Since Schitt’s Creek went off the air, CBC has been in a flop era that it’s desperate to end.
What happened: CBC/Radio-Canada has brought in a panel of Canadian media experts to help advise on policy changes that will aim to modernize the national broadcaster — at a time when one-third of surveyed Canadians say they want to see it lose funding entirely.
Why it matters: The feds want to give the CBC a refresh ahead of the next election, as the Conservatives have vowed to slash funding if they win. The broadcaster continues to lose money thanks to disappearing ad dollars and inspiring strong criticism about pro-government partisanship.
- Last fiscal year, CBC lost $125.1 million. Five years prior, it lost just $12.6 million, and 10 years prior, it actually made a modest sum of $41,892.
- Even after receiving $1.4 billion in the budget and enacting a wave of layoffs late last year, CBC projects a $20 million budget shortfall this year.
Zoom out: One idea the panel will likely investigate is the advent of a charter that locks in funding for years at a time rather than having it change from budget to budget, thus creating more stability. The BBC uses a charter system and last year posted a record income.
Bottom line: Canadian media is always at risk of being wiped off the map by U.S. cultural exports, so the CBC has value as a home for Canada-made entertainment and reportage that might not otherwise exist. But to retain this value, it needs to find its way.—QH