The federal government's panel to modernize the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has already cost taxpayers at least $200,000. This panel includes former CBC employees, which raises questions about its independence, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge created the panel to advise on the CBC's future, including its funding. The panel's expenses include $70,000 plus taxes for panel members, $83,000 for research and briefing papers, $13,000 for translation, and up to $28,000 for facilitation services.The CTF obtained records showing the costs were closer to $280,000.The records showed $106,500 for panel members, $133,000 for background documents, $28,815 for "facilitators," and $13,050 for translation services.According to Canadian Heritage, these costs could increase as the panel continues its work."The feds wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to figure out why the CBC is failing, but they could have saved that money and asked a random person at Tim Hortons," said Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of CTF."If the CBC wanted to build trust with Canadians, here is a place it could start: stop paying millions in bonuses to executives."The panel includes several members with CBC connections, including Marie-Philippe Bouchard, Jennifer McGuire, Loc Dao, and Jesse Wente.Only one panel member, David Skok from The Logic, refused payment for his work.The CTF found that most panel members or their organizations have received millions in federal funding since 2020. Mike Ananny, an American journalism professor, is the only member without ties to federal funding.According to records obtained by the CTF, the panel did not hold public consultations."I'm sure it was totally a coincidence that most panellists have either worked for CBC or an organization that takes money from taxpayers," Terrazzano said. "And when this panel inevitably comes back recommending the government dump more taxpayer money into the CBC, it will be another coincidence. If the government is looking for a predetermined outcome, it could do it for a lot less than $200,000.""Canadian Heritage sent hundreds of pages of records showing the cost of the panel is $280,000, but now the department says it's $200,000," said Terrazzano. "Does anyone in government know what is going on and how much this is costing taxpayers? The government could have saved itself all this confusion, paperwork and money by asking any of the millions of Canadians who know why the CBC is failing. The only modernization plan the state broadcaster needs is three words long: defund the CBC."
The federal government's panel to modernize the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has already cost taxpayers at least $200,000. This panel includes former CBC employees, which raises questions about its independence, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge created the panel to advise on the CBC's future, including its funding. The panel's expenses include $70,000 plus taxes for panel members, $83,000 for research and briefing papers, $13,000 for translation, and up to $28,000 for facilitation services.The CTF obtained records showing the costs were closer to $280,000.The records showed $106,500 for panel members, $133,000 for background documents, $28,815 for "facilitators," and $13,050 for translation services.According to Canadian Heritage, these costs could increase as the panel continues its work."The feds wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to figure out why the CBC is failing, but they could have saved that money and asked a random person at Tim Hortons," said Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of CTF."If the CBC wanted to build trust with Canadians, here is a place it could start: stop paying millions in bonuses to executives."The panel includes several members with CBC connections, including Marie-Philippe Bouchard, Jennifer McGuire, Loc Dao, and Jesse Wente.Only one panel member, David Skok from The Logic, refused payment for his work.The CTF found that most panel members or their organizations have received millions in federal funding since 2020. Mike Ananny, an American journalism professor, is the only member without ties to federal funding.According to records obtained by the CTF, the panel did not hold public consultations."I'm sure it was totally a coincidence that most panellists have either worked for CBC or an organization that takes money from taxpayers," Terrazzano said. "And when this panel inevitably comes back recommending the government dump more taxpayer money into the CBC, it will be another coincidence. If the government is looking for a predetermined outcome, it could do it for a lot less than $200,000.""Canadian Heritage sent hundreds of pages of records showing the cost of the panel is $280,000, but now the department says it's $200,000," said Terrazzano. "Does anyone in government know what is going on and how much this is costing taxpayers? The government could have saved itself all this confusion, paperwork and money by asking any of the millions of Canadians who know why the CBC is failing. The only modernization plan the state broadcaster needs is three words long: defund the CBC."
