“The deal actually sounds like good news for public broadcasting, because it means that in four years – perhaps sooner – the CBC will be free of hockey,” wrote York University media studies Professor Wade Rowland in The Globe and Mail Nov. 28. “And why is that a good thing? Because it moves the CBC one step closer to getting out of commercial sponsorship altogether, and becoming a true public broadcaster. Without hockey and the 320+ hours of Canadian content it provides, CBC will now have to go back to square one and figure out what it is supposed to be. It has the opportunity, now, to make itself into what it should have been all along: a publicly-subsidized broadcaster serving its audience as citizens rather than as consumers.” Read full story.
Domestic cats to blame for bird deaths
According to a recent Environment Canada report that examined how human-related activities affect bird mortality, feral and domestic cats are the biggest killers of birds, claiming 196 million lives every year. . . . York University biology Professor Bridget Stutchbury says the threat of cats is well known among those who study birds. “Part of the reason we don’t hear about it is because cat owners don’t want to hear about it,” said Stutchbury in Canadian Geographic’s December 2013 issue. “When it comes to issues with pets, a lot of cat owners know cats eat birds, but they want their cats outdoors.” Read full story.
Carleton to get indoor food truck in new year
Carleton will see the arrival of a new food truck style vendor in 2014 according to David Van Dyk, general manager of Carleton’s food service provider, Aramark Canada. . . . Van Dyk said he has been speaking with local food trucks about possibly having vendors visit the Carleton campus in a similar style to York University’s “Food Truck Tuesdays”, reported the Charlatan Nov. 28. Read full story.
A step forward for academic freedom?
“On Oct. 9 in the Chinese city of Hefei and nine elite Chinese universities signed a statement with the presidents of the Association of American Universities, the Group of Eight in Australia and the League of European Research Universities. [The statement was] endorsing open inquiry, scientific integrity and other academic values as the key components of a modern research university, and demonstrating an incipient effort to work closely with top universities in other parts of the world,” wrote York University education Professor Qiang Zha in University World News Nov. 22. “The move is welcomed by some as a bold step on the part of those Chinese universities to openly embrace academic freedom . . . But is it simply a cynical attempt to increase China’s higher education standing around the world?” Read full story.