Employees, unionists, politicians and members of the public demonstrated Wednesday (April 15) in front of the French headquarters of Canada's national public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada against the latest program, job and budget cuts.
Photo Credit: Amis de Radio-Canada

Protesters want moratorium on cuts at national public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada

A noisy demonstration Wednesday (April 15) by employees, unionists, and some politicians in front of the French headquarters of CBC/Radio-Canada called for a moratorium on cuts at the national radio and television public broadcaster.

The $130 million dollars and 657 job cuts were announced April 10, in a televised town hall meeting with employees. “Today, we have made the tough decisions necessary to balance our current budget,” said Hubert T. Lacroix, President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada.

The Wednesday demonstration in Montreal was organized by unions representing the broadcaster’s employees in the province of Quebec and the city of Moncton. According to one union president, Alex Levasseur of the Syndicat des communications de Radio-Canada (SCRC), CBC/Radio-Canada has cut 2000 employees in the last five years.

The union is calling for a moratorium on the cuts, and a parliamentary commission on the future of the CBC/Radio-Canada.

According to one study commissioned by CBC/Radio-Canada and released in October, 2013: “Among 18 major Western countries, Canada was third in terms of the lowest level of per-capita public funding for public broadcasting in 2011.”

More information:
CBC/Radio-Canada looks to the future as it makes tough choices to balance its budget (press release) – here
Speaking notes for Hubert T. Lacroix, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada – Budget 2014-2015 – here
Syndicat des communications de Radio-Canada (SCRC) press release – here
Analysis of Government Support for Public Broadcasting and Other Culture in Canada (pdf) – here

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