CBC Facing a Strategic Review
Already reeling from the fallout from a $171 million shortfall, the CBC is now facing a strategic review from the federal government that could result in more cuts.
“The objective of the strategic review is to evaluate all of our program and spending activities to identify the lowest priorities in terms of carrying out our mandate,” CBC President Hubert Lacroix said in a note to staff on Friday, adding that a five per cent target has been identified.
The Canadian Media Guild says the review is nothing more than a disguise for a budget cut. The CMG said the cut could be as much as $50 million. “We know a further cut would be devastating to programming,” Lise Lareau, president of the CMG, said.
Lareau said the strategic review can force any agency that receives government funds to identify up to five per cent of spending that could be cut.
“This is especially shocking since it came only a week after Heritage Minister James Moore told the parliamentary Heritage committee that CBC’s funding would not be cut,” Lareau said.
The review results will be taken into consideration for next year’s budget. “I’m not going to speculate about the outcome or the impact that this could possibly have on our 2010-2011 appropriation and budget,” Lacroix said. “results will not be known until the Government’s budget is released, usually early in the new year.”
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The good news keeps coming.
I understand that the CBC is government funded, and accountable to all tax payers. However, the CBC has done its due diligence and cut their budget substantially.
How about the Federal government do a thorough self-audit and cut out some of their outlandish and ridiculous spending?
But are SMT still getting their bonuses? That’s the crucial issue here.
The CBC is precious to Canadian citizens. It is a vital, irreplaceable part of our identity. I am against the increasing merger of Canada with the US. The so-called Security and Prosperity Partnership is being brokered behind closed doors, and away from parliamentary process, and from scrutiny by the press and from ordinary citizens. It bespeaks the end of democracy, the demise of protective regulations regarding pollution and decent wages that our forfathers fought and died for. Protestors are severely rejected from outside of these secret meetings of the faceless wealthy and powerful elite, by big battalions of armed riot police. Canadian citizens need fearless journalism more than ever.
This casual draining away of Canadian content on CBC television is more dangerous than you might think. Tune in to any episode of the CBC program The Hour and you will find it packed with American celebrities who plug their movies and books for free on our Canadian tax-payer funded airwaves. Meanwhile, Canadian talent goes unsung, and unrecognized. The prize-winning, internationally acclaimed Canadian TV series Intelligence never made it to a third season. The producer, director, and writer Chris Haddock, who also produced DaVinci’s Inquest, has been cut off at the knees, at the height of his creative powers. This is a national disgrace. CBC staff have been coached to downplay “anti-american sentiment”. The Stephen Harper Conservative government is more than happy to merge more and more with the U.S. What madness! They have plenty to learn from Canada, not the other way around! The planning meetings for the so-called Security and Prosperity partnership between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico are taking place behind closed doors. The wealthy international corporate elite get invited, and they, unelected, are calling the shots now. Wake up Canadians. Canada is too precious to lose. I don’t want to be an American, with the American Military walking down my street.
[...] lack of any “reallocations” was a relief to CBC as it feared its strategic review could have led to new [...]