As part of a government-wide cutback, the Canadian government has chopped 10 % (CA$115 million, according news reports) of the public broadcaster, CBC’s budget. This will translate into fewer new television shows, possibly more radio ads and hundreds of job cuts.
But the financial pressure is not just due to the recent federal government cuts. According to CBC President Hubert Lacroix, CBC faces a CA$200 million shortfall, in addition to CA$25 million in severance costs for the layoffs.
The CBC has applied for permission to run ads on CBC Radio 2 and Espace musique, which could attract up to CA$50 million in new revenue. It also plans drastic changes countrywide and will spread the savings between the English and French language services.
The broadcaster will eliminate more than 650 jobs over the next three years and will also sell buildings, close music libraries, move Radio Canada International broadcasts entirely to the Internet, and cut back on news, music and sports programming.
It also plans to postpone the launch of some regional initiatives and shut down analog broadcasting earlier than expected, cutting off some 600,000 Canadians, reports said.
