Liberals Dominate National TV News,
Reform Presence Declines

CANADA'S PREEMINENT national television news programs, "The National," "Sunday Report" and "The CTV News," were identified in a recent poll as a primary source of political information for over three-quarters of Canadians. When asked, "Which of the following news sources do you use [to keep informed about the news]?" 77 percent responded "nightly network television news shows."  ["Canadians Tune in to Television for Their News," The Gallup Poll, February 13, 1997.]

Politicians are certainly aware of the influence of television and therefore seek as much attention on that medium as possible. Political sparring is evident in the House of Commons, with the government and the opposition parties heckling their opponents in order to gain media coverage. Politicians who are able to succinctly express their positions within the short time dictated by the constraints of a TV news program are usually the most successful. According to media commentator Thomas E. Patterson, "Now everyone speaks in soundbites on network news, whether they are presidential candidates, foreign leaders, military officers, business executives, or the pope." [Thomas E. Patterson, Out of Order, Vintage Books, New York, 1994, pp. 159-160.]

During election campaigns, parties typically receive attention in general proportion to their popularity or standing in the polls. In non-election periods, however, there is no appropriate or set standard by which attention is allocated to the government and the various opposition parties—particularly now with 5 official parties sitting in the House of Commons for the first time in Canada's history.

The 1997 election transformed federal politics in Canada; the Reform Party replaced the Bloc Québécois as Official Opposition, the Progressive Conservatives regained a foothold in Quebec and the Maritime provinces, and the NDP became an official party once again. In order to discover how media coverage is allotted to these competing parties, positions, and ideologies, this issue of On Balance examines "soundbites" from federal politicians—an audio-visual clip, as it were, of members of Parliament—in the 60 days before the call of the spring election and in the 60 days after the House resumed sitting September 22, 1997.

Click Here to View Table 1

Liberals lose seats but gain TV exposure

At the dissolution of Parliament, the Liberal Party had 175 members sitting in the House. Although the Liberals were able to secure a majority on June 2, 1997, their ranks were reduced to 155 MPs. However, national television news soundbites of Liberal MPs actually increased after the election.

During the 60 days before the start of the spring election, Liberal MP soundbites accounted for 54 percent of CBC's and 49 percent of CTV's MP soundbites. In contrast, in the 60 days after the House resumed, Liberal MP soundbites increased to 61 percent of CBC and 60 percent of CTV national TV news soundbites of federal politicians. The other four parties combined accounted for less than one-half of the "talking heads" on CBC's and CTV's national political news reports since Parliament resumed.

In contrast to the increased attention the Liberals received, on CBC all opposition parties other than the Conservatives received less attention during the first two months of the fall session than in the 60 days prior to the election call. This despite the fact that all opposition parties except the Bloc Québécois gained electoral seats.

Reform MPs' soundbites drop on CBC

The most obvious result of the June 2, 1997 election was that the Reform Party replaced the Bloc Québécois as Official Opposition. Yet, on CBC, Reform MPs' soundbites have actually decreased. Before the election call, Reform MPs accounted for 23.2 percent of total soundbites, while in the first two months of the 36th Parliament, Reform Members accounted for just 19.8 percent of MP soundbites.

Figure A shows the change in CBC's and CTV's national news coverage of federal MPs and their representation in the House between the spring and fall Parliamentary sessions. The percentage point change in TV soundbites dedicated to each party between the spring and autumn provides a measure of TV coverage. For example, on CBC, Reform MPs' soundbites went from 23.2 percent of total MP soundbites to 19.8 percent, a decline of 3.4 percentage points. However, 60 Reform MPs were elected in the June 2, 1997 election, so their representation in the House in fact increased by 10 seats.

As Figure A shows, attention to Liberal MPs increased most substantially—by over 10 percentage points on CTV and 7 percentage points on CBC. This increased attention to the Liberals came at the expense of the Bloc, the NDP and, in CBC's case, the Reform Party. Both CBC's and CTV's soundbites of Conservative MPs increased after the spring election that saw the number of elected Tories expand from 2 to 20. Yet, while the Tories remain the smallest official party on the hill, both CBC and CTV allocated the Conservative Party more soundbites than either the Bloc or the NDP during the first two months of the 36th Parliament.

Between September 22 and November 21, 1997, CBC's soundbites aired the views of Liberal MPs (61.1%), Reform MPs (19.8%), Conservative MPs (8.7%), Bloc MPs (5.8%) and NDP MPs (4.7%). CTV coverage focused on Liberal MPs (60.3%), Reform MPs (24.1%), Conservative MPs (12.9%), and NDP MPs (2.6%). On CTV, Liberals, Reformers, and Tories accounted for 97.3 percent of MP soundbites in the 60 days after Parliament resumed in the fall.

Bloc blocked out on CTV

On CTV's national news program, "CTV News," Bloc MPs were shut out entirely in the two months since the House reconvened on September 22, 1997. For example, CTV's report on reaction to the Throne Speech included comments from Reform leader Preston Manning, Conservative leader Jean Charest, and NDP leader Alexa McDonough, but not Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe. On September 23, 1997, CTV correspondent Craig Oliver stated: "The multitude of opposition parties were cuing up at the microphones in their eagerness to pronounce on the government's new social agenda." In the background, Duceppe was shown speaking to reporters, but only quotes from Manning, Charest, and McDonough followed Oliver's statement.

It is interesting to note that on CTV, Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard's comments were sought and aired rather than Duceppe's. On CTV, Premier Bouchard commented on matters ranging from a Supreme Court decision on human rights to the Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive bus accident. During the first 60 days of the 36th Parliament, Premier Bouchard was quoted on 6 separate matters on the "CTV News," while Bloc Leader Duceppe was not quoted on any issues whatsoever.

In contrast, on CBC both Lucien Bouchard and Gilles Duceppe were quoted on a wide variety of issues during the two months after the House resumed sitting. CBC aired Gilles Duceppe's or other Bloc MPs' reaction to the Corbei affair, the Throne Speech, B.C. separatists' sentiments, Supreme Court appointments, and the security and fidelity of Canadian passports. For example, on September 25, 1997, when Senator Pat Carney raised some of B.C.'s concerns over federalism, CBC showed a clip of Duceppe saying: "The question for Quebec is not based on the fact that Quebec is a province, but on the fact that Quebecers are a people and that's the main thing, in that sense, quite different from the situation in other provinces." In none of these instances did "CTV News" seek and provide Duceppe's positions.

The Bloc's 44 MPs now account for almost 15 percent of the seats in the House of Commons, but accounted for just 5.8 percent of CBC's MP soundbites and none of CTV's MP soundbites during the 60-day period following the reconvening of Parliament in September. In contrast, while the Progressive Conservatives' 20 members account for less than 7 percent of the seats in the house, Tory MPs' soundbites constituted nearly 9 percent of CBC's and 13 percent of CTV's soundbites of federal politicians.

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Last Modified: Wednesday, October 20, 1999.