| NO NEWS WEEKENDS: One of the effects of the cuts planned for June is the elimination of all personnel on weekends. From Friday afternoon until Monday morning all RCI newscasts will be eliminated. This despite RCI’s mandate to explain Canada around the world on a daily basis. IMPACT IN OTHER LANGUAGES, some examples: UKRAINIAN: The changed format will profoundly affect the character of the broadcasts, with no in-depth information magazine programs on Canada. There will be no way for Ukrainian speaking listeners to get anything except pre-recorded programs that will not have any news content. N.B. In radio interviews with RCI, Canada’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Derek Fraser, stressed the importance of broadcasts to Ukraine. During his most recent visit he told RCI staff he strongly suggested programs be re-broadcast on local FM stations. The planned cuts will go in the opposite direction, cutting RCI’s presence on the local State Radio. RUSSIAN: Reductions in Russian programs in the past few months has caused bewilderment and complaints from listeners. The planned cut to weekend programming cannot but exacerbate the situation. RCI’s Russian programmers point to two recent stories that would not have been covered if RCI staff is absent on weekends: the first official visit to Canada of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the story of the Russian diplomat who killed one Ottawa woman and injured another in a car accident. Staffers feel that when program content drops below a certain level, the whole exercise becomes ineffective. |
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