Conservative and New Democratic Parties criticize CBC President for failing to rule out bonuses while laying off employees

Canada’s public broadcaster, CBC/Radio-Canada, is under scrutiny after its president failed to rule out the possibility of holiday bonuses, despite massive layoffs. Catherine Tait explained in an interview on “The National” that while they aren’t currently considering bonuses, they will review their line items soon. The network announced on December 4 that it plans to cut 600 positions and won’t be replacing 200 vacancies in the next year. These cuts will also impact programming, as there will be fewer renewals, acquisitions, new episodes, and digital series.
CBC spokesperson Leon Mar confirmed they wouldn’t be reconsidering these bonuses, as they are outlined in existing compensation agreements and are designed to motivate employees. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the broadcaster, pointing out the large sums of bonuses that have been awarded in recent years. He then called out CBC President Catherine Tait over her response to the issue. The government has not addressed these concerns, and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland did not provide clarity when asked whether they would be exempted from broader spending cuts.
CBC made a presentation at the CRTC’s hearing on modernizing the regulatory framework for broadcasters. During the consultation, they discussed concerns that domestic production of Canadian content is unsustainable without financial support. The CBC is committed to protecting local journalism, efficient work processes, and Indigenous communities while asking that some of the funds provided by online streaming platforms also be available to them. Meanwhile, the federal government has signed a deal with Google to provide support to news organizations, but it’s uncertain how much of this support will go to the CBC and Radio-Canada.



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