The CBC/Radio-Canada budget continues to climb, despite loud cries from its leaders who said last year that they would have to cut positions because of future cuts.
Funding for the public broadcaster increases from $1.3 billion to $1.4 billion, the Trudeau government confirmed on Thursday.
The state corporation will not be subject to the 3.3% budget reduction that will be imposed on federal agencies and ministries.
The big boss of the CBC announced three weeks before Christmas the elimination of 800 positions, in particular because of the budgetary efforts requested of her by the federal government.
At the time, Ottawa argued that Ms. Tait was moving too fast because no cuts were officially announced.
Again Thursday, the President of the Treasury Board, Anita Anand, maintained that Ms. Tait’s exit was “premature”.
“We know it’s difficult for them right now,” Anita Anand said. So we made the decision not to cut money for CBC/Radio-Canada.”
“Not enough”
CBC/Radio-Canada still plans to cut positions. The broadcaster believes that the exemption it benefits from is welcome, “but [que] It won’t be enough.”
“We still face significant budgetary pressures,” said CBC/Radio-Canada media relations director Leon Mar in an email exchange with The newspaper.
“These pressures arise from the same structural factors that affect all Canadian media, including rising production costs, declining television advertising revenues and fierce competition from digital giants.”
At the time of writing these lines, The newspaper was unable to obtain a reaction from the Union of Radio-Canada Workers.