Crocker Jumps From Dreadnought CBC to....? Theodore Tugboat Dad Takes Corner Office!

Ron Crocker, the El Capitan of CBC Halifax has retired and will be replaced by former independant producer, bearded man, Andrew Cochran.

Andrew, of course is the man behind the Theodore Tugboat TV show, life-size replica, (ed. Don't say there's a Theodore Tugboat panty liner; that would be so old and predictable.) and expensive toy line.

After Theodore struck the big metaphoric iceberg and declared bankruptcy, the affable boat was sold to a local businessman so he could take whiney tourists on a tour of halifax harbour, where their kids could watch human waste float to the surface becoming part of the wonderful cycle of life (ed. get on with it!), Andrew sort of disappeared off the production map.

But locals, although surprised by the turn of events, are overall happy that Andrew will be standing in the wheelhouse of the Halifax CBC, although it could be described as a sinking ship.

The once busy plant (Streetcents, Land and Sea, that Mary Walsh Book show, and numerous pilots produced for Michael Donovan whenever a fart of an idea wafted out of him), now only has This Hour for part of the year and the supper hour news (ed. that's dinner for people east of N.B. Thats New Brunswick, sorry.)

Ron Crocker, a former news guy, has been struggling to make the news work. First T.O. cut the one hour news in half and the budget with it, then they demanded the one hour production back but with no matching budget increase.

Most people know that Toronto wants the Halifax entity gone; they've been winnowing the employees down over the past ten years. If there's to be any production at all out of CBC Halifax five years from now, it will be done by independant producers and the space where the CBC Tv station has stood for fifty years will be a parking lot.

Welcome to The Twilight Zone, Andrew Cochran.

And although the official word is that Ron Crocker is "retiring", the word on the street is that he will be joing The Halifax Film Company, but in what capacity, no one knows. Perhaps he'll take over Michael's duties which include....?