CBC Radio-Canada CBC Television Transformation

1 CBC Mandate from the Broadcasting Act zthe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as the national public broadcaster, should provide radio and television services incorporating a wide range of programming that informs, enlightens and entertains; zthe programming provided by the Corporation should y be predominantly and distinctively Canadian, y reflect Canada and its regions to national and regional audiences, while serving the special needs of those regions, y actively contribute to the flow and exchange of cultural expression, y be in English and in French, reflecting the different needs and circumstances of each official language community, including the particular needs and circumstances of English and French linguistic minorities, y strive to be of equivalent quality in English and in French, y contribute to shared national consciousness and identity, y be made available throughout Canada by the most appropriate and efficient means and as resources become available for the purpose, and y reflect the multicultural and multiracial nature of Canada.

2 CBC English Television: Diagnosis 1.Identity Crisis. y No shared understanding of purpose and value. y Public broadcaster or commercial broadcaster? y Insufficiently distinctive from other networks. y Declining audiences. y Over-reliance on commercial revenue (reduces distinctiveness and quality). 2.Financial Crisis. y Rising costs. y Stable government funding. y Increasing competition for commercial revenue. y We must balance the books. y Plus fund necessary improvements.

3 ETV Transformation: Goals 1.Increase the value of CBC Television. y Canadian Public Television. y Canadian largely achieved. y Now emphasize Public. y More distinctive; higher quality; less commercial. 2.In a way which is financially responsible. y Absorb cost pressures and revenue losses. y Balance the books. y Financially sustainable.

4 Schedule Characteristics z“Pan-Canadian” Service. y All Canadians see themselves on it, feel ownership in it. y Expanded reflection of Canada to Canadians. y Programs produced across the country. zEmbodies public broadcasting values. y A “public broadcasting” look to the entire schedule. zExcellence and distinctiveness. y Clearly superior in quality. y Clearly different from anything else available. zPredominantly Canadian. y Supplemented with Best of the World. zGreater audience impact. y In terms of both usage and value.

5 Major Features zImproved regional reflection on the network. zJournalistic presence in more locations. zRevitalized 6 and 10 pm flagship information programs. zExpanded Children’s and Youth programming. zMore Arts and Documentaries. zRenewed public affairs, investigative journalism. zContinued excellence in Comedy and Drama. zSports: continued amateur and journalistic initiatives. zMore high-impact specials. zMore room for innovation and risk-taking. zReduced commercial presence and clutter. zNew, consistent network look, personality and brand.

6 Key Issue: Commercial Reduction z~$200M per year = ~40% of ETV budget. Two reasons to reduce it: zPublic policy rationale: y Over-reliance on advertising compromises public service broadcasters (1999 McKinsey Report). y Public and key stakeholders support change. y Clearly signals public broadcasting commitment; clearly differentiates CBC from other broadcasters. zBusiness case: y Ad revenue bound to decrease through ongoing audience fragmentation and industry competition. y Advertisers rebelling at clutter. y Remaining advertising has greater value.

7 Key Issue: Regional Reconfiguration zCurrent Situation: Local Supper Hours. y Financially unsustainable. y Relatively small audiences in most locations; seen as insufficiently distinctive. y Resources concentrated in too few locations; large parts of country not well covered. y Production at multiple locations increases cost per viewer per hour on the schedule. y Local presence drives up infrastructure costs. y Fundamental change is required. Tinkering is not a solution.

8 The Plan: Summary of Benefits zSolves financial crisis; sustainable in long term. zStops downward spiral of across-the-board cuts. zReduces high fixed infrastructure costs. zMeets public broadcasting mandate. zMore distinctive, high-quality programming. zBetter regional reflection on the network. zExpanded journalistic presence across the country. zReduced commercial inventory and clutter. zIncreased impact, value, relevance. zDeserves public support. zBuilds for the future.