THE VALUE OF CBC
Re “CBC a monster gobbling up tax dollars” (Kris Sims, Nov. 20): One might have hoped that a Sun columnist, who is also a director and spokesperson of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, would be concerned about value for public money. If that were so, Kris Sims might have written about the incredible value Canadians get from their national public broadcaster. Here are some facts Sims chose not to mention: CBC/Radio-Canada costs $34 per Canadian per year. That’s less than $3 per month (and less than the minimum monthly donation the CTF asks for on its website). For that $3, Canadians get great television, radio and digital content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages, in every corner of the country. Here’s just a sample of what Canadians get for their investment: Trusted, comprehensive news about their community, their country and the world; Award-winning Canadian comedies and dramas; A safe space with smart programming for their children; Music that showcases great Canadian talent; and Sports coverage that supports local athletes, from community competitions all the way to the Olympics and Paralympics. Canadians love this content. In fact, in February this year we reached a record 25.4 million users across our digital services alone, making us the No. 1 Canadian-owned digital destination in the country. CBC/Radio-Canada invests its public funding and its commercial revenue in services and platforms that serve people and local communities across Canada. It is the largest investor in original Canadian content, supporting an information and creative sector that contributes $54.6 billion to the Canadian economy every year and provides jobs for 630,000 Canadians. Every dollar invested in the public broadcaster creates two dollars of economic benefit for Canadians. Even the auditor-general of Canada, in her most recent special examination, underscored that CBC/Radio-Canada manages its public funds responsibly and effectively. We welcome scrutiny from the CTF and Sun newspapers. Despite what they want to believe, the facts still show that CBC/Radio-Canada is a great investment.
Leon Mar
Director, Media Relations
CBC/Radio-Canada
(This is all very fascinating, and we appreciate you trying to rationalize CBC receiving over $1 billion of taxpayers’ money every year)
HERE TOO
Many people think Qatar should not be hosting the World Cup because of its human rights issues. Should, then, a country that commits genocide against its own Indigenous folk be co-hosting a World Cup?
Ian Orwin
Walkerton
(it is grossly exaggerated to compare Canada to Qatar)
WE NEED THE POLICE
Yes, bring back police in schools. Their mere presence will be a deterrent to a lot of crime. Let’s face it, the people who don’t want police in schools and the people always calling to defund the police are the criminals, or fronts for the criminals. Until people learn to behave, we will need the police around. I’m as liberal as they come but anyone can see crime is out of hand. Social programs are part of the solution, but policing is necessary.
Mark Yates
Elmira, Ont.
(That was obvious to us when the emotional decision was made to get rid of school resource officers. But with the benefit of time passing, let’s hope this issue is revisited)
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