{"id":950,"date":"2015-02-11T17:15:36","date_gmt":"2015-02-11T22:15:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cwa-scacanada.ca\/retirees\/EN\/?p=950"},"modified":"2015-02-11T18:42:48","modified_gmt":"2015-02-11T23:42:48","slug":"champion-public-broadcasting-making-the-case-for-cbc-radio-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cwa-scacanada.ca\/retirees\/EN\/champion-public-broadcasting-making-the-case-for-cbc-radio-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"Champion Public Broadcasting \u2013 Making the case for CBC \/ Radio-Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"Kam<\/a>
Kam Rao, Canadian Media Guild campaign coordinator<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What can we do to ensure a strong future for CBC?<\/p>\n

The single most important thing any one of us can do is have a conversation about the value of public broadcasting. And then have another one, and another one after that.<\/p>\n

Public broadcasting is about the kind of country we want to live in \u2013 it\u2019s about the kinds of communities we want to build together. It\u2019s about values and priorities.<\/p>\n

And it is most certainly about taking action.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Montreal<\/a>
Montreal Rally in support of CBC, November, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CMG believes that a high-quality media system in Canada, one that serves all Canadians, includes and requires a strong national public broadcaster.<\/p>\n

We need to make clear the connection between the public investment in CBC\u2019s programming and services and the enormous benefit that investment brings this country and its people.<\/p>\n

Here is some of what\u2019s in the works in advance of the federal budget, expected in April:<\/p>\n

February 15 (Sunday) \u2013 MONTR\u00c9AL <\/strong><\/p>\n

Tous en \u00ab c\u0153ur \u00bb pour Radio-Canada<\/a> concert (organized by allied organizations in Quebec<\/a>) \u2013 32\u00a0artists on stage at M\u00e9tropolis in Montr\u00e9al, sending a message of love for Radio-Canada over the Valentine\u2019s Day weekend<\/p>\n

March 9 (Monday) \u2013 OTTAWA <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFor the Love of CBC\u201d Concert, at the National Arts Centre (organized by CBC, I care \/ Radio-Canada, j\u2019y tiens<\/a>) \u2013 Some major acts are lined up \u2013 more details to come soon on February 20!<\/p>\n

CMG Lobby Day on Parliament Hill \u2013 we will reinforce our message with MPs in Ottawa.<\/p>\n

April 10 (Friday) \u2014 CANADA <\/strong><\/p>\n

CMG locals at CBC stations across the country will manifest a workplace presence for our campaign to restore strong public funding and guarantee independence at CBC\/ Radio-Canada
\n
\nApril 11 (Saturday) \u2013 CANADA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll bring our campaign into our local communities with community-based events. We also aim to engage our MPs locally as well as other federal candidates.<\/p>\n

Look out for more information about these and other events!<\/p>\n

In the meantime, you can check out the commitments two major federal political parties have already made publicly <\/a>toward increased funding and guaranteed independence for CBC\/Radio-Canada. \u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

In addition, organizations like Friends of Canadian Broadcasting<\/a> are looking ahead to the Federal Election later this year. They’ve invited each of the five leaders whose parties hold seats in the House of Commons to participate in 30-minute webcasts (one in French and one in English) in order to share their views and policies about CBC\u2019s future. Recordings of those interviews<\/a> are being live-streamed and made available afterwards online.<\/p>\n

\"Rally<\/a>
Rally in support of CBC in Ottawa, June 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We can do this<\/strong><\/p>\n

At its best, public broadcasting ensures universal access to high-quality journalism, information, and cultural programming \u2014 regardless of a person\u2019s location, social standing, and financial resources.<\/p>\n

Kelly Toughill<\/a> frames that commitment in her testimony<\/a> before the Senate committee examining \u201cChallenges faced by the CBC\u201d:<\/p>\n

The corporation is supposed to \u201cexpress Canadian culture and enrich the life of all Canadians.\u201d That\u2019s all Canadians, not just Canadians who can afford a subscription on top of cable and\/or mobile fees.<\/em><\/p>\n

I think and clearly believe that CBC is a national good, that it serves a purpose in much the same way education and healthcare do.<\/em><\/p>\n

Those of us who work at CBC\/Radio-Canada need to communicate what\u2019s involved in getting the job done, and what helps and what hurts.<\/p>\n

Ideological cuts<\/strong><\/p>\n

In May 2011, Stephen Harper\u2019s Conservatives formed their first majority government, and $115 million has been cut from CBC \/ Radio-Canada\u2019s annual public funding since 2012.<\/p>\n

