TORONTO – CBC is not in the process of selling off all of its buildings, despite assertions to the contrary made by a union representing CBC employees.
The Canadian Media Guild issued a news release on Tuesday claiming CBC told staff at a town hall meeting that it is selling all its property across the country, including major production facilities in Montreal and Toronto.
But the national broadcaster calls those allegations false. CBC/Radio-Canada manager of media relations Alexandra Fortier told Cartt.ca on Wednesday that the broadcaster is abiding by its current strategic plan known as Strategy 2020: A space for us all.
“As outlined in Strategy 2020 launched in 2014, we have committed to reducing our excess space by 50 percent because we have too much space and in some cases the buildings we own are old, in need of repair, and in many cases don’t suit our needs”, Fortier said in an emailed statement. “Sometimes this means selling a building that we own to move into a smaller leased space. In locations where we are already a tenant, it might mean consolidating our space and subletting where there’s an opportunity.
“What’s more, new, modern spaces provide us with the opportunity to modernize our operations, make better use of new technologies and create more integrated, efficient and innovative workplaces.”
Fortier added that any savings generated by the real estate transactions would be funneled back into content creation.
Perhaps the results of the upcoming federal election will offer the Corp a financial lifeline. The Liberal party has pledged to invest $150 million in new annual funding, the Green Party committed to an increase of $285-million “to rebuild the CBC and Radio-Canada’s local coverage and capacity” (see page 22), and the NDP promised to reverse the $115 million budget cut.
