What is the CBC?
The CBC is one of the world's major public broadcasters. Its 7,000 full-time and 600 part-time staff operate
The CBC is funded by parliamentary appropriations. Its current funding is $759.5 million annually. Its programming is not controlled by the federal government even though its funding comes from parliament. From time to time, the government criticizes the CBC for broadcasting points of view that vary from the government's own policy or perspective. Occasionally, friction occurs.
The CBC also experiences friction in its organization because it must compete with Canadian and USAmerican private radio and television networks for its audiences. However, the CBC's mandate differs from that of any other broadcaster. It must tell Canadians about Canada, presenting a high quality of Canadian programming. Limits are placed both on its budget and also on the amount of programming that it may purchase cheaply from other countries, such as the USA. As well, it is required to represent the opinions of all Canadians, not the views of particular interest groups. This is a big challenge.
Why does Canada spend so much money on public broadcasting?
The reason is a traditional one. With a thinly scattered population, Canada works hard to overcome vast geographical distances. Traditionally, both transportation and telecommunications have been emphasized to provide Canadians with a sense of unity and identity, from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean.
A Brief History of the CBC
Preceded by one provincial radio network (which began in Alberta in 1928), the English-language CBC Radio went on air nation-wide for the first time on 2 November 1936. French-language programming was broadcast for the first time in 1937.
A primary aim of the radio network in the early years was to combat the radio programming coming into Canadian homes from the USA. Canada's cultural independence from the USA was thought to be at risk from this new technology, for borders could not be protected from air waves. But only public ownership of broadcasting could ensure vigilant protection.
Public affairs, programs for school classes, farm news, fishermen's news, comedy, and professional hockey games dominated programming in the early years. Gradually, drama was introduced and made a name for itself internationally.
In September 1952, CBC began operating its first two television stations, in Montréal and Toronto. By 1955, about two-thirds (66%) of Canadians were able to receive the telecasts of CBC Television. Broadcasting in colour began in 1966. Today, CBC has 95 stations of its own and 27 private affiliated stations across the country. As well, it has 1,164 re-broadcasters and 291 affiliated or community re-broadcasters.
One of the culturally unifying features of CBC's national programming is that English-language or French-language Canadians in any one region know that they are watching or listening to the same news and the same entertainment programs as Canadians in all other regions.
As well, CBC continues its mandate to provide local news and programming. CBC Northern Service, which began in 1958, is the most notable example of regional programming. The North is sub-divided into many regions for the purposes of providing useful local news, information, and entertainment in the local languages. CBC North broadcasts in English, French, and eight Native languages. Its first live television broadcasts came in 1973, a year after the Anik satellite was launched.
Gradually, television came to dominate audience interest. In order to survive, CBC radio took the decision in 1972 to de-emphasize its programming in evening hours, when television was most popular, to daytime hours. This decision proved very successful.
From the start, English-language CBC Television felt pressure from Canadians living in places where the only television channel available was the CBC. These Canadians wanted to be entertained like other Canadians by the most popular shows being broadcast by USAmerican networks. So CBC began telecasting these shows as well, even though most Canadians live near enough to the USAmerican border to receive the programming directly from USAmerican stations.
Eventually, the decision to broadcast USAmerican shows jeopardized CBC's unique place in the television marketplace. Politicians and other Canadians began asking if a costly public-owned broadcasting network was necessary. (Political antagonism towards the CBC increased after 1979, when the television networks began live telecasts of the sittings of the House of Commons.)
| One of the best ways to learn about Canada (for Canadians as well as people from other countries) is to by listening to CBC Radio or watching CBC television. Go to CBC's main website to find which stations are available to you. Check the websites for individual programs, get involved in discussions on CBC's message boards, listen to radio broadcasts on ReadAudio, and enjoy Canada's national network's excellent news converage. |
CBC Radio has succeeded better in recent years than has its television counterpart. While radio is seen still as a symbol of Canadian cultural identity, the television network finds itself at a crossroads, and tough policy and financial decisions will have to be taken if it is survive.
Radio Canada International
In 1945, the CBC International Radio Service began. Its name was changed in 1972 to Radio Canada International (RCI). The mandate of RCI is to offer a Canadian perspective to the world. Beginning with transmissions to Western Europe in English, French, and German during the Second World War, RCI was broadcasting in a number of other languages in the 1950s. Gradually, as the Cold War came to occupy world attention, RCI shifted its mandate, and began broadcasting in eastern European languages.
By the late 1970s, RCI's broadcasts could be heard throughout Europe, Africa, the western Soviet Union, and South America. Japan began receiving programming in 1984 and the People's Republic of China received RCI programming for the first time on 1 October 1989. Services to the Arabic-speaking Middle East began in 1990.
Although budget cuts almost forced RCI off the air in 1995, it has survived. In fact, in the past three years, it has received substantially increased funding, both for programming and for the improvement of its technical facilities.
Today, RCI broadcasts in seven principal languages - English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Ukrainian, Russian, and Arabic. It also produces some programming in several African languages, and in Vietnamese, Laotian, and Khymer dialects.