Expert panel will examine CBC's future, says Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge

Prashanth Bala - stock.adobe.com

The Trudeau Liberals are setting up an expert panel to plan the future of CBC/Radio-Canada and to ensure the public broadcaster is 'sustainable' moving forward.

Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge made the announcement during a Sunday interview with Radio-Canada. Last week, it was revealed the public broadcaster would be laying off 600 employees due to a $125 million shortfall in its budget after the Liberal budget sought 3.3% cuts across Crown corporations and federal departments.

Trudeau Liberals are ‘happy to defend’ the CBC from Conservative critics

Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge told the Commons heritage committee Thursday she is 'happy' to defend the CBC from Conservative critics, reported Blacklock’s Reporter.

READ MORE: https://t.co/IDgjpCOnu4 pic.twitter.com/ihWOlneviE

— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) December 2, 2023

“It's part of my mandate letter to think about the future of the public broadcaster. We have modernized the Broadcasting Act, and the next step is really CBC/Radio-Canada,” the minister told the outlet. A further announcement on how the government will work with the expert panel is coming in the future, St-Onge said.

Among the panel's considerations will be whether CBC should withdraw completely from the advertising market, where revenues have diminished in recent years.

‘It’s too early to say where we are for this year,’ said the CBC president and CEO.

MORE: https://t.co/wE72ApICrV pic.twitter.com/CmEd5RxpS2

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) December 5, 2023

While Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has campaigned on cutting the Crown corporation altogether, St-Onge maintained the government's commitment, noting the Liberals “will continue to work to ensure that it has a strong public broadcaster from one end of the country to the other. We have always been convinced of the importance of the public broadcaster to democratic life.”

CBC President Catherine Tait will appear before the House of Commons heritage committee to discuss the broadcaster's cuts in the new year. No date has been scheduled for the hearing, though the committee hopes to hear from Tate at its first session in January.