While the political class is concerned about a transformation plan at CBC/Radio-Canada, the board of directors and senior management are reassuring for the autonomy of French services.
What there is to know
Senior management at CBC/Radio-Canada is working on a transformation plan that involves pooling resources from the English and French services.
It has not been ruled out or decided that programming and management will be affected.
In Ottawa and Quebec, elected officials showed concern, defending the autonomy of French services.
Senior management and the board of directors have expressed their desire to preserve the “editorial and programming independence” of the two media outlets.
The Press revealed Thursday that the public broadcaster is considering bringing together resources from CBC and Radio-Canada, with possible implications for governance and programming. The reflection began at the request of the board of directors to face competition from digital giants.
Read the article “A plan to bring CBC and Radio-Canada closer”
When we asked Marco Dubé, head of transformation at CBC/Radio-Canada, to find out if programming could be affected in the coming years, he replied: “It is the next CEO who will decide on these big questions- there, but there is really behind [notre réflexion] wise use of public funds, and Canadians expect money to be used efficiently. They expect to have quality programming in French and English, but they also expect us to be an organization that does not duplicate resources just for the sake of doubling resources. »
The transformation project “aims to ensure the digital future of CBC/Radio-Canada and to make the best possible use of our limited resources, particularly in terms of technology,” reacted the board of directors and the team of the senior management in a press release sent to employees.
[Le projet de transformation] is not intended to eliminate the editorial and programming independence of the English or French media.
Extract from a press release given to Radio-Canada employees
In interview at Midday info, on ICI Première, Marco Dubé was more categorical: “There is currently no conversation about the organizational structure of the company, one. Two, there is no decision made. It will really be up to the board of directors with the new CEO to look at the whole, this reflection, and to say to themselves: how do we move forward for the long term? […] There is no conversation at all to merge vice-president positions or to amalgamate content functions of the French and English services, not at all. »
Possible “pooling of management”, according to a source
A source familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly, nevertheless assured us that there was indeed a reflection in high places concerning the “pooling of management of CBC and Radio-Canada.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage
The Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pascale St-Onge, warned in a statement that “any modernization effort at CBC/Radio-Canada must absolutely not be to the detriment of French-language services and their ability to fulfill their mandate, both for Quebec as well as for all French-speaking communities across the country.”
“I will make sure that doesn’t happen,” she added.
Minister Pascale St-Onge herself plans to shortly mandate a committee of experts to “ensure the sustainability” of CBC/Radio-Canada.
For me, what is within my scope is what I am preparing to do, that is to say, review the financial structure of CBC/Radio-Canada, its governance and the way in which it is accountable to the Canadian population, and what concerns its mission and mandate.
Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage, during a press scrum
Internal administration, however, belongs to management, “which has a responsibility to ensure the proper use of public funds,” added the minister. “If there are things that need to be changed internally because there is duplication in certain departments, that is their prerogative. »
A “very dangerous” drift
“Radio-Canada is not in crisis, CBC is in crisis,” said Alain Therrien, parliamentary leader of the Bloc Québécois, during question period in the House of Commons. “A rapprochement necessarily means making concessions. »
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Alain Therrien, parliamentary leader of the Bloc Québécois
These concessions will be made at the expense of Quebec culture and its creators. This is necessarily removing our cultural identity to assimilate it to that of English Canada. This is a very dangerous drift.
Alain Therrien, parliamentary leader of the Bloc Québécois
“Can the Prime Minister reassure the French speakers of Quebec and Canada that in no way does the government intend to merge CBC and Radio-Canada? “, asked Mr. Therrien to Liberal Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.
“I can assure all Canadians that broadcasting in French will not be affected,” replied the Liberal Deputy Prime Minister. “It’s a priority for us. »
“I am extremely worried because there are already a lot of things that are shared at CBC/Radio-Canada, notably certain equipment,” commented Alexandre Boulerice, deputy leader of the New Democratic Party. “Are we talking about programming? Because production in French and programming in French must serve the stories of French-speaking communities in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. Radio-Canada must not become the simultaneous translation of CBC. We must maintain this autonomy. »
“It would be a disaster”
Earlier in the day, in Quebec, Minister Mathieu Lacombe did not mince his words: a rapprochement of programming, “culturally speaking, for Quebec, it would be a catastrophe”.
I am hopeful that Mme St-Onge, in whom I trust, will take the necessary actions to ensure that we never get to that point.
Mathieu Lacombe, Minister of Culture and Communications
The CAQ minister also sent a message to federal politicians who dream of slashing the budgets allocated to the French sector of the public broadcaster. Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives promise in particular to attack the CBC in particular if they take power.
“For us, the future of the public broadcaster in French here in Quebec is non-negotiable. […] If a party in Ottawa decided to attack Radio-Canada, it would clearly find Quebec in its path. But for the moment, I don’t think that’s the case,” said Mr. Lacombe.
“The article I read in The Press worries me and I think that it must worry us as Quebecers because we certainly need a strong public broadcaster, that is to say Radio-Canada, and for this public broadcaster to be strong, it must have all the necessary independence,” continued the minister.
With Mylène Crête, The Press