(Montreal) The federal budget tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons includes the payment of 42 million to CBC/Radio-Canada for the current year.
The state-owned company welcomes this announcement. This sum of money “comes at the right time” and “will help the Corporation manage its financial challenges in a more stable manner,” responded CBC/Radio-Canada.
“This is good news,” commented President and CEO Catherine Tait in a press release. This funding, in addition to the measures we have taken since December, will allow us to save jobs and continue our investments in emissions and services. »
“This is a good thing for Canadians, who continue to rely on their public broadcaster for reliable information and quality Canadian programming, such as our upcoming coverage of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” added Mme Tait.
Last December, CBC/Radio-Canada presented forecasts of financial pressures of $125 million for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, “which made it necessary to eliminate positions and reduce spending on programs created by producers independent Canadians,” she emphasized.
Since then, CBC/Radio-Canada has reduced its workforce by 141 employees and eliminated 205 vacant positions.
Thanks to this new funding, the public broadcaster does not anticipate “major additional cuts this year”.
CBC/Radio-Canada will thus be able to “fill its remaining planned deficit and balance its budget,” said Ms.me Tait.