CBC is wrong target for government restraint: union

OTTAWA, March 29, 2012 /CNW/ - The Canadian Media Guild, which represents 5,500 CBC/Radio-Canada employees and freelancers across the country, will be available for comment after the federal budget is released today.

"Naturally, we are very concerned about rumours that CBC/Radio-Canada is a target for a major cut," says Marc-Philippe Laurin, president of the CMG's CBC branch. "The government has chipped away at the funding to CBC since coming to power six years ago. This is not the time to swing the axe. Cuts will hurt CBC services at a time when the CBC is more and more important to Canadians. Not to mention the negative impact a cut will have on local economies across the country."

While recent polls suggest that a majority of Canadians support maintaining and increasing funding to CBC, the government has not made any clear public statement about its plans for the public broadcaster since winning a majority of seats in Parliament.

"We will be looking for clarity from the government in the budget and afterward," says CMG national president Carmel Smyth. "The majority of Canadians know public media is a cornerstone of our democracy and an essential component of our cultural and economic future. We hope the government agrees."

Marc-Philippe Laurin, [email protected] , Cell : 819-664-5090

Karen Wirsig, communications co-ordinator, [email protected] , Cell: 416-524-5473; Office: 416-591-5333, ext. 243.