Heritage Minister Shelly Glover and other Conservative MPs such as Rick Dykstra and Joyce Bateman like to say that CBC is cutting programming and staff because of \u2018declining ratings\u2019 or \u2018fewer viewers\u2019.<\/p>\n

They want the public to think that programming and service cuts at CBC are primarily the result of declining commercial revenues rather than substantial reductions in public funding. They’ve been ducking responsibility for their cuts.<\/p>\n

And they ignore another key point about public funding: CBC\/ Radio-Canada belongs to Canadians. Public funding is a public commitment to media work and Canadian programming that meets more than just commercial goals.<\/p>\n

Public funding means that CBC can do work that there is no commercial case for doing. Often, commercial values and priorities are used to criticize and diminish public service broadcasting, but public broadcasting standards are different than commercial standards.<\/p>\n

Costs and Benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back in 2010, before cuts that reduced public funding even further, CBC President & CEO Hubert Lacroix put public funding for <\/a>CBC in perspective:<\/a><\/p>\n

The usual challenge to our case is to say that we receive $1.1-billion in public funding and that should be enough.<\/em><\/p>\n

The fact is we, with our billion dollars, operate 28 services and broadcast in two official languages and eight aboriginal ones across six time zones.<\/em><\/p>\n

The BBC has public funding of $7.5-billion a year, France Television and Radio France together receive $4-billion, Germany $10.7-billion and PBS and NPR in the U.S. receive $1.2-billion from government sources.<\/em><\/p>\n

To deliver what we\u2019re mandated to offer Canadians, we also need to rely on commercial revenue. [\u2026] Commercial revenues today make up close to 40% of CBC\/Radio-Canada\u2019s overall budget.<\/em><\/p>\n

That\u2019s the big picture.<\/p>\n

$29 per Canadian per year for Canadian radio, television, and online services, offered across the country and around the world, 24\/7 \u2014 programming at the local and network level, incorporating a variety of genres, in several languages.<\/p>\n

But, it\u2019s also important to consider the cuts up close. Here\u2019s what CMG member, Joan Weeks of Sydney, Nova Scotia, said last May:<\/a><\/p>\n

So, what happens when you have the same amount of airtime to fill and you have fewer people to fill it? Well, what happens, and we\u2019ve started seeing a lot of it, is a lot of important local stories don\u2019t get covered.<\/em><\/p>\n

If someone locally is being taken advantage of, or is not being treated right by their government, there may be no one who will tell that story because you just don\u2019t get as much coverage.<\/em><\/p>\n

I love my work at CBC, I love doing the accountability\u2026 Is your politician representing your interests or his own? That\u2019s as important to know in our communities as it is on Parliament Hill.<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth saying again- public broadcasting is about the kind of country we want to live in \u2013 it\u2019s about the kinds of communities we want to build together.<\/p>\n

CMG\u2019s campaign for our national public broadcaster aims to restore strong public funding and to guarantee independence at CBC\/Radio-Canada.<\/p>\n

That means having the conversation about the value of public broadcasting in this country, person-to-person, in every community \u2014 even when it\u2019s difficult or uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

Look out for more information about our campaign in support of public broadcasting and CBC\/Radio-Canada, and please be in touch about participating directly.<\/p>\n

You can reach CMG campaign coordinator Kam Rao at kam@cmg.ca<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s more about Kam<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s keep making the case for public broadcasting together!<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  What can we do to ensure a strong future for CBC? The single most important thing any one of us can do is have a conversation about the value of public broadcasting. And then have another one, and another one after that. Public broadcasting is about the kind of country we want to live … Continue reading Champion Public Broadcasting \u2013 Making the case for CBC \/ Radio-Canada<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":953,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[57],"tags":[56,54,55,38],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cwa-scacanada.ca\/retirees\/EN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/950"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cwa-scacanada.ca\/retirees\/EN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cwa-scacanada.ca\/retirees\/EN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cwa-scacanada.ca\/retirees\/EN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cwa-scacanada.ca\/retirees\/EN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=950"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/cwa-scacanada.ca\/retirees\/EN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":959,"href":"https:\/\/cwa-scacanada.ca\/retirees\/EN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/950\/revisions\/959"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cwa-scacanada.ca\/retirees\/EN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cwa-scacanada.ca\/retirees\/EN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cwa-scacanada.ca\/retirees\/EN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cwa-scacanada.ca\/retirees\/EN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}