On Treacherous Ground

The CBC is one of Canada’s oldest and most important public institutions. But it is in crisis, made worse by a budget shortfall announced in April. Government funding has been cut and it has lost its most lucrative TV programming, NHL hockey. Undoubtedly, it will survive in some form for decades to come, but what changes are needed to ensure it best serves Canadians?

Decades ago CBC was the only Canadian TV or radio station most Canadians could receive. It was a necessity, not a convenience. A handful of private radio stations existed in major cities in the 1920s; but in the 1930s Parliament created the CBC and rapidly it became the most important radio broadcaster in the country.

During the 1940s and ’50s CBC Radio commanded a dominant audience share, achieving mass audiences for many programs with ratings larger than the most popular TV programs today. U.S. programs were popular and part of the CBC schedule: The Guiding Light had ratings as high...