Recently, the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting have been wailing about so-called "interference" by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the operations of the CBC. The implication seems to be that Prime Minister Harper may not, or should not, make appointments to the CBC board of directors.

This is not so. The Prime Minister has an obligation to provide for the governance of the CBC, as he has an obligation to provide for the governance of any and all crown corporations. Never in memory have the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting complained about a Liberal Prime Minister making such appointments.

This is ironic because Lester Pearson's "Minister of Everything," CD Howe once threatened to shut down the CBC over a comedy sketch unflattering to then-PM Pearson. To the best of anyone's knowledge, Prime Minister Harper has never made such threats.

Clearly, the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting are picking politial favourites regarding who they think may or may not make appointments to the CBC board of directors. But this is simply not for the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting to do.

But it could be.

If the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting are truy so concerned about who does or does not get to make appointments to the CBC board of directors, this is a problem that is in their power to solve. They can solve this problem by purchasing the CBC.

As owners of the CBC, the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting could appoint anyone they wish to its board of directors. However, as owners of the CBC they will also be obligated to provide for its operation, with no state support aside from that which is available to private broadcasters, or to non-profit organizations. (If they choose to operate the CBC as a non-profit they will also be obligated to abide by all the applicable rules regarding political activities.)

We the undersigned call upon the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting to put their money where their mouth is; form a cooperative and make a market-value offer to purchase the CBC from the government of Canada.

Failing that, they must cease to attempt to dictate who may or may not make appointments to its board of directors, especially dictate as such along partisan lines.