XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, sk.politics   
   XPost: man.politics, mtl.general   
   From: Raisa@nyet.ca   
      
   CBC News Posted: Jan 22, 2015   
      
   Tom Mulcair promises to reverse funding cuts to CBC   
      
      
   NDP vows to restore CBC’s funding cuts if elected into power	   
      
   The NDP is promising to restore $115 million to the CBC.   
      
   NDP Leader Tom Mulcair made the election commitment in Montreal on Thursday.   
      
   Mulcair said the public broadcaster has been cut by both Liberal and   
   Conservative governments and that an NDP government would commit to restoring   
   the recent cuts made by the Conservatives in the 2012 budget.   
      
   That means increasing current funding to CBC/Radio-Canada by $115 million over   
   three fiscal years in hopes it will allow the public broadcaster to evolve in a   
   changing media landscape, Mulcair said.   
      
   Mulcair said both the French and English arms of the CBC had a big influence on   
   his life and he grew up watching and listening to both.   
      
   "CBC has been my window to this great country," he said.   
      
   In April of last year, the CBC announced it would cut 657 jobs over two years   
   to allow the organization deal with a $130-million budget shortfall. While cuts   
   in the federal budget have affected the corporation's budget, losing the rights   
   to broadcast NHL hockey to Rogers has also had a serious impact on the bottom   
   line.   
      
   The NDP is also promising to put in place an independent process to name   
   members of the CBC's board of directors.   
   Mulcair accused the Conservatives of loading the board with donors and former   
   candidates and said board members should have more expertise in the media world   
   overall.   
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   A spokesperson for the CBC said the broadcaster is continuing to implement is   
   "A space for us all" strategy to deliver the best content and meet Canadians'   
   shifting needs based on the budget it receives from Parliament.   
      
   "That said, however, as we repeatedly pointed out before the CRTC, due to the   
   changes and disruptions currently affecting the industry at home and abroad,   
   the current broadcasting business model is no longer viable," Julie Page wrote   
   in an email to CBC News.   
      
   "Given how fast technology is changing, we believe it’s now more vital than   
   ever to have a strong public broadcaster."   
      
   The Prime Minister's Office said the CBC faces "challenges in this rapidly   
   changing media environment to which no mainstream broadcaster is immune."   
   "The CBC's viewership has declined, despite getting more than $1 billion in   
   direct subsidies every year from taxpayers.  CBC is responsible for its own   
   operations, and it is up to the CBC to provide programming that Canadians   
   actually want to watch and listen to," a PMO spokesperson wrote in email to CBC   
   News.   
      
      
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            Loyalty to the country always.   Loyalty to the government when it   
   deserves it.    ~   Mark Twain   
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   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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