More than 1,800 employees at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation earned over $100,000 in 2024-25, costing taxpayers about $240 million, according to documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.The CTF says the CBC’s internal records reveal a “bloated bureaucracy,” with over 250 directors, 450 managers, and 780 producers now earning six-figure salaries.“The CBC’s own records show it has a bloated bureaucracy full of highly paid managers and bureaucrats,” said Franco Terrazzano, the CTF’s federal director. “Canadians need tax relief not a bunch of managers managing managers at the CBC.”.A 65-page salary list acquired through access-to-information shows 180 managers, 277 senior managers, 124 directors, 106 senior directors, and 28 executive directors earning more than $100,000. Producer roles accounted for the bulk of six-figure earners, including 493 producers, 36 technical producers, 168 senior producers, and 86 executive producers.The CBC also paid six-figure salaries to 130 advisors, 81 analysts, 120 hosts, 80 project leads, 30 lead architects, and 25 supervisors. More than 200 roles were redacted.The number of six-figure earners at CBC has surged 318% since 2015-16, when 438 employees were paid $100,000 or more, costing taxpayers about $60 million. In the past year alone, the number of six-figure earners jumped 17%.“CBC has fat to cut and if Prime Minister Mark Carney is serious about saving money, he needs to force CBC to cut its bureaucratic bloat,” said Terrazzano. “Or better yet, Carney should defund the CBC.”.The watchdog also criticized the CBC for awarding $37.7 million in pay raises in 2024-25 — up from $11.5 million the year before — after scrapping taxpayer-funded bonuses due to public backlash.In a May 2025 statement, the CBC board said it would eliminate individual performance pay and adjust salaries to maintain compensation levels. “In order to keep overall compensation at the current median level, salaries of those affected will be adjusted to reflect the elimination of individual performance pay,” the CBC said.The broadcaster will cost taxpayers more than $1.4 billion this year, according to the Main Estimates. The Carney government has directed Crown corporations to propose savings of up to 15% over three years, meaning CBC could be required to cut up to $198 million.“Taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for an office full of middle managers pretending to be reporters,” said Kris Sims, CTF’s Alberta director. “The government should stop giving taxpayers’ money to the CBC and force the broadcaster to raise money on its own merits from willing donors and subscribers.”
