Erin O’Toole has reaffirmed his intent to end the mainstream media bailout and revamp the government funding of the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC)..“What I don’t like is competition with the private sector that is holding on by a thread. Some of our print and other media outlets trying to transition to the digital world and seeing the state-run broadcaster getting more and more funding by Mr. Trudeau,” O’Toole said Thursday on a campaign stop in St. John, N.B..In 2019, Trudeau’s Liberals committed $595 million to hand-selected media outlets while also offering up 15% tax credits for subscribers and payroll rebates for newsroom employees..The Liberals also handed the CBC $1.2 billion of taxpayer cash..O’Toole said this unbalanced competition leads to “hollowing out jobs in the private sector, leading to less choice, less options, less voices.”.The Tories are committed to ending bailout to mainstream media but plan to work to help them transition to the new digital space. O’Toole said his party’s plan will work to balance the playing field with American web giants while protecting freedom of speech and internet freedom..In an earlier statement, O’Toole said direct funding to handpicked media outlets is “something that undermines press freedom and trust in media.”.According to a recent Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) released in June 2021, there is a significant and widespread decline in trust in traditional news sources: broadcast TV (-7%), print newspaper (-9%) and talk radio (-9%). Findings show 34% of Canadians have little to no trust in traditional media as of 2021..O’Toole’s original platform promise in last year’s leadership contest was to defund CBC and privatize its English language TV..In the Aug. 16, 2021 release of the Conservative Party’s full 160-page election platform, instead of O’Toole’s original campaign commitment, he said he will now review the CBC funding mandate and assess moving more to a public interest model like that of PBS in the U.S., to ensure it no longer competes with private Canadian broadcasters and digital providers..The Western Standard accepts no government bail-out money of any kind..Risdon is a reporter for the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
