CBC/Radio-Canada will cut fewer positions than expected this year, thanks in particular to new state funding, management announced Wednesday in an internal letter to employees, contacted by AFP.
Last December, the group outlined plans to cut 600 jobs, or 10% of its workforce, by 2024. 200 vacancies should be added to this.
“Since then, we have reduced our workforce by 141 employees and eliminated 205 vacant positions,” management explains in its letter, which says it no longer plans “major additional cuts this year.”
On Tuesday, in its 2024 budget, the federal government announced $42 million in additional funding for CBC/Radio-Canada over the current year.
“This investment in the public broadcaster is welcome and timely. This will help the company manage its financial challenges more sustainably,” the group management further wrote.
The group did not provide details on which positions have already been eliminated. Initially, 250 positions will be for CBC, the group's English-speaking network, and another 250 for Radio-Canada, its French-speaking arm, with the rest for technical and support functions.
Many Canadian media outlets, including the largest ones, are currently in poor financial condition due to declining advertising revenue and competition from digital giants.
Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE), Canada's largest telecommunications and media company, announced in February that it would cut 4,800 jobs, or 9% of its workforce, as well as sell 45 radio stations.
In early November, more than 500 TVA Group employees, or about one-third, were laid off.
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