(Ottawa) Ottawa is considering coming to the aid of CBC/Radio-Canada as the public broadcaster plans major cuts, including the elimination of 10% of its workforce, in order to make up for a budget deficit of 125 million.
“In past years, we put money into CBC/Radio-Canada to make up for the structural deficit. So there is also a budgetary decision that will come,” declared the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pascale St-Onge, upon her arrival at the Liberal caucus meeting in Ottawa.
The government says it has paid additional aid of 21 million for each of the last three years.
Mme St-Onge also mentioned that “a decision is pending” as to whether and to what extent the Crown corporation will be affected by the 3% savings that Ottawa announced in its last budget it wanted to find in ministries and agencies. .
“When we are ready to say what will happen on the CBC/Radio-Canada side, we will do it,” the minister simply mentioned.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, THE CANADIAN PRESS
CBC/Radio-Canada CEO Catherine Tait
Before a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, the president and CEO of the public broadcaster, Catherine Tait, refused to rule out bonuses being paid to executives for the current year.
Questioned on this subject, in the foyer of the House of Commons, the leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, did not beat around the bush. “I think she should be shown the door,” he replied simply.
Mme St-Onge, who appeared a few moments later in front of journalists, did not want to reiterate her confidence in the CEO, but nevertheless judged that “Mme Tait has a role to play” in the difficult period that the public broadcaster is going through like “all Canadian media”.
In an email to The Canadian Press, CBC/Radio-Canada indicated that the 3% reduction in spending represents $38 million over three years.
The Bloc and New Democrats believe that the public broadcaster must be exempt from the 3% cuts.
The Conservatives have avoided commenting on the issue, but promise to abolish public funding of the English network and transform its Toronto headquarters into housing if they are brought to power.
And while decisions are to be made, the Liberal government reiterates that it wishes to redefine the mandate of CBC/Radio-Canada before the next election in order to protect the public broadcaster against a possible change of government in Ottawa.
Again on Wednesday, Minister St-Onge insisted on the “annual structural deficit” incurred by the public broadcaster, in particular due to the drop in advertising revenue. “So I am looking to the future to ensure sustainability,” she said.
CBC/Radio-Canada announced in early December the elimination of 600 jobs and the elimination of 200 vacant positions. The state-owned company estimates that this will save $60 million. The rest of the deficit would be absorbed by cuts of 25 million in discretionary spending and 40 million in independent productions.
At the federal government, sources indicated that the cuts were “premature”, even “a little ridiculous”. They suggested that CBC/Radio-Canada has “no indication” that its budget would be cut.
As a Crown corporation, CBC/Radio-Canada operates independently of Parliament. The broadcaster receives about $1 billion in federal funding each year.