Cuts at CBC will hurt Canadians - CAJ

OTTAWA, April 10, 2014 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists expresses its deep concern over a decision by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to eliminate 657 jobs.

On Thursday the CBC announced the staff reduction would occur during the next two years as part of a $130-million budget cut. There will be no early-retirement incentive program.

Canada ranks third from the bottom in a 2011 Deloitte audit on per-capita funding for public broadcasters, spending $34 per person. Only New Zealand and the U.S. spend less while Norway spends $164 per person on its public-broadcasting system.

"When jobs are cut within a media company, Canadians often lose," CAJ vice-president Nick Taylor-Vaisey said. "These positions help inform and educate Canadians about the news and information we need to have for a healthy, functioning democratic society."

The cuts come the same week the CAJ awards finalists were announced. The broadcaster is a finalist in 13 categories.

The CAJ believes the federal government's decision to cut the CBC's budget when its board and president had requested stable and secure funding is short-sighted and may cause irrevocable damage to the corporation's ability to meet its legislated mandate.

The CAJ is Canada's largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing almost 600 members across the country. The CAJ's primary roles are to provide high-quality professional development for its members and public-interest advocacy.

SOURCE: Canadian Association of Journalists

Nick Taylor-Vaisey, CAJ vice-president, 647-968-2393, [email protected]

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