Wednesday, April 27, 2011

ShunTV

I admit, I haven't watched one second of SunTV, nor do I plan to. I had threatened to cancel my package if subjected to the channel, but I wrote my letters, so I just choose to avoid. I note that on my Cogeco Cable SunTV receives a premier channel placement, as WELL as available in HD, a designation neither CTV News, nor CNN is provided. I mention this as evidence that the channel is being given every opportunity, at least here, so don't let the excuses mask the TERRIBLE numbers:
Despite launching in the middle of a federal election, the new Sun News Network has so far had little impact on the Canadian news scene.

The Quebecor venture launched April 18 after months of "Fox News North" buzz and had an estimated 37,000 viewers across Canada tune in for its initial half-hour, when it hit the airwaves with a splashy promise of "hard news and straight talk."

Showcased commentator Ezra Levant's "The Source" rated highest with an estimated 31,000 viewers on opening night, according to BBM Canada overnight estimates provided by sources.

That total had fallen to 12,000 by Wednesday, with less than 1,000 viewers in the coveted 25-to-54-year-old demo. By this Monday, a week after launch, Levant's show was up to 19,000 viewers.

My only curiousity is David Akin, who to my mind is a first rate "straight shooting" journalist in every sense of the word, an honorable man in the midst of a collection of half wits and angry ideologues. That's my opinion. I hope the network crumbles, but if it does the only one I hope lands on their feet is Mr. Akin, with a proven track record that deserves respect.

This exception I aside, I take GREAT delight in these abysmal numbers, despite the increased interest an election provides, ratings are ridiculously bad. Four thousand people watching Lilley's show works out to be about 13 people per riding, and that's in prime time! Levant is a intellectual bore, Adler in love with his own two dimensional musings, I hear talk of sexual overtones with the news, all congealing into a complete DUD.

I will say this to my fellow progressives, STOP WATCHING. Look at these ratings, if the left, center, end their obsession with these people, I suspect the network will really just die. Look at it this way, the numbers so bad, there is NO WORRY of influencing the debate in this country, so why fret about what is said by ignored sources? Nobody is watching, so don't give the nonsense oxygen, just turn it off and let their advertisers walk as it shrivels further. That's the smart plan, as you can see, it's much ado about nothing, so let it talk to itself :)

19 comments:

Dan F said...

but its like watching a train wreck in slow motion!

Can't...turn...away!

Steve V said...

I flipped by one time, saw the most cheesy of sets imaginable, and laughed. Seriously, if the moderates, lefties really don't approve, then don't watch.

pogge said...

Shorter Steve V (meant as agreement in this case): Don't feed the trolls.

Steve V said...

Exactly my friend, exactly!

burpster said...

There is a SunTV? Who knew?

I'd watch a Tampax commercial before watching these clowns.

Omar said...

So is it part of basic cable up your way? To the best of my knowledge Eastlink hasn't picked it up down here. If/when it arrives, I definitely want to tune into Ezra's show once or twice just for the laughs.

Steve V said...

It is part of basic cable, and it's also on my HD channels, whereas CTV News Net isn't, go figure that one out?

Omar said...

We don't get CTV in HD, but CNN we do. I'm confused though, isn't Sun News being on basic cable the same as having a 'must-carry' license? I thought that was what was nixed last summer.

Omar said...

*CTV News

Kim said...

I think they tuned in to Ezra Levant to watch a stupid person operate a chainsaw. Where the f*&k was WCB on that. They should have been sued for operating a chainsaw without the correct safety gear on, let alone training. It costs close to a grand to get certified to fall a tree in BC, even if you've done it as a career all of your adult life!

Steve V said...

I think Sun could cut side deals with providers, mine has basic cable coverage, plus HD which is limited.

Steve V said...

Seriously, a chainsaw?

sharonapple88 said...

Redtory has a link to the on-line video.

My sister flipped past it once. She said Levant was ranting about Trudeau being a friend of Castro. Bizarre.

Steve V said...

Is there a man alive that more accurately describes the term buffoon. Honestly, it's incredible.

sharonapple88 said...

Is there a man alive that more accurately describes the term buffoon.

No.

They have a live stream of the Liberal Rally in Toronto.

Jerry Prager said...

Trudeau Castro aside: Big Mike, "Meyer Lansky's Last Hit Man" was ordered to hit Trudeau in 1973/74, Big Mike had relations in rural south of Montreal, had it all set up and mafia Commission nixed the hit, because it would bring too much heat down on the mob. Big Mike says Lansky figured that Castro would come to Trudeau's funeral, which is when Lansky could get to Castro.
The hit cancelled, Lansky died in 83 long before Trudeau, (and Castro was at the funeral.)

xyz said...

Sun is not a part of Basic Cable. Keep in mind these are the ratings when almost all cable providers are airing SunNews for free for the first 6 months. I shudder to imagine what the ratings are going to be when people have actually pay to subscribe to the network at the end of the 6 month free preview! Maybe in hundreds? Watching Sun News fail is beautiful! The only question is will the right wing Quebecor Media continue to subsidize this failed experiment and take a loss on their bottom line for the sake of having a right wing voice on tv? Or will Kory Teneyeke be kicked to the curb?

I'm actually pleasently surprised how the rest of the media outside the Sun chain has pretty much ignored Sun TV. Esp after Ezra Lavant's opening day stunt with the mohammed cartoons, which was clearly a bait for the rest of the outlets and the center/center-left people. I'm glad people saw it for what it was, a pathetic stunt to get some cheap attention and ignored it. It says something when Lavant has to go back to a 3 year old story in hopes of creating controversy.

BTW how horrible is that new Sun logo? It's like a 15 yr old kid sat down in front to photshop created a circle with several pixels wide white border, filled the circle with circular gradient and slapped the first font he saw on it.

Steve V said...

xyz

I'm pleasantly surprised how bored everyone became so quickly.

Omar said...

I discovered last night that I do have Sun News. It is with my HD channels, but not 'down below' with the regular digitals. I watched a bit of Adler followed by Brian Lilley's show. What I witnessed was rather creepy. Particularly Lilly, who I am not familiar with at all. What was presented was certainly not news, but extremely biased opinion. On screen graphics like:
'NDP=A Pig in a Poke' and 'NDP=Buyer Beware'. Lilley's ill-informed rants about equality and women's rights. The young jihadi he interviewed who was supposedly an expert on Constitutional matters, but came across as anything but. No, what I watched scared me quite frankly when all I tuned in for was maybe some laughs.