A recent survey of our CMG co-workers at CBC in Toronto reveals a very high level of concern among respondents about the leadership of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Taken together, the results amount to a firm repudiation from respondents of Hubert T. Lacroix’s performance of his duties as President and CEO of CBC/Radio Canada. The results are as follows:

1. Do you approve of Hubert T. Lacroix’s performance of his duties as President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada?

No – 95 %
Yes – 5 %

2. Would you like Hubert T. Lacroix to remain in his role as President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada until the scheduled expiration of his term in 2017?

No – 88 %
Yes – 12 %

3. Would you like Hubert T. Lacroix to champion CBC/Radio-Canada by publicly calling on the Conservative government to immediately reverse its $115-million cut in annual public funding to the national public broadcaster?

Yes – 97 %
No – 3 %

4. On a scale of 1 to 10, how well do you understand what management’s 2020 plan entails? (Respondents ranked themselves from 1 – “Not well at all” to 10 – “Very well”)

65 % of respondents ranked themselves between 1 and 5
35 % of respondents ranked themselves between 6 and 10

Over a third of respondents also took the opportunity to share written comments. Here are some excerpts:

* “I am scared and VERY concerned about the future of the CBC. We are laying off key Technical people, locking the doors of our Production Studios and selling off vital equipment and building space. We’re doing all of this at an accelerated and alarming pace and each round of cuts is never even suggested as being the last. I don’t understand how the CBC will be able to continue fulfilling its mandate for any length of time beyond today and I’m afraid that our infrastructure has already been destroyed beyond repair, even if the budget is restored.”

* “The current regimes, both national and corporate, are dismantling the institutional tools any country must have in order to develop and exert its sovereignty, to protect its citizens and territory. Our current president is, understandably, a representative of that project, following orders. He can hardly be said to stand for anything other than that. He is simply being used to take the machinery apart, and sell any remaining assets for scrap.”

* “There is constant pressure to output commercially viable and marketable solutions/products. In my opinion this has led to decisions based solely on financial incentive rather than public service.”

* “Hubert is publicly dismantling the CBC every time he reduces the programming and the staff at the CBC. It has to STOP.”

* “Since CBC management seems to be taking a more adversarial approach to CMG, it’s time for CMG to be more demanding and forceful in advocating for its members.”

* “I understand the move to digital. I don’t understand how we can continue to provide the content needed with hundreds fewer workers. The 2020 plan seems to imply we will move to independent producers to provide everything other than radio and TV news and current affairs – yet those areas too are shrinking. We can no longer provide what set us apart from private broadcasters – which is in-depth, investigative, unfettered journalism that makes a difference in the lives of Canadians. We need to lay claim again to the need for public ownership.”

You may read all of the respondents’ comments in their entirety at this link: http://www.cmg.ca/toronto/cbc/cmg-toronto-survey-comments/

Despite being severely impeded by limited distribution on account of management’s restrictions, the survey enjoyed a 6 per cent response rate. 125 workers at CBC in Toronto participated directly, and the survey results are from verified Canadian Media Guild members. For greater detail about the results, please see the report: http://www.cmg.ca/toronto/cbc/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Results-CMG-CBC-Toronto-Survey-2015.pdf

CMG’s Toronto Local Executive Committee will continue analyzing the results of the survey, including our co-workers’ comments.

Thanks to all who participated. Your dedication to public broadcasting and to CBC/Radio-Canada is acknowledged and deeply appreciated.