End the CBC: Canada’s Propaganda Machine Must Be Defunded

The CBC's Shift from Public Broadcaster to Government Mouthpiece. Once respected, it now acts as a propaganda tool, straying from its mission to inform and enlighten.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), once a cornerstone of Canadian media, now finds itself embroiled in yet another scandal. Despite facing financial challenges that have led to the layoff of hundreds of employees, the CBC inexplicably distributed $18.4 million in bonuses to its executives. The average bonus per executive was over $73,000—a sum that surpasses the median family income after taxes in 2022, as reported by Statistics Canada.

Taxpayers Footing the Bill for a Declining Institution

The CBC's budget is largely sustained by the Canadian taxpayer, with 70% of its budget, amounting to $1.4 billion, drawn directly from public funds. In a time when Canadians are grappling with economic hardships—record usage of food banks, stagnant per capita GDP, and the deterioration of essential public services such as healthcare and education—one must question the government’s wisdom in subsidizing a media corporation that accounts for less than 4% of TV viewership in Canada.

Yet, the Trudeau government not only continues to funnel taxpayer money into the CBC but has also implemented new measures to extract more revenue from digital giants like Google, Meta, and X through the Digital Services Tax and Bill C-11. These measures are clearly designed to prop up their favored media outlets. In response, Google announced it would be adding a 2.5% service charge for consumers. Thus, Canadians are now funding the CBC and other Liberal-aligned media through both their earnings and expenditures.

The Role of Propaganda in a Democratic Society