Cuts mean ‘very different’ CBC
Big job losses, radio ads on horizon
OTTAWA – The austerity axe chopped deep into the CBC’S budget Wednesday, and will result in “a very different public broadcaster” CBC president Hubert Lacroix said.
Viewers can expect less original programming, more reruns and — for the first time — ads on CBC radio as the broadcaster copes with a $115-million cut in federal funding. The agency will also sell buildings, tinker with employee pensions and cut 650 jobs in the coming three years as it adjusts to a smaller budget.
“It’s not a fun day,” Lacroix said.
Across Canada, 650 full-time CBC jobs will be eliminated. This includes 475 this fiscal year, a further 150 jobs in the 2013-14 and the remaining in 2014-15. Those 650 jobs — split equally between French and English services — amount to about nine per cent of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.’s total workforce. That includes 150 management jobs.
Budgets cuts will start this year with a $27.8-million reduction in government spending on the CBC’S operations, and increase to $69.6 million in 2013-14 and finally reaches the $115-million savings mark by 2014-15. The CBC will also no longer receive its $60 million top-up from the federal government for programming.
Taking into account budget trimming already done this year and severance packages, Lacroix said, the CBC is staring into a budgetary hole of $225 million.
“We are talking about financial pressures totalling $200 million today,” he said. “Plus an additional 25 million for severance of about 650 (jobs).”
Kirstine Stewart, executive vice-president of CBC’S English services, said executives strove to protect services most valued by Canadians from cuts.
News coverage will be spared to the degree possible, Stewart said, as will feature news programs like The Fifth Estate.
Ads will not begin running on CBC Radio One — the broadcaster’s news radio station — but will be added to music stations Radio Two and Espace Musique for the first time, she said. “The highest priority was making sure Radio One … remains commercial-free,” said Stewart.
CBC sports coverage, especially of hockey, will be maintained, Stewart added.
Stewart would not say whether Hockey Night in Canada’s Coach’s Corner segment — which reportedly pays controversial host Don Cherry upwards of $800,000 — will be chopped. Beyond these, CBC executives said, there will be few sacred cows.