Dropping the CBC means abandoning all Northern Ontarians

OTTAWA – New Democrats MPs from Northern Ontario condemn the Conservatives’ failure to respond to the many appeals from the people of Northern Ontario to preserve local voices and culture.

“We will continue to fight to restore services in the regions,” said Charlie Angus. “We are holding CBC senior management to account for making the cuts on the backs of the rural regions of Canada. However, it’s clear that the public campaign led by New Democratic MPs, working with local communities, helped salvage what would otherwise have been devastating cuts to service. We saved CBC services in Northern Saskatchewan, Northern Manitoba and stopped the gutting of services in Northern Ontario."

“The Conservatives claim that all broadcasters are facing declining revenues and that they all need help. They seem to have forgotten that the CBC is the public broadcaster, which is why it needs government assistance,” stated Claude Gravelle. “The transition to digital broadcasting is very costly for the CBC, so falling advertising revenues are not the whole story. It is impossible to make this transition without additional funding,” added Gravelle.

“The positions cut at the CBC in Sudbury show that the Conservative government has given up on Northern Ontario,” stated Glenn Thibeault. “The CBC brings communities in Northern Ontario together. The Harper government’s strategy is to divide Canadians, and that is unacceptable,” concluded Glenn Thibeault”.

“This is the same old story for Northern Ontario. It’s another chapter of northerners losing and getting the short end of the stick”, said Michael Robert, president of the local media guild.

Not satisfied with cutting over 800 positions in the winter, the Conservatives have decided to cut an additional $50 million from the CBC’s budget this spring.