CBC/Radio-Canada operates with significantly less public funding than most of its global counterparts, yet remains Canada’s most trusted and widely watched news source, according to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
The study, , found that Canada ranks among the lowest in public funding for national broadcasters. CBC/Radio-Canada receives $32.43 per capita in government funding, just 41 per cent of the international average.
The report, released Thursday, compares Canada’s public broadcasting funding to that of 18 other nations. It found that only the United States, New Zealand and Portugal spend less per capita. The average per capita public funding for public broadcasters in the countries studied was $78.76 in 2022, more than double what Canada provides.
As a share of total government spending, Canada ranks third-lowest at 0.12 per cent, half the international average of 0.242 per cent. Only the U.S. and New Zealand allocate a smaller portion of their public expenditures to public broadcasting.
The report also found that CBC/Radio-Canada relies more on commercial revenue than most public broadcasters. Only Ireland, Italy and New Zealand depend more on advertising and sponsorships as a proportion of overall revenue.
Despite limited government support, CBC/Radio-Canada ranks among Canada’s most trusted news sources. The study cites a Pollara Strategic Insights survey, which found that 67 per cent of Anglophones trust CBC and 78 per cent of Francophones trust Radio-Canada. The combined broadcaster reported the highest trust levels among media organizations serving these language groups.
CBC/Radio-Canada also has a strong audience reach, according to the report. Among Francophones, 78 per cent tune into Radio-Canada regularly, while 64 per cent of Anglophones watch CBC. However, viewership varies depending on the program. According to recent data, CBC’s English-language prime-time television holds a 4.4 per cent audience share, meaning over 95 per cent of Canadian viewers turn elsewhere during these hours. The CBC News Network performs worse in prime time, attracting only 2.1 per cent of the national audience.
Local news viewership remains a challenge as well. CBC’s 6 p.m. local newscasts draw approximately 230,000 viewers nationwide, accounting for less than 1 per cent of Canada’s population. Even CBC’s most successful entertainment program, Murdoch Mysteries, only garners about 812,000 viewers, a figure that places it outside the top 10 most-watched Canadian television programs.
At a time when trust in media is declining globally, Canada bucks the trend, according to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, which was cited in the CCPA report. While media trust has fallen sharply in the U.S. and U.K., the study found that trust in Canadian media has remained stable.
CBC’s trust and audience levels may be linked to its unique role in Canadian society. As a bilingual public broadcaster operating in one of the world’s largest and most geographically diverse countries, it provides local, national and international news coverage in both English and French, reaching audiences in urban centres and remote regions alike. The CCPA report suggests that cutting public funding would weaken the broadcaster’s ability to serve Canadians, particularly in areas where private networks have little incentive to operate.
The funding debate is expected to be a key issue in the next federal election. The Conservative Party of Canada has made “Defund the CBC” a campaign message, arguing that the broadcaster is biased and no longer necessary in an era of digital media. However, the CCPA report challenges this claim, pointing out that public broadcasters in other countries receive significantly more funding without facing similar political attacks.
Opponents of public broadcasting often focus on cost rather than value, the report says. It highlights that Germany funds its public broadcaster at nearly five times the rate of Canada, yet there is no significant movement to dismantle it. The report also notes that CBC/Radio-Canada’s increasing reliance on commercial revenue to offset its lack of public funding creates pressure to compete with private networks for advertising dollars. This could erode its ability to provide independent, high-quality public service journalism, a role that remains crucial in an era of growing misinformation and declining trust in media worldwide.
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