by jon » Tue Jun 18, 2013 1:09 pm
For anyone experiencing issues with the G&M paywall, here is the article that Roger references in his most recent post:
Biggest fave for CBC gift bags? Strombo bobblehead
Steve Ladurantaye
The Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, Jun. 18 2013, 2:15 PM EDT
Last updated Tuesday, Jun. 18 2013, 2:42 PM EDT
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. spent a half-million dollars over the last four years on promotional giveaways for its employees and fans, according to documents made available through an access to information request.
The documents show the publicly funded broadcaster is a frequent customer at its own retail outlet, with hundreds of small purchases adding up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses. The items cover the full range of the store’s inventory, from $7 for one “Hockey Night in Canada Retro Beanie” to just over $1,000 for 252 George Stroumboulopoulos coffee mugs.
The most expensive trip to the store last year was a bulk purchase of 284 Stroumboulopoulos bobbleheads for $3,124. Other large buys in 2012 included 15 “CBC Music 8GB iPods” for $3,073, and 175 “Retro CBC Mobile Reporting Bags” for a total cost of $3,020.
The items are frequently used as prizes on its radio and television shows, and are also distributed internally as employee incentives.
The costs have jumped considerably. In 2009, the broadcaster spent $20,802 on the items. Last year, it had increased 550 per cent to $135,278 (although that was $50,000 less than the broadcaster spent the year prior).
Anyone who wants to give away an item from the company’s vast inventory needs to seek the approval of a senior manager, spokesman Chuck Thompson said, but there are no policies about when it’s appropriate to give something away.
“The promotional items were bought from the CBC shop for the public, advertising partners, sponsors and on occasion for employees to mark significant milestones,” Mr. Thompson said. “[They are] discretionary but obviously with good judgement and any purchase must be approved by the supervising manager.”