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OTTAWA — Culture and Heritage Minister Pascal St-Onge says the government will convene a committee early in the new year to begin the search for a new director for CBC/Radio-Canada.
The public broadcaster’s current president and CEO, Catherine Tate, was appointed in 2018 and had her contract renewed in June, but her term is set to expire in January 2025.
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“At the beginning of 2024, we will form a committee that will begin a nationwide search for the best candidate who can lead public broadcasting to the transformation it needs to undergo because of the media crisis,” the minister said. reporters.
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It was always the intention that the committee would find a replacement for Mr Tait, but the minister detailed the specific timing of that work on Tuesday.
But Mr St-Onge did not directly answer reporters’ questions on Tuesday about whether he still had confidence in Ms Tait, saying the government’s focus was on finding her successor.
“I’m saying now that I’m going to focus on finding the right person to lead the public broadcaster as Catherine Tate’s term comes to an end.”
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Mr Tait’s tenure has come under intense scrutiny since last week, when he announced plans to cut 600 jobs over the next year to cover a $125 million shortfall and not fill 200 vacancies. is directed.
On the same day as the announcement, he told host Adrien Arsenault on CBC’s The National that it was “premature” to say whether executives would receive bonuses this year, and said that it was “premature” to say whether executives would receive bonuses this year. received fierce criticism from members of the Diet.
Tait and seven vice presidents said in a statement last Friday that they were aware of the concerns and were considering “all possible measures” to address financial pressures, including considering “senior executive compensation.” Stated.
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Saint-Onge said on Tuesday that the public broadcaster “needs to consider its financial situation and the impact it will have on its workforce as a whole.”
He said questions about bonuses should be answered by executives.
CBC/Radio-Canada operates independently from Parliament as a Crown corporation, but receives approximately $1 billion in public funding each year.
Public broadcaster spokesman Leon Ma referred to executives’ latest statements when asked for details of the options being considered regarding the bonus issue.
He also noted that Mr Tate is in Australia to appear on public media as chair of the task force at the invitation of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, where he will speak at events and meet other industry leaders. also admitted.
“The public event ‘The critical role of public broadcasting in modern democracies’ will be moderated by University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott, and will feature a conversation between Mr Tait and his (Australian) counterpart David Anderson. ,” Ma said. .
He added that Ms Tait was in Australia for a week’s annual leave and that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation was covering her travel and accommodation costs.
“She pays all the other expenses,” Ma said.
“MS. Ms. Tate felt it would be more appropriate to take her annual leave for this trip as she also plans to take some personal time during her stay.”
Still, when reporters asked Mr. St-Onge about the trip on Tuesday, the minister said in French that while it was important for Mr. Tate to attend such a gathering, “now is not the right time.” .
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