Heritage Minister Proposes Doubling CBC Funding and Ending Ads on News Programs

Pascale St-Onge's reforms aim to stabilize CBC funding and reduce reliance on advertising, but legislative changes are unlikely before the upcoming election.

Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge has proposed increasing CBC/Radio-Canada funding to $62 per capita, aligning it with the G7 average, up from the current $34 per capita.
The plan includes banning advertisements during CBC's news programming and eliminating subscription fees for digital services like CBC Gem.
St-Onge emphasized the importance of the public broadcaster in combating misinformation, supporting local and Indigenous news, and preserving Canadian cultural sovereignty.
The reforms would require amending the Broadcasting Act, but with an election likely this spring, the proposals are unlikely to be implemented in the current government’s term.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has reiterated his commitment to cutting CBC's budget, framing it as a key issue for the upcoming election.