News Releases

November 6, 2003

CBC/Radio-Canada to Move Forward With a New Contract With Canadians

Ottawa— Today, the government issued its response to Our Cultural Sovereignty, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage's report on the Canadian broadcasting system. Issued in June, the report reaffirmed the continuing importance of public broadcasting, recommended increased, stable multi-year funding for CBC/Radio-Canada, and called upon the Corporation to provide a fully-costed strategic plan on how to enhance our services. The government touches on a number of these issues, while reaffirming CBC/Radio-Canada's place in the Canadian broadcasting and cultural landscape.

"We are encouraged that in the government's response was a reaffirmation of the unique and essential nature of CBC/Radio-Canada, but we had hoped for more," said Carole Taylor, O.C., Chair, CBC/Radio-Canada Board of Directors. "We believe that now is the time to act, since the industry continues to undergo broad, rapid change and public broadcasting is more important than ever before. We will therefore continue to call for increased, stable multi-year funding and we hope the new government will implement the Committee's recommendations with respect to CBC/Radio-Canada."

CBC/Radio-Canada actively participated in the broadcasting review and had high expectations for the outcome. Last week, CBC/Radio-Canada again appeared before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage and reiterated its call for increased, stable multi-year funding. CBC/Radio-Canada also reaffirmed its commitment to developing a strategic plan to enhance local and regional programming.

"We have said publicly that it is time for a new contract between CBC/Radio-Canada and Canadians," said Robert Rabinovitch, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada. "We have listened to Canadians and are moving forward in developing a fully-costed strategic plan to enhance our local and regional programming. This strategy will further build upon the fundamental and essential role that CBC/Radio-Canada continues to play in this country's broadcasting environment, while also making us even more accountable to Canadians."

About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. CBC/Radio-Canada reaches Canadians through eight national radio and television networks, its full-service Web sites, local/regional stations and affiliates, as well as the digital television channel Country Canada and the continuous music network Galaxie. In addition, CBC/Radio-Canada has forged partnerships with other broadcasters and is a partner in the satellite radio service SIRIUS Canada as well as in the specialty television services ARTV and The Documentary Channel. Through this array of activities, CBC/Radio-Canada brings diverse regional and cultural perspectives into the daily lives of Canadians in English, French and eight aboriginal languages. (2006)

For additional information, please contact:

Katherine Heath-Eves
Media Relations
CBC/Radio-Canada (Ottawa)
Tel: (613) 288-6235
heathevk@cbc.ca
www.cbc.radio-canada.ca