I’m Out. Are You?
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So it appears to be that the Saskatchewan Communications Network, our province’s government funded television station, has been sold off by the Brad Wall, Sask’ Party Government. The buyer claims to have all the intentions in the world to run the station according to its original vision while adding new content to build a wider consumer base.
It’s interesting that this was done so suddenly. everything the Sask’ Party government has done recently regarding the SCN seems to have included very little public consultation or even consultation with the folks over at the SCN. Also, I haven’t really been subject to much discussion on the issue so admittedly, I’m not overtly well informed on this though I wish now that I were.
On its face, I see this as a positive move. I don’t believe that government should be in the business of maintaining media networks and so I hope that the SCN in its new form does well and provides a cornucopia of new content for the consumer.
Comments
This is a positive move in that government shouldn’t be in the business of picking winners and losers. The largest outcry was from those people who will lose what they feel is their income stream and their entitlement to get their work created without risk on their part.
I wish the new owners success, but I still likely won’t tune in the channel unless there is something good on.
What’s really disturbing about this is that the sale went to a non-Saskatchewan group with no consultation with Saskatchewan people or offer of sale. Isn’t that illegal to sell of government assets without it being made available publicly? If you want a contract at a Crown for example it has to be put up for bid and the public notified properly. I think there is some criminality involved with this sale in the way it was conducted – likely to a company that is sympathetic to the SaskParty. That’s a serious infraction of many laws.
Well I’m nor so sure that it was a serious infraction of “many laws” as you put it though I wouldn’t mind being corrected by you or anyone else who can quote any particular laws that were broken. I have a very jaded view of laws governing commercial transactions so chances are that even if laws were violated in this sale, I particularly, likely wouldn’t mind. Depends on the laws and the nature of them.
I don’t have any problem with this sale to a “non-Saskatchewan” organization either. We have mining operations, food distribution chains, malls, fast food restaurants, oil field service companies and many other commercial operations (media included) owned by organizations outside of the province. If we wish to see the success of the Canadian economy and by extension our own provincial economy, we shouldn’t feel insular and give in to protectionist urges. The SCN will, in all likely hood, maintain a provincial identity as this investment corporation makes it work in a fashion relevant to its consumer base.
Plenty of commercial organizations operate this way. The Mall at Lawson Heights is owned currently by Morguard Investments out of Mississauga Ontario. I’m not sure if the Ontario Teacher’s pension fund sold it to them or if they’re managing it for them but that commercial staple has been owned by extra-provincial interests for some time and has been of great commercial benefit to the area it serves.
I’d like to know more about what motivates your comment if it’s not ferocious partisanship.
