Public media | Concerns everywhere

Three countries, three public broadcasters, three transformations. CBC/Radio-Canada is not alone in questioning its governance, its mission and its financing. This is also happening in France and the United Kingdom. Decryption.

A merger project between France Télévisions, Radio France, the INA (National Audiovisual Institute) and France Médias Monde (France 24, RFI) is on track. And it provokes a lot of reactions from our cousins. This monster reform, led by the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, aims to create greater strength to face fierce competition from digital giants.

Described as a “French-style BBC” by some, as the “return of ORTF” by others, this giant company, the first step of which would be the creation of a holding company called France Médias, would benefit from a budget of 4 billion euros and would include 16,000 employees. We give each other until the 1st^er January 2026 to achieve this objective.

But now, this project is causing concern among union members who fear that this merger will have the effect of reducing staff numbers, particularly in the field of public radio. A letter of protest signed by employees and stars (Léa Salamé, Nagui, etc.) was published last Wednesday in The world. The project was to be examined Thursday and Friday in the National Assembly, but the exercise was postponed until June.

What would this merger look like and how would its implementation be a tool in the fight against the digital giants? No one can really say that. According to Parisianthis transformation could cost taxpayers dearly in the end.

On the other hand, some experts believe that the creation of a large brand would allow them to benefit from more resources and have fewer duplicates. Let us add to this that this project provides for a decompartmentalization of advertising revenue for public broadcasting.

In other words, certain sectors that earn little advertising revenue could now be eligible.

Meanwhile, the English are also thinking about the future of the BBC, which today has 21,000 employees, including 5,500 journalists, 8 national TV channels, 10 national radio stations, online media, not to mention dozens regional and local TV and radio stations.

Over the last 10 years, its budget has been cut by 30% by conservatives, who consider the public media too woke. This led to a major retrenchment plan, the elimination of 1,800 positions and more than 1,000 hours of content.

The BBC’s budget now stands at $8.7 billion, three-quarters of which comes from an annual television license fee set at $275. We want to abolish this fee from 2028 and replace it with subscriptions, partial privatization and increased public funding.

It is easy to draw a parallel between what France and the United Kingdom are currently experiencing and what we are preparing to do with the dual reflection on the future and the governance of CBC/Radio-Canada.

It should be noted that committees created by CEO Catherine Tait and the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pascale Saint-Onge, will embark on a vast exercise to redefine the role of the public broadcaster, the broad outlines of which should be known next fall.

Just as in France, there is talk of merging certain services at CBC/Radio-Canada, in particular to avoid duplication. Why deal with two different platforms to offer digital products? This is one of the questions that Catherine Tait’s advisors ask themselves.

How to sustain funding for public media? That’s the other big concern, especially with a conservative candidate high in the polls who threatens to slash the budget. The diversification of income, particularly advertising, is a subject that comes up regularly. While the private sector would like advertising to be abolished at the public broadcaster, others think it should be extended to other sectors.

You see how from one continent to another the reflections on the future of public media are very present and are similar in certain respects. Which leads me to think that these operations are healthy and essential.

I am part of the last generation that experienced the absolute reign of public television. Major events that bring together hundreds of thousands of viewers will now be very rare. It is in my bed, whenever I want, that I discover the episodes of Splendor and influence.

The younger generation has not experienced the monopoly of the public broadcaster. She grew up with a la carte choices and entertainment galore. However, it is this generation and those that will follow that public broadcasters desperately want to seduce.

To do this, do public media have to sell their soul? This is the big question that needs to be asked. And curiously, when people talk to me about financing, merging services, creating digital products and governance, I don’t see the presence of this subject at all.

At some point, the obsessive concern for ratings will have to be removed from these reflections. Are we ready as a society to invest in quality and credibility without going crazy with the results?

I have never heard so much about the threat of fake news and artificial intelligence. Regularly, a friend or acquaintance talks to me about it with a certain dismay. The fight of the major public broadcasters should target the stupidity, the emptiness and the lies that assail us.

It is there, and only there, that they will distinguish themselves.