Friends of Canadian Broadcasting takes aim at Harper Conservatives with pro-CBC campaign

The Friends of Canadian Broadcasting is ramping up its awareness campaign as the fall election looms nearer.

The non-profit organization, which advocates for a well-funded CBC free of political interference, is currently airing advertisements critical of the Harper government's treatment of the national broadcaster.

While the CBC itself has refused to run the ads, the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting has bought air time for the English versions of ads on BNN, CTV News Channel, HGTV, Sportsnet, and TSN, and in French on Canal D, Canal V, and RDS.

"Stop the Cuts" features interviews with real Canadians who want to see cuts to the CBC rolled back while "Free the CBC from Political Interference" sees a man tied to a chair thrown into the ocean for advocating for a free CBC.

In a news release, Friends spokesperson Ian Morrison said, “All members of CBC’s Board of Directors, including its CEO, have been appointed by Prime Minister Harper, and most of them have been financial supporters of the Conservative Party. Any reasonable person would wonder if this control has any direct or indirect bearing on the CBC’s editorial decision-making.”

This is not the first time that the CBC has refused to air advertisments from the Friends; in 2013, the CBC would not run an ad that criticized various Conservative government boondoggles.

Watch that one below:

Want to ensure these ads keep running on TV? Donate to the campaign here.