Broadcasting Act

• "These layoffs cut deep, especially in smaller communities that rely on local news, and undermines democracy," said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
• "Bell had other choices, in anticipation of policy changes, but chose to pull the trigger on these layoffs.
• The eliminated positions include a 6% cut at Bell Media, which is part of BCE Inc.'s Bell Canada division, which impact CTV television network, specialty TV channels, radio stations and production studios.
• The Bell Media cuts specifically impact management, production, editorial and operations positions, sales and marketing and administrative and clerical jobs.

• Catherine Tait has served as President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada since July 2018 and will now serve until January 2025.
• GATINEAU, QC, June 1, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, the Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez announced the extension of Catherine Tait as President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada until January 2, 2025.
• Ms. Tait began her appointment on July 3, 2018, after being identified through an open, transparent and merit-based selection process.
• She is the first woman in the history of CBC/Radio-Canada to serve as President and CEO.

• In response, CBC paused its activity on Twitter, objecting to any suggestion the government has any control over its journalism.
• Poilievre is suggesting Twitter’s designation is proof the CBC lacks editorial independence and is a Liberal government propaganda tool.

Public plea

• In early April, Poilievre made a public request to Musk to label the CBC “government-funded media,” saying Canadians should be protected against disinformation and manipulation by state media.
• From the outset, Poilievre was conflating news organizations that receive government funding as public broadcasters to state media outlets, which are controlled editorially by ruling governments.
• After the request was granted, he again took to Twitter to signal that the public broadcaster has officially been exposed as “government-funded media,” thereby suggesting that it can no longer be considered trustworthy.

Not a warning

• The “government-funded” label doesn’t appear to suggest any sort of warning or raise cause for concern about the outlet’s objectivity and independence.
• Instead, it reads simply as describing a media entity that receives funding from the government.

Grasping the nuances

• Not everyone understands the nuances of how Canadian government works and fewer recognize the complexity of the institutions that make up the administrative state, which the CBC is part of as a Crown corporation.
• Crown corporations operate similarly to large for-profit companies, but they’re public organizations that fulfil both commercial and public policy objectives.

Taxpayer funds

• The public broadcaster maintains editorial independence, regardless of what party’s in power, and receives its funding through a vote in Parliament.
• But misleading Canadians by conflating Twitter’s media account verification labels, as Poilievre has done, is not the way forward.

• TORONTO, March 2, 2023 /CNW/ - The news of layoffs and restructuring at Global News this week chips away at already barebones newsrooms and puts democracy at risk as the number of media workers dwindles in the industry, says Unifor.
• Global has also decimated its award-winning sports department in Edmonton, the only local television sports coverage in the city.
• "It is becoming impossibly difficult for media workers to face the news of restructuring and layoffs on a regular basis," said Lana Payne, Unifor National President.
• Global has also decimated its award-winning sports department in Edmonton, the only local television sports coverage in the city.