More on CBC + RSS

Here’s the latest reply from CBC on the RSS issue:

As previously explained by the customer support representant, CBC does not allow external use of our RSS or XML files. This is a very strict policy to ensure full control by the corporation over the editorial content and branding. If I do understand your interest for a RSS feed, I have the regret to notify you that this service is not available for public use.

This leads me to understand that there actually are RSS and XML files somewhere inside the CBC; they’re just not letting them leak outside.

I can’t claim to understand their “very strict policy to ensure full control by the corporation over the editorial content and branding.”

Probably time to take this higher.

Comments

Steven Garrity's picture
Sounds like a case for Tod Maffin to me!
Oliver B's picture
Could the control issue be that they don’t want people modifying the text that appears under their logo and their reporter’s bylines? i.e. something like counterfeiting? It would certainly upset me to think that if I went to a Web site purporting to publish New York Times stories I might be reading something that had been tinkered with by, say, Bill O’Reilly. I don’t know if it’s likely, but it would be bad.
Sean Walsh's picture
I know the federal government has strict look-and-feel guidelines for all of their websites (http://www.cio-dpi.gc.ca/clf-upe/guide/guide_e.asp). Would this be related to CBC, as a Crown corporation?
Lawrence Lee's picture
Not sure, but I would guess their CMS probably stores all their site content in XML. Related page from the Journalistic Standards and Practices on the CBC corporation website: EXCHANGES OF ONLINE MATERIAL WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS In their 2002 Annual Report they laud all their other partnerships (wireless, new media partnering, headlines) pg 39. From CBC’s speeches about new media, I wouldn’t see how they could say we’re going to do news on PDAs/cell phones, email and headline boxes on websites… but not at least consider RSS.
Jim Ramsay's picture
Maybe we can challenge them with competition… the Globe&Mail already provides RDF for their major sections: http://www.globeandmail.com/generated/headlines/rdf/ Enjoy!
Pete Dako's picture
Jim— Can you make: http://www.globeandmail.com/generated/headlines/rdf/ work in Radio’s News Aggregator? How do you use it?

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