Minister of Canadian Heritage Pascale St-Onge leads a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa, on Feb. 20.Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge is proposing that the CBC’s public funding almost double, in a bid to bolster the public broadcaster and end its reliance on advertising.
Ms. St-Onge published a proposed new mandate for CBC and Radio-Canada that would enshrine in law funding on a per capita basis, bringing it closer to the level of funding for public broadcasters in other G7 countries, including Britain’s BBC.
At a press conference, Ms. St-Onge announced her intention to step down at the forthcoming election to spend more time with her family, but said she wanted to fulfill a commitment to produce a fresh mandate for the CBC.
The government had promised during the past election to update the CBC’s mandate, which was last drawn up in 1991. The new mandate was derailed by the proroguing of Parliament and a new funding formula was also not approved by cabinet.
Ms. St-Onge’s draft mandate, drawn up over several months by her department, proposes that over a few years, CBC and Radio-Canada’s funding should increase to $62 per capita, the average level in the G7, from about $34 per capita.
She proposes prohibiting ads during news information and public-service broadcasts and to prevent CBC/Radio-Canada from charging subscription fees for its digital services.
She said that without predictable and stable funding, the public broadcaster may need to rely more on advertising to maintain its current services, which could dilute its distinctive character.
Ms. St-Onge said inaction is not an option as Canada is living in “particularly difficult times,” adding in a statement that CBC/Radio-Canada is “one of our collective tools for articulating our resistance to anything that tries to weaken us.”
Referring to the threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he thinks Canada should become the 51st state, she argued that investment in CBC is an investment in the sovereignty of Canada.
“Our sovereignty is being challenged, our cultural integrity is under pressure from foreign digital platforms.” She said that the public broadcaster is a commitment to Canada’s culture and independence.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre repeated his intention to cut the CBC’s budget (while preserving French services), saying that “almost nobody watches CBC television. They have among the worst ratings of any network and yet Trudeau gives them billions more.”
Last year, CBC received about $1.38-billion from the government. It has also received top-ups over the past four years to cover its costs. For example, the 2024 budget gave the public broadcaster an extra $42-million for 2024-2025.
Asked about whether linking funding to the number of people in Canada was justified, with the number of people watching CBC TV dropping, Ms. St-Onge said more Canadians than ever were listening to CBC radio, and using its other platforms.
She said CBC’s current budget can vary from one year to the next without sufficient notice, and funding through a per capita formula would give the broadcaster greater certainty while effectively giving taxpayers the status of stakeholders and owners of the public broadcaster.
The minister hit out at Mr. Poilievre’s plans to cut funding for CBC, saying research from McGill University’s Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy shows that most Canadians support the broadcaster.
The research included a survey of 2,055 adults, using a commercial survey panel provider. Seventy-eight per cent of Canadians, surveyed from Aug. 28, to Sept. 6, 2024, said they would like to see CBC/Radio-Canada continue if it addresses its major criticisms. (The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is plus or minus 2.16 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.)
“Pierre Poilievre doesn’t know what it means to put Canada first, or else you would choose to protect a Canadian institution that belongs to Canadians and exists for Canadians. CBC/Radio Canada will never belong to millionaire oligarchs like Musk or Zuckerberg,” Ms. St-Onge said. “It will always belong to the people of Canada.”
Ms. St-Onge said she hoped the proposals would be adopted by contenders for the leadership of the Liberal Party, who include former finance minister Chrystia Freeland and the former governor of the Bank of Canada, Mark Carney.
Among the changes she proposed included enshrining in the Broadcasting Act the requirement to produce trustworthy, local and impartial news to ensure that the public broadcaster does not downgrade its role reporting on current affairs.
The Heritage Minister’s mandate would separate French and English services in law, so that editorial and programming decisions are distinct.
She also proposed that the broadcasting act be amended to require CBC to develop a strategy to respond to the needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.
The role of CBC/Radio Canada in disseminating information to the public during an emergency, such as wild fires, should also be enshrined in its mandate, she said, to ensure Canadians get reliable reports, rather than misinformation.
To reinforce the broadcaster’s impartiality, she suggested that the CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada no longer be appointed by the government, but be chosen by the broadcaster’s board of directors.
Ms. St-Onge’s plan would require changes to the Broadcasting Act, which is unlikely before the next election.
But the future of CBC/Radio Canada is expected to be a wedge issue between the Liberals and the Conservatives during the coming campaign.
Marla Boltman, executive director for Friends of Canadian Media, said Mr. Trump’s threat of imposing tariffs on Canada had galvanized Canadians to stand up for their sovereignty, with CBC playing a crucial role in Canadian life.
“This is the most comprehensive and audacious plan to revitalize CBC/Radio Canada that we have seen in decades,” Ms. Boltman said. “Now more than ever, Canadians are closing ranks around our cherished public institutions and expect our politicians to do the same.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in a statement, criticized the Liberals for delaying the update to the CBC’s mandate, but said his party would ensure financial support would continue.
“The Liberals had 10 years to make reforms to strengthen CBC/Radio-Canada. Instead, they delayed, and prorogued Parliament – ensuring that none of these changes will ever see the light of day.”