Canadian Media Guild “Shocked” Over CBC/Radio-Canada Plan To Cut 10% Of Workforce & Reduce Program Spend

Jesse Whittock
·3 min read

Canada’s media guild has reacted with shock following the announcement CBC/Radio-Canada will cut approximately 10% of its workforce and bring down its program spend by C$40M ($29.6M) to reduce a major budget shortfall.

The Canada Media Guild (CMG) said that though it was braced for cuts, it was “shocked” by the depths of the plan and was “dismayed and frustrated by the enormous impact these budgetary cuts” on its members, who include producers, journalists, technicians and program production staff.

More from Deadline

Around 600 union and non-union roles will be shed across CBC/Radio-Canada, while another 200 currently unfilled positions will be closed, with the organization forced to “manage approximately C$125M [$92M] in budget pressures forecast for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.”

Both the English-language CBC and French-language Radio-and Canada will eliminate around 250 roles, with most coming from Technology and Infrastructure and corporate positions, with some layoffs taking place immediately.

Furthermore, the corporation will cut spend on indie programs and acquisitions by approximated C$40M. It says this will result in ” reduced renewals and acquisitions, fewer new television series and episodes of existing shows, as well as fewer digital original series.”

The announcement will come as a bitter blow to Canada’s TV sector, which has been hit by a slowing ad market and other financial pressures on its main networks this year.

CBC/Radio-Canada had already begun a C$25M cost saving program by reducing travel, sponsorships and marketing, postponing technology initiatives, and limited filling of vacant positions.

The cuts come soon after the government warned it could limit the amount of cash CBC/Radio-Canada receives from the recently signed C$100M deal with Google that compensates the Canadian news industry. CBC/Radio-Canada receives around C$1.3B in federal funding each year — just over 70% of its entire budget.

The public broadcaster, behind programs such as Schitt’s Creek and Baroness Von Sketch Show, said the cuts had been fashioned to allow for flexibility should the financial situation change. They also factor in forecast reductions in parliamentary funding, including the end of an integrity funding program that amount to around C$21M a year.

“CBC/Radio-Canada is not immune to the upheaval facing the Canadian media industry. We’ve successfully managed serious structural declines in our business for many years, but we no longer have the flexibility to do so without reductions,” said Catherine Tait, President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada.

“We understand how concerning this is to the people affected and to the Canadians who depend on our programs and services. We will have more details in the months ahead, but we are doing everything we can to minimize the impact of these measures.”

Naomi Robinson, CBC Branch President for the CMG, which is currently in active negotiations for a new collective agreement, said: “Although we expected budget cuts, the bargaining committee for the CBC/Radio-Canada Branch of the CMG was shocked by this news as we did not expect to see this level of job loss.”

The CMG claims “successive cuts have challenged CBC/Radio-Canada’s ability to connect Canadians with their unique culture,” added that while most members “remain committed” to working with the pubcaster, “the reduction in journalists and technicians means that fewer stories will be told, and the richness of Canada’s narrative will diminish.”

“We urgently call on the federal government to secure CBC/Radio-Canada’s funding before it’s too late, ensuring that the public broadcaster can continue fulfilling its mandate,” said Annick R. Forest, President of the CMG, which represents more than 4,000 members.

“We are dismayed and frustrated by the enormous impact these budgetary cuts will have on our members, the workers responsible for creating the content seen, heard, and read every day on our public airwaves and platforms.”

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.