The Canadian Media Guild (CMG) hopes that the newly appointed president and CEO of CBC / Radio-Canada, Marie-Philippe Bouchard , will help Ottawa to transition the public broadcaster to a model of stable financing that is adequate to fulfill its mandate.
Canada’s public broadcaster plays a central role in strengthening Canadian democracy and culture, and CMG members at CBC/Radio-Canada work tirelessly to provide a valuable public service in connecting communities across Canada by bringing them coverage of local initiatives, uncovering injustices, holding those in power to account, and being their reliable source of information when natural disasters are at their door.
The CMG believes that adequate stable long-term financing would protect the public broadcaster from funding fluctuations that accompany changes in government in Ottawa. The public broadcaster’s financial independence is key to maintaining enough staff to provide quality impartial coverage, regardless of changes in the federal government and shifting budget priorities.
“For decades Canadians have relied on their public broadcaster and our Canadian Media Guild members who work there to bring them trustworthy information on events happening in their backyards and across the world,” says Annick Forest, President of the Canadian Media Guild, “CBC/Radio-Canada must have enough stable long-term financing to continue to do this valuable work. Our hope is that Ottawa will transition CBC/Radio-Canada to such a financing model and give its new president and CEO a mandate that will make the public broadcaster the foundation of a new healthy media ecosystem in Canada. We look forward to working with Marie-Philippe Bouchard to achieve that goal.”