Failed CBC leadership comes at a big price.
In a private sector corporation where profit and loss reigns supreme for corporate shareholders, Catherine Tait would have been replaced long ago. It's time to defund the CBC- it is beyond redemption!
Catherine Tait has been CEO of the CBC since July, 2018.
She is the only woman to hold that position in the history of Canada’s public broadcaster as the above screenshot shows.
In recent years, CBC’s market share has dropped steadily and was recently reported at 3.9%. Given that 100% of Canadian taxpayers contribute over $1.2 billion per year to keep the CBC on life support, this means that 96.1% percent of Canadians receive no value for their tax sacrifice but are still forced to pay during these inflationary times.
Reasons for the CBC’s decline under Catherine Tait?
Internet competition has been inescapable, especially in the markets for advertising and subscription services which traditionally generated life-sustaining revenues for the CBC. Ms. Tait likely felt little pressure to make the necessary changes under her command in order to compete in this new reality because public funding has been readability available under the Trudeau government. Cost-cutting and organizational restructuring are rarely considered by leaders of government institutions, yet average heads of Canadian households are expected to “live within their means” and pay their taxes even when threats to financial survival come calling.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) policies are mandated for all public institutions by the Liberal government under the self-proclaimed “feminist” PM, Justin Trudeau. These are social policies of a ‘caregiving’ nature that generally appeal to women more than men. Did Tait enthusiastically embrace those policies or did she succumb to its imposition reluctantly? Most male CEOs in the private sector would likely implement those “woke” policies under duress if at all.
Internal politics and labour pressures are often present in large bureaucracies, especially those with the majority of employees under public sector labour union contracts. Union executives love any policy that furthers their business interests. The DEI mandates would be a good reason for popping champagne corks.
Corporate culture was surely a factor. In a recent podcast interviews with first Trish Woods on the Rupa Supramani show, they both spoke of how ‘left-leaning’ the CBC’s workforce has become in the Trudeau government years. Work culture often reflect the policies enacted and emphasized by the corporate leaders. Has Catherine Tait’s leadership been the determining influence on the CBC’s editorial policies and corporate culture, or did Tait inherit it from her predecessor?
This morning, my wife read an survey report stating that 46% of Canadians want to defund the CBC. I stated that I am surprised that it is only 46% when 96.1% receive no value from the taxes they pay to subsidize all of those CBC positions including Tait’s rich pay cheque while leading a failing corporation.
As I wrote in my book, What to do about Climate Change - A libertarian Proposal, I see no reason why government workers should received privileged protection against the economic vagaries of any market when non-governmental, tax-paying citizens receive no such privileges while sacrificing a portion of their earning to sustain those government privileges. It's time to pry the CBC loose from the maternal public nest and expect its employees to fly on their own.