Election delays broadcast of 'Tommy Douglas Story'
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 | 5:53 PM ET
CBC Arts
The four-hour special, scheduled for January, will now air March 12 and 13.
CBC spokesperson Ruth-Ellen Soles says the decision to postpone the show was made by the CBC to ensure balance and fairness.
"Our goal in any of our election coverage is, of course, to be able to be as fair and balanced as we possibly can, and we work very hard at that. And we were concerned that there would be a perception of partisanship if it ran during the campaign," she said.
Douglas stood down a bitter doctors' strike to create the first Medicare scheme in Saskatchewan and played an important role in the formation of the New Democratic Party.
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The Douglas movie stars Michael Therriault as the former Saskatchewan premier and Paul Gross as John Diefenbaker.
CRTC guidelines require broadcasters to ensure their coverage is balanced during an election campaign.
A movie about Parti Québécois leader René Lévesque, produced by Radio Canada, will be held back until the spring as well.
CBC comedy shows like Royal Canadian Air Farce have no plans to curb their traditional political satire. A spokesperson for Air Farce says the show plans to sink barbs into all parties and politicians equally.
The March air date of The Tommy Douglas Story bumps another miniseries, Dragon Boys, to September.
Douglas was chosen as the Greatest Canadian in a CBC television show in 2004.
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The movie was filmed in Saskatchewan earlier this year and received a portion of its budget, about $700,000, from Saskatchewan's NDP government.
Saskatchewan NDP campaign spokesman Ed Tchorzewski said he's eager to see the movie, but can understand why it won't air a week before the election. The NDP was wiped off Saskatchewan's federal electoral map in 2004 after losing a number of close races.
