CBC paid out $14.9 million in bonuses to executives while slashing jobs: CTF

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) gave its executives $14.9 million in bonuses in 2023 even as it slashed journalist jobs, according to documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) through an access to information request.

The state broadcaster revealed a massive series of programming and job cuts last December because of “budget pressures," adding up to roughly 600 current positions and 200 planned ones.

CBC received $1.3 billion in taxpayer funding in the last fiscal year. However, the Trudeau government recently increased that funding by 96.1 million. Despite the steady flow of government money, it continues to offer paid advertising on television, though its radio presence remains ad-free. 

CBC President Catherine Tait was non-committal when questioned about the viability of continued corporate bonuses given the need for fiscal restraint. 

“It’s too early to say,” Tait said. 

Tait receives an annual salary, benefits, and bonus package that amounts to between $472,900 and $623,900, according to CBC internal accounting.

“CBC President Catherine Tait is wrong to hand out bonuses while announcing hundreds of job losses and begging the government for more taxpayer cash,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director, in a news release on Tuesday. “Tait won’t do the right thing, so Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge needs to step in and shut down these bonuses.” 

The total cost of the bonuses will likely be higher than the $14.9 million revealed to the CTF, as the documents obtained only accounted for figures as of Oct. 26, 2023.

“[Bonus] pay… is a key part of the total compensation of our non-union staff, about 1,140 employees,” Tait testified at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Heritage.

Along with the bonuses, CBC was liberal with providing raises to some employees, spending at least $11.5 to increase the salaries of 6,575 staff, the CTF noted, adding that CBC has spent $97 million in raises since 2015.

The documents also revealed that CBC has 1,450 CBC executives being paid six-figure salaries. This number is a 231% increase in CBC making that sort of money since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assumed power in 2015.

The National Post criticized the CBC for using money to give executives bonuses rather than allocating those funds to instead practice journalism 

“Foreign correspondence is expensive, and a 1990s-era rule of thumb was that it cost $250,000 to keep a reporter posted overseas. So, even assuming that the figure is closer to $500,000, the $14.9 million paid in bonuses last year would fund 30 correspondents. Or, twice the number of correspondents maintained by every other non-CBC Canadian outlet.” the National Post reported. 

The Post also took exception to Tait’s description of bonuses as “performance pay” that was earned by achieving “reach and engagement” targets because CBC is constantly lowering its expectations, given its dwindling audience.

“CBC saw its audience share of television fall to 4.4 per cent (down from 5.8 per cent) and with a target for 2023/23 of 4.1 per cent. If you keep targets low, it makes it easier to meet the performance metrics and thus get the bonus money.”