ottawa –
The role of the public broadcaster should be redefined before the next federal election, says Heritage Minister Pascal St-Onge, as the Liberal Party prepares for a possible change of government.
In a year-end interview with the Canadian Press, St. Onge said it’s time for the Liberal government to work with Canadians and experts to define what the CBC should look like over the next year and decade.
“And we really want to achieve that by the next election to make sure our public broadcaster is as well-positioned as possible for the future,” St-Onge said. .
St-Onge said Canada’s press and culture sectors would be at serious risk if the Conservative Party forms a government under Leader Pierre Poièvre, and she is concerned about the next election and what’s at stake. He added that you need to think about what you are thinking.
“(Conservatives) have shown that they think the arts and culture sector should be left to the free market,” she said.
“And we know that with foreign companies and foreign organizations taking up a lot of space online, in Hollywood and San Francisco, that means basically abandoning Canada’s cultural sector.”
The opposition Conservative Party has pledged to defund the CBC and turn its Toronto-based headquarters into “affordable housing,” but Poilievre has also vowed to tailor services to French-speaking minorities. It has also been suggested that support be maintained.
“Canadians need independent, free media, not biased broadcasters who receive $1 billion in taxpayer dollars each year to represent the Liberal government,” Conservative heritage critic Rachel Thomas said in a statement. ” he said.
CBC/Radio-Canada’s independence from government is enshrined in the Broadcasting Act, and its public funding is determined by a vote of all Members of Parliament.
St-Onge said maintaining French-language services while cutting the CBC is “absolutely unachievable.” Because the two are intertwined and rely on the same resources, employees, and workspaces.
“Public broadcasting is available everywhere, and I don’t know how Canadians will accept that we only fund CBC/Radio-Canada in Quebec and the French community,” she said. Ta.
The federal Liberals have long promised to renew the CBC’s mandate to meet the modern needs of Canadians, even as the news industry faces layoffs and declining advertising revenues.
This includes recently announced layoffs at CBC/Radio-Canada, where the station earlier this month cut approximately 600 jobs to address a $125 million budget shortfall, and The company announced plans to fill 200 vacancies.
“I was at Radio-Canada not too long ago recording a show, and you can see how this is impacting employee morale,” St. Onge said.
“There is a lot of uncertainty and unpredictability. People are not being told exactly how these reductions will actually be made, how they will be made and achieved. So these are difficult times.”
Former culture and heritage minister Pablo Rodríguez said in May that he had begun a review of the CBC’s mandate, including how the government could shore up funding for public broadcasters to reduce its dependence on advertising dollars.
Under the government’s Online News Act, CBC/Radio-Canada will receive up to $7 million in a deal the government struck with Google months after St. Onge took on his new role.
“However, there is still uncertainty until the next federal budget,” St. Onge said.
According to CBC/Radio-Canada’s annual report, it received nearly $1.3 billion in government funding in fiscal year 2022-23, with an additional $515 million coming in from other revenues such as advertising.
On journalism, Mr St-Onge said he would like the station’s new mission to be to bridge the local digital divide, include a strong online presence, invest in international reporting and ensure minority language communities are supported. Ta.
Regarding the cultural sector, he said he would like the public broadcaster to continue introducing local talent and financial programs that “would never see the light of day if it were only in the private sector.”
“I think now is the time to do that, because the Liberal Party is coming from the perspective that we need a strong public broadcaster, and we’re going to continue to support that,” St. Onge said.
Leon Marr, a spokesperson for the public broadcaster, said CBC/Radio-Canada will support the review of the mandate in every way possible.
St. Onge said Canada’s Heritage Board will form a committee next year to find a new CBC chief who can lead the transformation of the public broadcaster.
Catherine Tate, current CEO and president of CBC/Radio-Canada, will remain in her role until 2025.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2023.
