Senator wants bill amended to regulate CBC/ Radio-Canada

OTTAWA – Irked by recent decisions by CBC/RadioCanada management, a Canadian senator plans to push for legislative changes that would ban the use of branded content by the public broadcaster.

Prince Edward Island Senator Percy Downe is frustrated. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the veteran parliamentarian has seen CBC management cut some local dinnertime news broadcasts, and then announce a controversial new plan for a branded content division starting this fall.

“I certainly get a sense that the CBC is adrift,” the senator explained. “The use of branded content creates the impression that although CBC can't be bought and paid for, they certainly can be rented.”

“And at the beginning of the pandemic, they announced the local TV newscast would be cancelled all across Canada. It's amazing decision,” he added. “In this case, it really was a case of life and death.”

Downe says he will be proposing a series of amendments to Bill C-10, which the Liberals proposed last month to update the laws governing broadcasting and the powers given to the industry's regulator, when it arrives in the Senate early next year.

The senator says the changes he will push would “prevent” both the use of sponsored content by the public broadcaster, as well as any future cancellations of local suppertime newscasts in the future.

“It's a Crown corporation, so we can anticipate and expect a certain level of service. And when that's not there, then look to the government to fix it,” said the senator, especially “given the substantial funding CBC received from Canadians.”

CBC/Radio-Canada management has come under increasing fire recently from staff (both current and former) and critics since it announced a new advertisement division focused on branded (or sponsored) content called Tandem.

Branded content is an advertisement that is presented similarly to regular editorial content. It is generally identified as “paid” or “sponsored content” and is increasingly popular in private media such as Postmedia, the Globe and Mail and the New York Times.

CBC and Radio-Canada management have argued that a pivot to branded content is necessary because of “huge financial pressures” caused by the significant drop in advertisement revenue in the media industry.