Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
On the 2nd of November 1936, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation officially opened its doors as a Crown corporation. This date marked the culmination of years of lobbying by Graham Spry and Alan Plaunt on behalf of the Canadian Radio League. Their goal was to create a national network that could counter the growing influence of American radio broadcasting. Before this moment, private stations existed, but they lacked a unified structure. The government had previously established the Canadian National Railways radio network to entertain passengers aboard trains. That network served central and eastern Canada and became the forerunner of the CBC. In 1932, the R. B. Bennett government created the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission. It took over existing stations from the railway. Leonard Brockington became the first chairman of the new organization. For decades, the CBC held a dual role as both broadcaster and regulator. Until 1958, it controlled most clear-channel licenses in the country. This power allowed it to dominate the airwaves before private competitors emerged. A separate French-language radio network began operations in December 1937. Television broadcasts started later, with the first station opening in Montreal on the 6th of September 1952. Two days after that, a station launched in Toronto. By the 1st of July 1958, the signal finally stretched from coast to coast.
The transition from black-and-white to color television began in earnest during the mid-1960s. On the 1st of July 1966, color broadcasts commenced across the network. Full-color service arrived in 1974, marked by the debut of an animated logo known internally as "the gem." That same year, the CBC became the first broadcaster globally to use an orbiting satellite for television service. The Anik satellite linked Canada from east to west to north. Remote northern communities received limited service through the Frontier Coverage Package starting in 1967. Low-power transmitters carried videotaped programs recorded in Calgary. These tapes were flown into communities and broadcast using methods like the bicycle system. Stations opened in Yellowknife, Lynn Lake, and Havre-Saint-Pierre in 1967. Whitehorse followed in November 1968. Most stations reconfigured in 1973 to receive color programming via satellite. Digital television transition occurred much later. In August 2011, the CRTC ordered full power analogue transmitters to cease transmission. The CBC shut down approximately 620 analogue transmitters on the 31st of July 2012. This move reduced yearly costs by $10 million but left some rural areas without over-the-air signals. Shortwave services ended in 2012 when budget cuts forced the closure of the Sackville transmitter site. Radio Canada International shifted its content entirely to podcasts available online.
For the fiscal year 2006, the corporation received a total of $1.53 billion from all revenue sources. Parliamentary funding provided $946 million that year, supplemented by advertising revenue and subscription fees. Expenditures included $616 million for English television and $402 million for French television. A deficit reduction action plan starting in 2012 cut $115 million from the budget. These cuts were fully realized in 2014 and resulted in one of the biggest layoffs of content creators in Canadian history. Since 2008, a total of 3,600 jobs have been lost at the broadcaster. In 2014 alone, more than 600 positions were eliminated to plug a $130-million budget shortfall. Hubert Lacroix, then president, claimed public broadcasters were "at risk of extinction" during a conference in Munich, Germany. The Liberal Party promised to restore the $115 million cut over three years after winning the 2015 election. They added another $35 million for a total increase of $150 million. By 2018, annual public funding returned to $1.2 billion. Parliamentary funding increased to almost $1.4 billion for 2020, 2021 to cover retroactive salary inflation. The corporation requested an additional $400 million in November 2016 to remove advertising from television services. In the 2025 federal election, the Liberal party indicated an initial $150 million increase in annual funding.
During the summer of 1981, technicians belonging to the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians went on strike. Local newscasts were reduced to the bare minimum, delaying the debut of The Journal until January 1982. A similar dispute involving all technicians outside Quebec and Moncton occurred in late 2001. On the 15th of August 2005, CEO Robert Rabinovitch locked out 5,500 employees representing about 90% of the workforce. The dispute centered on hiring practices favoring contract workers over full-time hires. Locked-out staff produced podcasts like CBCunplugged.com while management filled airtime with repeats and BBC content. Major programs such as The National and Royal Canadian Air Farce ceased production during the lockout. Talks reopened after a meeting between Joe Fontana, the federal minister of labour, and union leaders. A tentative deal was announced late on the 2nd of October 2005, restoring normal operations by October 11. The lockout cancelled all local programming in affected regions. French-language staff outside Quebec were also affected, though those networks remained less visibly impacted due to Quebec producing most of their content.
In November 2007, the broadcaster replaced its documentary Beyond the Red Wall at the last minute. Sources within the network stated that the Chinese government had demanded the program be removed from the air. The documentary aired two weeks later on the 20th of November 2007, after editing. In January 2019, President Catherine Tait faced criticism for comparing Netflix to colonial imperialism. She did not offer an apology, and some defended her comments while others called it complacency. On the 11th of May 2016, the corporation publicly apologized to Kathryn Borel regarding the handling of harassment allegations against Jian Ghomeshi. Borel criticized the CBC for telling her she could do nothing about his behavior. An independent investigation by Janice Rubin concluded management failed to take adequate steps when aware of problematic behavior. Two top executives, Chris Boyce and Todd Spencer, were severed from their roles. In March 2020, CBC News suspended all English-language local newscasts during the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision replaced them with simulcasts of CBC News Network. Premier Dennis King criticized the move in Prince Edward Island where no other specific regional news existed. Over 500 current and former employees called for the end of Tandem, a division publishing branded content designed to look like news.
In February 2023, the CBC indicated preliminary planning toward future broadcasting taking place entirely on internet streaming platforms. No specific target date was announced for ending traditional radio or television transmissions. The corporation launched CBC Listen in October 2019 as a successor to the CBC Music platform. This service encompasses radio, music, and podcast output. CBC.ca was established in 1996, followed by Radio-Canada.ca. A digital news operation for Hamilton, Ontario, launched in May 2012 focusing exclusively on online content. The broadcaster also operates CBC North stations carrying additional newscasts in Inuktitut and weekly Cree programs. Shortwave services ended in 2012 when budget cuts forced the closure of the Sackville transmitter site. Radio Canada International shifted its content entirely to podcasts available online. The CBC plans to phase out more AM transmitters across Canada despite budget cutbacks. In November 2004, the corporation applied for a license to introduce satellite radio service alongside Standard Broadcasting and Sirius Satellite Radio. The CRTC approved the application on the 16th of June 2005. Sirius Canada launched on the 1st of December 2005, with channels including CBC Radio 3. The CBC exited ownership following a reorganization announced in 2016.
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Common questions
When did the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation officially open its doors?
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation officially opened its doors on the 2nd of November 1936. This event marked the culmination of lobbying efforts by Graham Spry and Alan Plaunt to create a national network.
What year did the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation begin color television broadcasts?
Color broadcasts commenced across the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation network on the 1st of July 1966. Full-color service arrived in 1974, marking the debut of an animated logo known internally as the gem.
How many jobs were lost at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation since 2008?
A total of 3,600 jobs have been lost at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation since 2008. More than 600 positions were eliminated in 2014 alone to plug a $130-million budget shortfall.
Why was the documentary Beyond the Red Wall removed from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation schedule in 2007?
Sources within the network stated that the Chinese government demanded the program be removed from the air. The broadcaster replaced the documentary at the last minute before it aired two weeks later on the 20th of November 2007 after editing.
When did the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation shut down its analogue transmitters?
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation shut down approximately 620 analogue transmitters on the 31st of July 2012. This move reduced yearly costs by $10 million but left some rural areas without over-the-air signals.