling restless and wants to branch out and do more than just the late night show.

Toronto Star: Rogers to Ed: Put a sock in it

“In order to fit with where they’re taking the channel, the show (most recently titled Ed and Red’s Night Party) would have to change, and it would have seemed to be selling out. Better to make a new show than alter the one everybody seemed to love.”

London Free Press: Ed the Sock gets the boot from CityTV

At least the headlines weren’t deliberatly false here, just the writers or copy editors working through their foot and sock puns. (“Darn it, Ed the Sock losing his CITY-TV comedy show“)

This is of course after Peter Silverman was given the unceremonious heave-ho and Speaker’s Corner got the axe, Rogers Management seem determined to put the past of CityTV behined them; which suits Big Red fine, but it does little to generate Goodwill in the community.  It’s a safe bet that CityTV will no longer be “everywhere” very soon too.  I know, change is inevitable; but wathcing CityTV become “Roger’s TV” has not been the most pleasant experience.

Call me when Breakfast TV becomes “Morning with Rogers”.

Silverman can No Longer Help

Published by NiteMayr on June 12, 2008

“When we asked what the rationale was, we were told, `We don’t have to give you a rationale.‘”

–Peter Silverman on the discussion that ensued when
“Silverman Helps” was brought to an end by Rogers management

Rogers has been steadily building a media empire the likes of Clearchannel or Newscorp in the US.  With that growth seems to be the ever-increasing “corporatism” that I noted in my post over on vox (http://nitemayr.vox.com/library/post/what-corporations-sometimes-are-like.html).  That is to say the culture becomes very insular and profit focused, forsaking tangible goodwill for monetized good-something.

“We have more user-generated content than ever,” argued Haggarty. “We’re not any less committed to defending the consumer. We’re reviewing and relooking at everything. This is all just a part of the process.”

–Jamie Haggerty

As if user-generated equals actual parcipitation.  I could pull a bunch of youtube video and call it user generated too.  CityTV and Much built a great deal of their cache on the backs of the kids and soccer moms that seemed to orbit the Queen and John studio in waxing and waning numbers, it appears that the Rogers folks are looking to turn that culture into a “Good Morning America” type culture where they set the hours for participation from the audience.  The death of “Speakers Corner” and “Silverman Helps” seem to be setting that path ahead with increasing clarity.

CityTV under Moses Znaimer was community-focused and accessible.  It remains to be seen what the Red and White of Rogers will do to the nigh-institution of City.

Quotes pulled from this article at “The Toronto Star”:

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/441790