Your Union was briefed by CBC/Radio-Canada management today on CBC’s proposal to drop all advertising along with a request for increased and stable funding that was unintentionally disclosed yesterday. While the CMG has always fought for increased and stable funding for the public broadcaster, this proposal came as a complete surprise.
Your Union shared its concerns with management and questioned what plans CBC management has to consult, retrain or reassign the members working in Media Solutions if the proposal should become reality. We should keep in mind that this is only an ask at the moment. Nevertheless, should this “vision” begin to gain momentum over the next while, members should be secure in knowing that the CMG will be looking out for its members’ best interests.
The proposal appears to be a response to pressures from private broadcasters and other interests that have been lobbying to minimize CBC/Radio-Canada over decades. Private broadcasters receive nearly $1-billion in government supports without the responsibilities to the public that CBC/Radio-Canada fulfills. We also know that private broadcasters have access to other sources to finance their operations that the public broadcaster does not. This pitch by CBC management is only one of the many submissions Canadians made to Minister Mélanie Joly as she reviews the Canadian media and culture sector. The fact remains that advertising has helped keep CBC/Radio-Canada afloat over decades of underfunding and continuous cuts.
The CMG will be reaching out to members who would be potentially impacted by this proposal. We will continue to ensure that member’s rights under the collective agreement are respected.
Marc-Philippe Laurin
CBC Branch President, CMG