The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is taking the government-funded state broadcaster to Federal Court over its refusal to disclose how much it spends on self-promotion.
The advocacy group in a court application asks that a judge compel the CBC to disclose its annual advertising budget, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
“Public interest in transparency outweighs any speculative harm,” counsel for the Taxpayers Federation wrote the Court. The CBC has not yet filed a statement of defence.
“As a publicly funded broadcaster the CBC is accountable to taxpayers,” wrote CTF.
“Disclosure of its advertising expenditures allows the public to assess whether public funds are being used efficiently and responsibly.”
CTF in 2024 submitted a request under the Access To Information Act seeking “CBC’s annual spending on advertising during the calendar years of 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.”
CBC executives at the time complained of “chronic underfunding” and successfully petitioned cabinet to raise the network’s yearly parliamentary grant to a record $1.4 billion.
The CBC refused to disclose how much it spent on self-promotion. Managers invoked section 18.b of the act that states: “A government institution may refuse to disclose any record requested under this part that contains information the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to prejudice the competitive position of a government institution or to interfere with contractual or other negotiations of a government institution.”
Counsel for CTF accused the CBC of misusing the exemption.
“Parliament did not intend that paragraph 18.b shield government institutions from legitimate public scrutiny particularly when the requested information pertains to budgetary allocations rather than proprietary business strategies,” said the court application.
“Aggregate advertising expenditures do not reveal sensitive competitive information.”
“Disclosure would provide only a general overview of CBC’s budget allocation, not specific strategies, proprietary data or confidential negotiations. The alleged harm is speculative. The CBC has not established a well-founded expectation of harm. Aggregate financial data lack the specificity needed to prejudice CBC’s competitive position.”
The Crown broadcaster while keeping secret its spending on self-promotion has disclosed it collects more than $4 million a year from other Crown agencies through advertizing.
Revenues last year totaled $4,034,971 including sponsorships by Canada Post, the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Royal Canadian Mint.
The figure was disclosed in an Inquiry Of Ministry tabled in the Commons June 17 at the request of Conservative MP Rachael Thomas, who asked, “How much advertising revenue did the CBC receive from government departments, agencies and other Crown corporations during the 2023-2024 fiscal year?”