CBC CEO Catherine Tait claimed $119,000 in expenses from November 1 2021 to November 1 2023, access to information records obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter show. Charges included business class “junkets,” or pleasure trips, from Prague to Hollywood.Tait, who makes $497,000 annually at the helm of the government-funded broadcaster, simultaneously complained the network faced “immense pressure” financially. She testified at the Commons Heritage Committee January 30 that “the public broadcaster faces chronic underfunding” and the CBC had to “stretch limited resources to meet our mandate.”Tait claimed the CBC faced a shortfall of $125 million and warned employees of job cuts — which came to fruition later in 2023.“Like all media we face rising costs of operations and production and declines in revenue,” Tait told the committee. “We alerted the government to our financial challenge last summer.”A 2021 Department of Canadian Heritage briefing note called ‘Funding Support For The CBC’ wrote, “the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges covering it put immense pressure on CBC.”Access To Information receipts show Tait billed for five-figure junkets overseas. The CEO typically flew business class. Expenses included:• $12,841 for a 2022 Tokyo conference of Public Broadcasters International;• $12,673 for a 2022 “European tour” to London, Brussels and Geneva;• $12,220 to Lausanne in 2021 for “discussions with the International Olympic Committee”;• $10,334 for a 2023 Prague conference of Public Broadcasters International;• $9,841 for a 2022 trip to Hollywood for “meetings with production industry representatives”;• $9,648 for a 2022 trip to London for discussion on “threats facing journalists.”.Tait also billed for business class travel within Canada, including:• A 2022 visit to the Toronto International Film Festival, which cost $2,155. Expenses were marked as “various meetings with stakeholders.”• A visit to the Yorkton Film Festival May 23 2023 and “meetings with Saskatchewan regional CBC employees,” which cost $4,062. • Tait’s attendance at the 2023 Juno Awards in Edmonton cost $5,231.• A ”senior executive team retreat” in 2022 at a Gatineau, QC spa, the Moulin Wakefield Mill, cost $6,055. Expenses included $3,082 for meals. Tait's hotel room cost $351 for the night.Other receipts included $638 for a 2022 “working dinner” at an Ottawa restaurant with CBC lobbyist Shaun Poulter and other guests. The meal included $118 for King Salmon and $112 for a rabbit dish.Costs included an “outreach tour to Vancouver” ($4,291), attendance at the Canadian Screen Awards in Toronto ($1,195) and “various events at the Toronto International Film Festival” last September 7 ($3,162).Expense billings continued through 2023 even as Tait said she “alerted the government to our financial challenge” and planned layoffs.
CBC CEO Catherine Tait claimed $119,000 in expenses from November 1 2021 to November 1 2023, access to information records obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter show. Charges included business class “junkets,” or pleasure trips, from Prague to Hollywood.Tait, who makes $497,000 annually at the helm of the government-funded broadcaster, simultaneously complained the network faced “immense pressure” financially. She testified at the Commons Heritage Committee January 30 that “the public broadcaster faces chronic underfunding” and the CBC had to “stretch limited resources to meet our mandate.”Tait claimed the CBC faced a shortfall of $125 million and warned employees of job cuts — which came to fruition later in 2023.“Like all media we face rising costs of operations and production and declines in revenue,” Tait told the committee. “We alerted the government to our financial challenge last summer.”A 2021 Department of Canadian Heritage briefing note called ‘Funding Support For The CBC’ wrote, “the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges covering it put immense pressure on CBC.”Access To Information receipts show Tait billed for five-figure junkets overseas. The CEO typically flew business class. Expenses included:• $12,841 for a 2022 Tokyo conference of Public Broadcasters International;• $12,673 for a 2022 “European tour” to London, Brussels and Geneva;• $12,220 to Lausanne in 2021 for “discussions with the International Olympic Committee”;• $10,334 for a 2023 Prague conference of Public Broadcasters International;• $9,841 for a 2022 trip to Hollywood for “meetings with production industry representatives”;• $9,648 for a 2022 trip to London for discussion on “threats facing journalists.”.Tait also billed for business class travel within Canada, including:• A 2022 visit to the Toronto International Film Festival, which cost $2,155. Expenses were marked as “various meetings with stakeholders.”• A visit to the Yorkton Film Festival May 23 2023 and “meetings with Saskatchewan regional CBC employees,” which cost $4,062. • Tait’s attendance at the 2023 Juno Awards in Edmonton cost $5,231.• A ”senior executive team retreat” in 2022 at a Gatineau, QC spa, the Moulin Wakefield Mill, cost $6,055. Expenses included $3,082 for meals. Tait's hotel room cost $351 for the night.Other receipts included $638 for a 2022 “working dinner” at an Ottawa restaurant with CBC lobbyist Shaun Poulter and other guests. The meal included $118 for King Salmon and $112 for a rabbit dish.Costs included an “outreach tour to Vancouver” ($4,291), attendance at the Canadian Screen Awards in Toronto ($1,195) and “various events at the Toronto International Film Festival” last September 7 ($3,162).Expense billings continued through 2023 even as Tait said she “alerted the government to our financial challenge” and planned layoffs.
