CANADA – An explosive new report from the Canadian Taxpayer Federation (CTF) is igniting fresh fury over the CBC, branding the public broadcaster a “$1.4 billion propaganda machine” and a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars amid dismal viewership and skyrocketing executive perks.
In a scathing March 19 opinion piece, CTF Alberta Director Kris Sims—who previously served in Ottawa’s Parliamentary Press Gallery—unleashed a barrage of statistics drawn from the CBC’s own third-quarter financial report for 2025/2026. The numbers paint a grim picture: CBC News Network captured just 1.7% audience share, meaning 98.3% of Canadians are turning elsewhere for their news. In major markets, the figures are even more damning—0.74% in Toronto, 0.25% in Calgary, and 0.4% in Vancouver tune in to CBC news.
“The CBC is a huge waste of money, nearly nobody is watching it, and journalists should not be paid by the government,” Sims declared, urging a full defunding of the Crown corporation.
The critique doesn’t stop at ratings. Sims highlighted the broadcaster’s ballooning bureaucracy: 1,831 employees now earn six-figure salaries—a staggering 318% increase since 2015. This elite group includes over 250 directors, 450 managers, 780 producers, and dozens of advisors, analysts, hosts, project leads, and supervisors pulling in more than $100,000 annually, costing taxpayers roughly $240 million in one recent year alone.
While the current CEO’s salary remains undisclosed, last year’s figures showed the top executive pocketing between $478,000 and $562,700—plus bonuses up to 28%. Past leadership under former CEO Catherine Tait drew particular ire: in 2024, the CBC disbursed $18.4 million in so-called “performance pay” to nearly 1,200 employees (including executives) even as it eliminated hundreds of positions amid claimed financial strain. Conservative MPs decried the payouts as “beyond insulting and frankly sickening,” and the practice was eventually scrapped after backlash and a third-party review—but not before tarnishing the broadcaster’s image.
Adding fuel to the fire, the CBC touts “millions” of subscribers to its Gem streaming service yet refuses to reveal exact numbers, launching a legal battle in Federal Court to keep the data secret, citing competitive harm.
Longstanding accusations of pro-Liberal bias continue to haunt the corporation. Critics point to patterns of selective coverage—such as devoting vastly more attention to foreign Democratic figures than Canadian Conservative ones, alleged editing of Conservative interviews, and questionable on-air commentary later rebuked by the CBC’s own ombudsman—while downplaying Liberal scandals and amplifying attacks on opponents.
These controversies unfold against a backdrop of hefty public subsidies that have swelled under Liberal governments. Annual parliamentary appropriations hover around $1.2–$1.4 billion, with temporary boosts (including one pushing totals near $1.57 billion in 2025–26) tied to election promises, before a planned dip to about $1.38 billion in 2026–27. Detractors argue this funding model—where the government bankrolls the broadcaster while allegedly receiving favorable treatment—reeks of entrenched favoritism and inefficiency.
As calls from analysts and taxpayer advocates to defund the CBC grow louder, the combination of microscopic audiences, lavish executive compensation, perceived partisanship, and billions in ongoing taxpayer support has many Canadians asking a pointed question: Is the national broadcaster delivering value worth the enormous cost—or has it become an outdated relic that no longer serves the public interest?
