9 - Wednesday, January 7, 1987 - North Shore News Se Se! Doug Collins @ get this straight e TWADDLE, POPPYCOCK and bull are important ingre- dients in the news game. Without them life would be duller. But that’s no reason for the media having ignored the truth] in the case of Dave Barrett and CJOR. The coverage of the former premier’s departure from CJOR was farcical. The way he told the story, he left only because he wanted to get back into politics. And station manager Harvey Gold sat by smiling and nodding and saying how sorry he was that little old Dave was quitting. Gold also claimed that Barrett provided the best audience CJOR ever had in competition with CKNW. The whole thing was nonsense and face-saving. If CJOR didn’t drop Barrett, my name is Brian Baloney, and | hear he was given a pay-out of four months’ money, which meant that he would not be around by the time the winter ratings were due. As for existing | ratings, the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement book tells the story: ) Barrett was a bust. None of this got into the news or columns. ‘‘Barrett quits radio despite high ratings,’’ was the | laughable headline in the Van- couver Sun, and the story below the head meekly followed the line f peddled at Barrett’s press conference. Marjorie Nichols’ version of events was even worse. As a col- umnist she had a chance to sort f things out, but she bought the Barrett line without a second thought. The former premier of | B.C., she reported with sublime disregard for the facts, ‘‘held his own among the professional garglers...even though he didn’t get to the top of the heap’ Really? The fall ratings show. | that between 9:15 and noon, Barrett had an average audience of 20,400. CKNW didn’t do that great either, it is true. But with nearly 32,000 it had over half as many again as Barrett did. And Barrett’s top number in that rating was 27,700, while CKNW’s was 43,900. (In the ‘‘top i numbers’? I exclude the figures for the on-the-hour news because they distort the figures for the rest f of the period.) The Barrett rating was no un- fortunate ‘tbad book’’, which can happen to any broadcaster. Bar- rett never came anywhere near NW's Gary Bannerman, not even when he began the show and had curiosity value. Who wants to spend a morning listening (o dreary left-wing drivel and the sobbing of social workers? I predicted in June that Barrett would bite the dust and that he would aim at getting into federal politics. He didn’t deny it. And since then his rating has decreased even further, being down another 4,000. So you don’t have to be any genius to see what the situa- tion was. All the media had to do at his press conference was to ask some | questions instead of listening to all that blather about the nature of socialism, and how rich men find it easy to make money. Rich § men may find it easy to make money but that’s not why the press conference was called. Was it? If they had been awake, the reporters could have asked ques- tions like: so you’re leaving radio | to go back to politics, Mr. Bar- rett? But why quit a job that pays § $125,000 a year when there are no discernible politics to go back to, federal or provincial? Why not } wait until an eleciion is called so that you would still be in the public eye when the time came? So the ratings were good? The figures, please, Mr. Barrett. You too, Mr. Gold. We like to think there are people around who will give up good dough for higher things. The figures, please. And so on. Nichols gushed that Barrett is a man with ‘‘an_ uncontrollable sense of humor’’. Well, it is cer- tainly right to say that he’s a han- dy man with a laugh. But that shouldn’t be surprising, seeing as | how so many people are such j suckers for twaddle, poppycock and bull. 1050 MARINE PLAZA FOR LEASE 3 PRIME RETAIL BAYS LEFT! Plus one 6800 sq.ft. mezzanine space. 1050 Marine Drive is North Vancouver's exciting new retail centre. Situated in thé heart of the revitalized Marine Drive corridor, 1050 Marine Plaza offers high visibility and volume traffic. Combining Bastion Development's quality of design and development, this centre is an exceptional opportunity for | retail establishments seeking a colourful, prime North Shore focation. 