Gas City Gaslighting: How CHAT TV Became the PR Department for City Hall
Eli’s soft serve won’t have time to melt.
Ah, CHAT TV, Medicine Hat’s finest purveyor of municipal "news"—or as we like to call it, the local arm of City Hall’s communications office. Anchored by Ran Danish, a man who seems to think journalism is just a fancy word for "cheerleading in a tie," CHAT TV has turned softball interviews and regurgitated talking points into an art form. Let's dive into their latest masterpiece, where the lines between journalism and PR are blurrier than Shila Sharps' grasp on judicial reviews.
Ran Danish: The Sultan of Softballs
Ran Danish isn’t just the anchor; he’s the anchor, dragging down any hope for critical analysis or meaningful public discourse. Remember his interview with Councillor Shila Sharps on August 20, 2024? While Shila gleefully insinuated that the mayor was “guilty” of something (details conveniently omitted), Danish nodded along like a bobblehead doll strapped to a bumpy dashboard.
“No one is arguing the guilt,” Sharps claimed, and Danish didn’t even flinch. Instead, he pivoted to scaremongering: “Hatters wouldn’t want to foot the mayor’s legal bill if she wins her case.” What he failed to mention—either through ignorance or convenience—is that Ann Mitchell’s legal fees were prepaid to attack the mayor with a cease-and-desist. Nice one, Ran. Maybe next time, try reading the court filings before parroting talking points.
Office memes about your boss are hilarious, especially when it’s the only thing you’re allowed to post on social media.
But the pièce de résistance? Danish cozied up to Sharps with this gem: “You and I tend to agree on most things.” Of course you do, Ran. You’re not there to challenge; you’re there to validate. Watching Danish conduct an interview is like watching someone play a video game on the easiest setting: no resistance, no stakes, and no chance of leveling up.
Eli Riddler: A Pawn in the Danish Monopoly
Eli Riddler is Danish’s eager protégé, diligently learning the CHAT TV playbook:
Let City Hall write your script.
Call it journalism.
Collect a paycheck.
Take the unredacted letter Eli proudly claimed as an exclusive. The source? Our website, where we published the document after weeks of investigative digging. Eli didn’t crack the case; he cracked open our homepage. Instead of giving credit where it’s due, CHAT TV refers to us as “online commentators” and a “blog.” Sure, Eli. And by that logic, the New York Times is just a fancy newsletter.
But let’s be real: Eli isn’t the mastermind here. He’s just a pawn in Ran Danish’s Monopoly—except instead of collecting $200 for passing “Go,” Eli collects hollow accolades for passing off our work as his own.
Shila Sharps MirandaSings meme
Shila Sharps: The Queen of Deflection
Sharps has perfected the art of dodging accountability while blaming everyone else for her messes. During her interview with Danish, she lamented the departure of City Clerk Larry Randle, claiming it wasn’t the city’s fault but the result of “external treatment.” Translation? It’s our fault. According to Sharps, our questions and jokes were so devastating that poor Larry packed his bags and fled City Hall.
And then there’s her coded message about “figuring out how to stop these losses.” If you’re wondering, she’s not talking about improving governance or transparency. No, she’s talking about silencing critics—specifically, us. Her strategy? File complaints, label us as “harassers,” and hope the public buys her narrative.
Sharps might not like thermometers, but her feverish deflections aren’t fooling anyone.
Robert Dumanowski: The Bard of Bureaucratic Nonsense
From Instagram:
Councillor Robert Dumanowski, City of Medicine Hat has received the Alberta Municipalities Distinguished Service Award.
On August 22, CHAT TV published a “statement” from Councillor Dumanowski that reads like a Game of Thrones monologue—if Game of Thrones was written by a city bureaucrat. Dumanowski’s rambling diatribe attempted to justify the council’s actions, claiming the reorganization at City Hall was “consistent with previous changes.”
Let’s unpack that: if true, it’s an indictment of their track record, not a defense. But CHAT TV didn’t bother to question it. They didn’t even try to verify his claims. Instead, they published it verbatim, complete with buzzwords like “accountability” and “taxpayer savings.” It’s not journalism; it’s stenography.
Was this a coded call for help? Check out CHAT TV’s TiKTok for more in depth municipal government fluff peieces.
Why Support Local, Independent Media?
Here’s the thing: CHAT TV isn’t here to inform you. They’re here to sell you the city’s narrative, dressed up as news. Meanwhile, we at Community TV are doing the real work—filing FOIP requests, digging through court documents, and holding power to account.
Want news that doesn’t come with a side of corporate bias or government spin? Support local, independent media:
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Let’s stop feeding the machine that’s feeding us nonsense. Together, we can fight back—one unredacted truth at a time.
Ran Danish might like "Monopoly," but we’re here for "Clue." And guess what? We’ve solved it: the culprit is City Hall, with the softball questions, in the CHAT TV studio.
