From: John Clark
To: Duceppe.G@parl.gc.ca ; Layton.J@parl.gc.ca ; Harper.S@parl.gc.ca ; McLellan.A@parl.gc.ca ; Paul Martin
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 3:54 PM
Subject: Re: Letter from Don Hill to The Friends of Don Hill - Mar. 31, 2005
Re Don Hill's suspension from CBC;
This Autocratic despotic action is unforgivable!
There is only one source for this problem and, that is Ralph Klein and company. Incompetent and unplanned. No budgets in place and proceeding with dream projects in electrical power while paying everything off the hip, awash with taxpayer dollars. Privatize whole departments so Ministers do not have to answer any unsettling questions. Invent and fund an unneeded railroad to Hay River to appease the industries involved in the MacKenzie valley pipeline at Alberta taxpayer expense. Albertan’s and indeed all Canadians who are interested in protecting the integrity of the Canadian press should email the above with your thoughts.

Why did the CBC kill discussion on the public airway?

This site enjoys more hits a day than the 'journal and considered by many of being the alternate source of news in a totally controlled media environment.
http://ralphsworld.blogspot.com/

http://ralphsworld.blogspot.com/SubjectArchives.htm

A letter from Don Hill to The Friends of Don Hill:
31 March 2005
Dear Friends,

I'm deeply moved by your support. And, yes, I'd love to be back on-the-air hosting Wild Rose Forum. However, there's been a change in my employment status with CBC Alberta.

Last Wednesday 23 March, I was forbidden by CBC 'regional' management to lecture a political science class at the University of Lethbridge. This was a clear attempt according to my union, the Canadian Media Guild (CMG), to muzzle me.

No, I wasn't going to discuss the circumstances of my alleged 'redundancy'. My 'talk' was about the political history of Alberta and how the present dynamic -- the democracy deficit, in particular -- creates the conditions for another rapid-fire political movement in the province. In fact, my 'lecture' was an audition for a series of engagements with the University of Lethbridge's department of Globalization Studies; I was in a job-interview situation.

Regardless, I was warned by a 'regional' CBC manager that I could not proceed with the lecture because I would be at odds with the CBC "journalistic policy handbook". That's right, speaking about historical facts and democracy is forbidden (according to 'regional' CBC management in Alberta)

Upon consultation with the CMG, I decided to proceed with the lecture and as a consequence, I'm now an ex-CBC employee; a small severance is part of the termination package. More important, I retained my rights under the collective agreement. I also argued successfully against signing a 'non-disclosure' statement. And a very large CMG grievance concerning my alleged 'redundancy' is now in process. In short, my union believes, as do I, that CBC 'regional' administration will be compelled to eventually reinstate me. However, the process can take time -- lots of it.

I have great regard for public broadcasting and the CBC. I love my job. The extraordinary behaviour of 'regional' administrators in Alberta is not, in my long experience, indicative of the style of CBC management that supports front-line people -- like me -- when it counts the most.

A call to the CBC switchboard will tell you I have "left CBC to pursue other endeavours," that I quit my post. The fact is I accelerated my redundancy to a 'layoff' notice (which was about to occur in a few days, regardless) in order to speak to the political science class unfettered by a threat of censure.

Thanks again for your support; it really means a lot to me. You affirm that genuine dialogue is worth fighting for. You -- yes, you -- make me proud to be a public broadcaster. And I do hope to be reinstated -- sooner than later.

don