1050 Marine Plaza Offers ... * High visibility both day and night * On-site parking ® Tenant improvements provided * Easy access in and out ¢ Strong commercial and residential growth area Located at the corner of Marine Drive & Mackay Avenue NEWS photo Stuart Davis STAFF AND friends of the North Shore Information and Volunteer Centre toast their new computerized system, wiiich will make the centre operate all the more efficiently. Pictured are Joan Whittow, Josegh Li, Dawn Montgomery and Jane Munro. Computers arrive at Info Centre FINDING ANSWERS to the public’, questions will come easier at th: North Shore Information and Volunteer Centre with the in- stallation recently of three 1BM comp:tible computers. Executive director Margaret Ramsay said the computer’s in- formation package program was especially designed to suit the cen- tre’s needs. “Its data base management pro- gram is different so we can get at the answers people will want more efficiently and quickly.’’ She said more than 500 volun- teer organizations will be listed on the computer, which will be at full operation in January. Ramsay said the centre decided to computerize in the spring of °85, and was assisted by five volun- teers, who were computer specialists. She said Marion Ennis was one volunteer in particular who helped Lower Mainland Ski Group You can do it! The ski areas and ski shops listed here have joined forces to offer you a great new way to start alpine skiing for only $24.95 Here's what you get! You'll be provided with excellent rental cquipment (skis, bouts, bindings and poles) a professional beginner's fesson and access to the beginner slopes and lifts for a day at the participating ski area of your chuice. The ski shop stop: a grer* deal by developing the cen- tre’s computer software package. In the future, Ramsay said, a word processing and accounting suftware package will be added. The cost of the computers was $17,000. Half was paid through a Van- couver Foundation grant, and another generous grant was receiv- ed from the Chris Spencer Foun- dation. The hops listed here are the only locations where you can sign-up for this program. They will help prepare you for your first day, answer any questions you might have about skiing and make a reservation for you at your chosen ski area. Your ski day. When your ski day arrives just drive to the ski area with your registration forms one hour before tesson time. You'll be outfitted in equipment and your instructor will get you started with the basics of this wonderful winter sport. Skiing is Believing! * Ski shop sign-up starts January 5th and runs until February (Sth, 1987. * Offer is good one time only at the participating skt areas and is subject to space availability. Share the fun. Sign-up with a friend! Participatir 7 Ski Areas » 8 it CYPRESS BOWL WEST VANCOUVER WAISTLER Sign-Up Ski Shops VANCOUVER NORTH VANCOUVE: Can-Ski, 569 Seymour Street, 669-6533 Destination Ski Rentals, 1160 Marine Can-Ski, #169 Oakridge Centre, 266-3657 Drive, 984-4394 Destination Ski Rentals, 266.1274 Mourn TLER NORTH VANCOUVER 941-6281 Mogarth’s, 1020 Marine Drive, 984-5563 North Shore Ski Swap, 1625 Lonsdale Avenue, SHEISIE Skyline Sparts, 326 East Esplanade, 985-916] 464-5122 RICHMOND 8173 Granville Street Jor Williams, 2120 West 41st Avenue, 261-6011 Seasons in Sport, SH) West Georgia Street, 681-7921 Sports Experts, Nurgate Plaza - Skyline Sports, 5395 West Boulevard, 1529 Marine Drive, 940-5782 266-1061 BURNAH' Skyline Sports, 1496 Cartsinght - Granville BURNALY Mart, 3700 Fast Hastings, Isand, 685-0704 291.0475, . Sportif, 2674 West 4th Avenue 7466411 Hogarth’s, 3424 Kingsway, 498-6454 EX Sports Experts, Brentwood Mall, 299-145] Alpine Hut, 936 South Park Royal, Sports Experts, Metrotuwn Centre, 926-2524 435-1975, Village Ski Shop, 1845 Marine Drive. West Coast Ski Swap, J615 East Hastings. 926-7547 299-0404 Geyser Blue WHITE ROCK Drive, 536-4344 SURREY LA? NOLEY Highway, 554-3011 1 ASIA EORT COQUITLAM Pulsar Sports, 2037 Lougheed Highway, Sports Experts, Coquitlam Centre, Hogarth's, 6640 No. 3 oad. 270-1181 Sports Experts, 4600 No, 3 Road, 273-1676 Barnacle Bill's Surf & Ski, 14875 Marine K7 Sport Sports, | 10129 Surrey Place Mall, 5B1- Mad Dog's Ski Chalet, 20474 Fraser PARTNERS IN TOURISM Zé AGASSIZ —- MANNING PARK LE Valley Ski Shop, 11997 - 224 Avenue, 467.5081 Sports Experts, Haney Place Mall, 463-7188 MISSION . Valley Ski Shup, 33266 First Avenue, 826-3440 CLEARBROOK Clearbrook Sporting Goods, 2606 Cedar Park Place, 859-4112 CHILLIWACK Cheamsports, 46170 Yale Road East, 792-1130 Cheamsports, Cottonwood Mall, 858-9721 WHISTLER Can-Skl, #100 - 4252 Village Stratl. 9321975 An Introduction to Skiing sponsored by Labatt’s in co-operation with the National Ski Industries Association.and Canada West Ski Areas Associa- tion with assistance from Tourism B.C. SOCIATION CASA WIM This program is available at Ski Shops and Ski Areas throughout B.C.