To the Editor:
Bravo for the opinion piece on the CBC.
The $125 million shortfall and the layoff of 10 per cent of the staff has not garnered the press coverage it deserves.
I appreciate James Morgan’s piece especially with his comments about the lack of CBC rural coverage but I think his horizon is limited to the experience of public broadcasting in our big neighbour, the USA.
England, France and Australia (as only 3 countries) provide financial support to its public broadcasters and media as part of a national priority. Private broadcasters’ coverage of Canadian issues over Radio, print or television pales in comparison with that of the CBC or Radio-Canada. We face a lack of rural coverage now but with Morgan’s prescription we would face a lack of all Canadian content coverage.
And music and film production in Canada only flourishes with public subsidies (as European countries provide their cultural industries) as Cultural product investors prioritize big market success.
All media faces a decline in advertising revenue since social media and other platforms have dominated the reception of the lions’ share of advertising monies. Print media in Canada have been demanding subsidies for a period of time now and now receive it and one of the rationales in the closing of the wonderful Glengarry News was the ongoing struggle to acquire advertising dollars to be able to run the newspaper.
I agree with James’ idea of a public commission on the future of public broadcasting in Canada. Thanks for the coverage of this important issue for Canadians.
David Kidd
Alexandria ON
