CBC/Radio-Canada hosts its first Annual Public Meeting

OTTAWA , Sept. 23 /CNW Telbec/ - CBC/Radio-Canada held its first Annual Public Meeting this morning-online. Internet users from across Canada and abroad were able to find out more about the national public broadcaster, and to submit their questions live.

Tim W. Casgrain, Chair of the Board of Directors; Hubert T. Lacroix, President and CEO; and Suzanne Morris , Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, reviewed the highlights of 2008-2009 and provided an overview of the Corporation's strategic direction for the current fiscal year and for the future.

"If the last year made one thing clear, it's that serious financial challenges are the reality for CBC/Radio-Canada and that we have no choice but to adapt," said Tim W. Casgrain, Chair of the Board of Directors. "Our success rests on reaching more Canadians in more ways than ever before, with content they want, and indeed need. It's what we focused on preserving last year, and it's what we're committed to safeguarding in the future. It's what Canadians expect, and it's what they deserve."

The Annual Public Meeting allowed the Corporation to forge closer ties with the public, to show greater transparency in its management of public funds, and to reaffirm its commitment to serving Canadians.

Hubert T. Lacroix declared, "All CBC/Radio-Canada's services, on television, radio and the Internet, in English and French, cost only $34 per year per Canadian - which translates into less than 10 cents a day. Our Annual Public Meeting has allowed us to show our shareholders the wide range of services they receive for this amount, and to listen to their comments."

Archives of the meeting webcast will be available at www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/annualmeeting. Answers to the most frequently asked questions will also be posted at this address.

About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.

For further information: Marco Dubé, Director, Media Relations and Issues Management, CBC/Radio-Canada, [phone], [email protected]