2012.04.04 | CWA Canada Local 30213 | Canadian Media Guild

 

Federal budget cuts force CBC to slash 650 jobs,
reduce original content, journalism

CBC will chop 650 positions from its workforce and reduce original content on radio, TV and the internet in order to cope with the punishing federal budget cuts, president Hubert Lacroix told a public town hall meeting with employees today.

The Canadian Media Guild (CMG), which represents thousands of workers at the public broadcaster, will lose 275 members by 2015, with the bulk of the cuts coming this year. They appear to be focused in the larger centres, including Toronto, Montreal and Halifax.

Lacroix says they had to make "gut-wrenching choices" about how to deal with the loss of $115 million in public funding over three years plus unavoidable cost increases and investments that bring that figure to $200 million. The CBC expects to offset that with $50 million in new revenues, leaving about $150 million to account for through cuts and operating improvements. Managers will be sharing the pain, seeing their ranks trimmed 10 per cent.

"This is a sad day for the CBC, for workers and for Canada," says CWA Canada Director Martin O'Hanlon. "These cuts will diminish Canadian content, hurt journalistic quality and take away more decent-paying jobs which the country can't afford to lose. And why is this happening? So the Harper government can pour billions of dollars into over-priced fighter jets and unnecessary prison expansion."

Carmel Smyth, national president of the CMG, calls it "a depressing day for anyone who values quality journalism and Canadian programming. There will be fewer innovative documentaries, fewer stories about Canadians, fewer means for journalists to expose abuse and corruption.

"What does it say about the state of our democracy that these can be diminished at this time?"

"The public will find less original content and more reruns on CBC and Radio-Canada while our members will be stretched even thinner to try to deliver what Canadians deserve from their public broadcaster," says Marc-Philippe Laurin, president of the CBC branch of the CMG.

"It seems that no part of the organization is spared from the effects of the cuts and we fear CBC will be less responsive and innovative in meeting the needs of Canadians. This budget cut, following years of cuts and underfunding, is clearly pushing the CBC further into a commercial model."

The cuts will reduce original programming for television – including fewer documentaries, scripted dramas and daytime children's shows, and speed up news integration. Analog over-the-air TV transmission will be shut down this summer as will the RCI shortwave facility in Sackville, N.B. in October. CBC will sell Bold, its digital station, as well as buildings in Calgary and Halifax and lease space back. The Halifax move will close the only turnkey TV production studio east of Montreal. In addition, CBC is applying to the CRTC to put advertising and sponsorships on Espace Musique and CBC Radio 2 and the latter will do even less live recording.

Kirstine Stewart, executive vice-president, English Services, says that segment of the CBC is facing $86 million in reductions over the next three years. Noting that 60 per cent of the budget goes toward salaries, she says it would be impossible to take a hit of this magnitude and not affect jobs.

"I can't tell you how much it pains me to be talking about reductions," Stewart told employees. "Slow down initiatives, say goodbye to treasured friends."

The CMG has been told that this year's staffing cuts are slated to be completed by the end of July, with redundancy notices going to affected permanent employees beginning the last week of April. The downsizing process will be handled in a joint union-management process in each location affected by the cuts.

The CMG is examining CBC's plan to have employees pay a greater share of pension contributions. The Guild believes the CBC cannot impose this increase unilaterally and is seeking a conversation with management.

More details of how the cuts will be implemented are expected in the coming days.