(Ottawa) The CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada believes that it is not the mandate or governance of the public broadcaster that Ottawa should review, but rather its method of financing.
Catherine Tait made the comments to an audience of industry players at the Prime Time conference on Friday, aimed at the broadcasting, film and media sector.
Mme Tait is pushing for a predictable and sustainable form of funding, for example under a charter similar to that of the BBC, which comes with a six-year funding agreement with the British government.
She points out that CBC/Radio-Canada obtains its annual funding based on the parliamentary cycle, which leaves the public broadcaster in a state of perpetual uncertainty.
Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives have promised to defund the CBC if they get the chance. The Minister of Heritage, Pascale St-Onge, believes that this decision would be harmful to Canadian culture.
Mme Tait says a sustainable and predictable funding method would allow CBC/Radio-Canada to plan for the future, including investing more in digital.