OTTAWA — CBC/Radio-Canada is planning a major expansion of its international news operations, including reopening bureaus in Beijing, Jerusalem and Mexico City.The public broadcaster announced Thursday that CBC News and Radio-Canada Info will place journalists in five additional regions over the next two years.Along with returning to Beijing, Jerusalem and Mexico City, the broadcaster will establish a presence in Los Angeles and open another European bureau in a city yet to be selected.CBC/Radio-Canada will also send journalists to Africa more frequently before establishing a permanent operation on the continent.The broadcaster did not disclose the expansion’s cost or how many journalists will be hired or reassigned.“This new investment in international reporting comes at a time when the world, and Canada’s place within it, is rapidly changing,” said Brodie Fenlon, general manager and editor-in-chief of CBC News.“Geopolitical, hemispheric, social and economic power dynamics are in significant flux, with many international stories now having a direct impact on Canada’s economy, security and sovereignty.”The state broadcaster gets $1.4 billion in taxpayers' money..CBC and Radio-Canada currently operate seven permanent foreign bureaus in Istanbul, London, Mumbai, New York City, Paris, Taipei and Washington.The broadcaster said its journalists travelled to 65 countries last year to produce digital, television, radio and streaming reports.The Beijing bureau will restore CBC’s permanent presence in China after it was closed in 2022.CBC said at the time that Chinese authorities had repeatedly refused to issue work visas for its journalists. The public broadcaster had maintained a bureau in the country for more than 40 years.Russia also ordered CBC to close its Moscow bureau in 2022 and cancelled its journalists’ visas and accreditation.The Russian government described the move as retaliation for Canada’s decision to remove the state-controlled Russia Today and RT France television channels from Canadian airwaves following the invasion of Ukraine.CBC previously closed its Cape Town and Mexico City bureaus, along with its English-language television operation in Paris, during budget reductions in 2000.The restored Mexico City bureau will cover Mexico as well as major developments in Central and South America.The Los Angeles operation will work alongside the existing Washington and New York bureaus to expand coverage across the United States.CBC/Radio-Canada said its additional European bureau will build on its operations in London and Paris as changing alliances give the region greater strategic importance to Canada.The broadcaster’s recent admission as a full member of the European Broadcasting Union also gives it access to the Eurovision News Exchange, allowing Canadian and European public broadcasters to share more reporting.“This expansion of our international news coverage will give Canadians a broader window on the world at a time when it is changing rapidly,” said Crystelle Crépeau, general manager of news and current affairs at Radio-Canada.“Our correspondents and special envoys bring us into the heart of countries and communities, uncover compelling stories, and provide the context needed to understand the complex issues reshaping our world.”CBC News said it will also develop new international reporting formats for its digital, audio and video-streaming platforms.
