Canada’s public broadcaster, CBC, is expected to announce a significant reduction in its workforce, cutting 600 jobs, which accounts for 10 per cent of its total employees.
The decision was communicated to the managers at CBC earlier today, and Chief Executive Catherine Tait is set to address all employees regarding the financial challenges the broadcaster is currently facing.
The job cuts will be distributed across the organization, with 250 positions being eliminated from CBC’s English-language network and another 250 from French-language Radio Canada.
Additionally, 100 jobs will be slashed from the technician and support staff sectors. This decision comes in the wake of CBC struggling with a substantial drop in television advertising revenues. In October, CBC had already implemented a job creation freeze, with no plans to replace employees who left the company.
This downsizing at CBC reflects a broader financial crisis affecting many media outlets in Canada and globally. Last month, Tait announced an impending budget cut of CAN$100 million (USD$74 million) for the public broadcaster, signalling tough decisions ahead.
In a recent development, Canada struck a deal with Google, where the tech giant agreed to compensate Canadian media companies for content distribution, promising an annual support of $100 million, adjusted for inflation.