IT IS UP TO CEO HUBERT LACROIX to show whether he believes it is his good fortune – or his utter misfortune – to lead the CBC at this point in time. Despite all the talk about a new, five-year strategic plan to get to 2020 and a silly new “conversation” with Canadians he announced Monday, Lacroix must know already what he wants, and must, do. And, is it ever going to hurt. The changes that must be made to the CBC will run far deeper, and wider, than the 650 layoffs which were announced last month.
It will alter the face of the corporation and gut some of what it does now, especially on the TV side – and more especially on the English TV side. Rumours are rife inside and outside the Corp that the people cut last month was just the tip of the iceberg – the bare minimum required just to get through a few more months – and that Lacroix was told by the CBC board of directors he must cut far more than what was announced in April. We’re told a crucial board meeting is scheduled for June where the CEO will lay out a more drastic overhaul.
We find it hard to believe the eight-question survey posted Monday to the CBC site which presents some false dichotomy, multiple choice answers, will play much of a role in something Lacroix must present so soon, but some of the questions sure reveal a point of view. Should the CBC drop local news? Should it shut transmitters? Do Canadians want new media or traditional media newscasts? How do you want your music? How do you want to see kids programming? Do you want TV content online or as we have it now?
Last month’s cuts were done ostensibly to balance the 2014-15 budget, a fiscal year that just began on April 1st, and were made against the backdrop, it was said publicly, believing the CBC might be able to retain a reasonable chunk of the $330 million dollars in ad revenue it earns for TV every year. However, ad agencies only came to the table at CBC for NHL hockey, so big revenue from TV advertising is gone forever. What’s surely becoming apparent now to the CBC brass is that with Rogers already in the market selling a zillion hockey games on seemingly endless channels (FX, really?) and with the current roster of Canadian private broadcasters able to offer so many more eyeballs for far better rated programming, the ad dollars to be earned by the likes of Murdoch Mysteries, Dragon’s Den and The Rick Mercer Report will be a pittance, compared to what the CBC has grown accustomed. That doesn’t even take into account the overall trend of ad revenue abandoning traditional broadcasters in favour of many other platforms.
With some more popular French-language TV programming in the Quebec market, Radio-Canada will bring in some revenue there, but again, it will be small dollars. As well, sales on Radio 2 have been a disaster. The company told the CRTC last year when it asked to sell ad time on Radio 2 that it hoped to earn $11 million in year one. It instead lost $13 million so far.
"Like a battlefield doctor, however, awful decisions must be made first in order to save the wounded patient and for the CBC to continue in its important, necessary and mandated-by-law, role. Appendages must be cut off. "
All that is to say the new CBC has to prepare budgets that force it to live within the now-$980,000,000 granted to it by the taxpayers every year, plus the $170 million earned by its specialty channels CBC News Network, RDI and artv. Given what we know can be done with technology, combined with the taking of some very hard choices, we can have a very robust public broadcaster featuring a significant online and mobile presence with that kind of money, treating whatever can be earned in TV ad dollars or online as gravy.
Like a battlefield doctor, however, awful decisions must be made first in order to save the wounded patient and for the CBC to continue in its important, necessary and mandated-by-law, role. Appendages must be cut off. There is no way around this. For example:
- It’s likely a bit too early for some viewers, but the whole over-the-air TV transmitter network can be shut to save money. The CBC will still be available through BDUs and online to nearly everyone.
- There are nearly endless places for kids to find video – even Canadian content. Does the CBC (yes, I was a Mr. Dressup and Friendly Giant fan, too!) need to be in kids programming any more? Sorry Mamma Yamma.
- In the major markets, should the local news shows be eliminated? With so much news available from so many sources in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, why go to the expense of maintaining those expensive programs on TV? If the world is switching to an all-the-time, online, mobile viewing cycle (which the CBC’s own research arm, MTM, tells us!), what’s the value in a six o’clock news show anyhow? Go digital and radio only in those well-served markets.
- Why does the CBC put together a French newscast in B.C., when there are 20 times the number of Punjabi and Cantonese speakers than French speakers there (according to census data) . Yes, French is one of our official languages, but according to the Broadcasting Act (section 3(1) (l,m and n) the CBC is supposed to reflect all Canadians and “reflect the multicultural and multiracial nature of Canada”, so producing local news shows which will probably be seen by not many more than the members of that newsroom seems like money that can be better spent elsewhere. How about some online micro-news platforms, which includes video, to serve those markets, even the small French one?
There are no choices Lacroix has in front of him that won’t result in thousands of people howling, but this is the reality. The media world has changed around all of us and the CBC isn’t immune. Our Broadcasting Act says it must exist and Lacroix has to make tough choices happen, even if he’s seen as dumping them at the feet of parliamentarians who will hear from their constituents. Why not dump it at their feet?
Maybe, and I’m not kidding when I say this, Lacroix should televise the whole thing. Part of the CBC’s mantra under his leadership has been openness, so why not broadcast to Canadians details of the changes to be made. Why not go on the air regularly and talk to all of us about what’s changing and why? Maybe have actual conversations rather than little online surveys. It would show Canadians how much he cares, it would lay out the challenges and the nation can judge first-hand.
Broadcast the evolution of the CBC, Mr. Lacroix. Lay out the plan and convince people you want to be at the tiller in these very rough seas, and that you know where to steer the ship.
Photo by Steve Faguy
