OTTAWA, March 29, 2012 /CNW/ - The Canadian Media Guild, which
represents 5,500 CBC/Radio-Canada employees and freelancers across the
country, will be available for comment after the federal budget is
released today.
"Naturally, we are very concerned about rumours that CBC/Radio-Canada is
a target for a major cut," says Marc-Philippe Laurin, president of the
CMG's CBC branch. "The government has chipped away at the funding to
CBC since coming to power six years ago. This is not the time to swing
the axe. Cuts will hurt CBC services at a time when the CBC is more and
more important to Canadians. Not to mention the negative impact a cut
will have on local economies across the country."
While recent polls suggest that a majority of Canadians support
maintaining and increasing funding to CBC, the government has not made
any clear public statement about its plans for the public broadcaster
since winning a majority of seats in Parliament.
"We will be looking for clarity from the government in the budget and
afterward," says CMG national president Carmel Smyth. "The majority of
Canadians know public media is a cornerstone of our democracy and an
essential component of our cultural and economic future. We hope the
government agrees."
