Question Period Note: Reinforcing CBC/Radio-Canada

As part of the Mandate Letter to Ministers and the Speech from the Throne in May 2025, the Government identified two key priorities that directly relate to CBC/Radio-Canada. First, to protect Canadian sovereignty and keep Canadians safe (priority 5 in the Mandate Letter), and second, to protect the institutions that bring Canada’s culture and identity to the world, such as CBC/Radio-Canada (Speech from the Throne).

• CBC/Radio-Canada is a pillar of our cultural identity and a cornerstone of our sovereignty. For nearly a century, it has brought us together, shared our stories and strengthened our national dialogue.
• That is why the Government will provide new support to CBC/Radio-Canada, protect its funding, and work to get long-term funding levels in line with the average funding of other national public broadcasters.
• These commitments will ensure that CBC/Radio-Canada is independent, accountable, and financially stable. This will enable it to strengthen local news, combat disinformation, and create entertainment that reflects Canadians, their communities and their country.

• In May 2025, the new government identified two priorities that directly relate to CBC/Radio-Canada: protect Canadian sovereignty and keep Canadians safe (priority 5 in the Mandate Letter) and protect the institutions that bring Canada’s cultures and identity to the world, like CBC/Radio-Canada (Speech from the Throne).
• In July, the Government also announced a comprehensive expenditure review of all spending. This includes Crown corporations such as CBC/Radio-Canada.
• During the 2025 federal election, the Liberal Party proposed to strengthen CBC/Radio-Canada’s mandate by developing a governance plan to improve accountability; equipping CBC/Radio-Canada to further promote and support Canadian and Quebec culture; strengthening local news with more local bureaus and reporters; adding to their mandate the clear and consistent transmission of life-saving information during emergencies; fully equipping CBC/Radio-Canada to combat disinformation; and bolstering innovation and investing in new digital tools so that CBC/Radio-Canada can deliver the news when and how Canadians want it.
• The Liberal Party also proposed to enhance CBC/Radio-Canada’s available resources and secure stable, long-term funding by providing an initial $150 million funding increase, making funding statutory in legislation; and move towards a long-term funding level in line with the average funding of other national public broadcasters.
• On February 20, 2025, former Minister of Canadian Heritage released her vision for the future of CBC/Radio-Canada. Changes proposed in the document, The Future of CBC/Radio-Canada, would mean trustworthy, local and impartial news, reliable information during emergencies, an end to subscription fees for CBC/Radio-Canada’s streaming platforms and advertising during TV news; strengthened independence from the Government; an emphasis on innovation and collaboration; an Indigenous strategy; and increased and stabilized funding written into law.
• Budget 2024 announced an additional $42 million in 2024-25 for CBC/Radio-Canada news and entertainment programming, to ensure that Canadians across the country, including rural, remote, Indigenous, and minority language communities, have access to high-quality, independent journalism and entertainment.
• On April 16, 2024, CBC/Radio-Canada announced that due to improvements in its financial position and the additional funding provided in Budget 2024, the Corporation will be able to “address its remaining forecast shortfall and balance its budget without significant additional reductions this year.” Since December 2023, CBC/ Radio-Canada has reduced its workforce by 141 employees and cut 205 vacant positions.
CBC/Radio-Canada’s financial pressures
• In recent years, CBC/Radio-Canada has been grappling with a range of financial pressures that are challenging its ability to maintain programming and service levels. The primary drivers include the cumulative impact of inflation; escalating production and rights costs driven by intensifying competition with large global streaming platforms; and the ongoing structural deterioration of advertising and subscription revenues from traditional television.
· On December 4, 2023, CBC/Radio-Canada announced reductions to manage projected financial pressures of approximately $125 million. This included $40 million in programming cuts and the elimination of 800 positions (approximately 10% of its workforce). CBC and Radio-Canada would each cut an estimated 250 jobs each, suppress an additional 200 vacant positions, cut 100 positions from the technology and infrastructure division and eliminate other corporate services.
Current funding model and contributions to the media landscape
• CBC/Radio-Canada relies on a combination of public funding and earned revenues to deliver its mandate. In 2022-23, it received a parliamentary appropriation of $1.27 billion and reported $516 million in earned revenues, including $289 million in advertising and $122 million in subscriber fees.
• CBC/Radio-Canada is a pillar of Canada’s media landscape, news ecosystem, and creative economy. In 2023, it accounted for 37% ($508 million) of all expenditures on Canadian programming produced for conventional (over-the-air) television, including 26% ($156 million) of all expenditures on news and information; 62% ($193 million) of all expenditures on drama and comedy made by and for Canadians; and 47% ($312 million) of all expenditures by Canadian broadcasters on independent productions, making it the single most important domestic partner to Canada’s independent production sector.
Other relevant developments
• CBC/Radio-Canada is eligible to receive up to $7 million of the $100 million annual compensation that will be provided by Google to Canadian news outlets under the Online News Act (Bill C-18). On January 15, 2025, CBC/Radio-Canada announced that they will use these funds to hire 22 journalists in underserved communities across Canada.

None