CRTC asks CBC to provide info about diversity of its production staff

In anticipation of CBC/Radio-Canada’s January license renewal hearings, the CRTC has requested that the broadcaster collect file information about staff diversity on its productions. In a letter to CBC executive director of corporate and regulatory affairs Bev Kirshenblatt, the commission asked the broadcaster to provide statistics about the number of individuals from marginalized groups who held key roles (such as producers, editors, directors, writers, and lead performers) on all CBC in-house productions from the 2019-2020 season. The diverse groups of interest to the CRTC are women, Indigenous people, people from racialized groups, LGBTQ2 people, and people with disabilities. The CRTC request came in response to a procedural request from the non-profit Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC). That group was seeking for CBC/Radio-Canada to file diversity statistics about its entire workforce, as well as records of discrimination complaints from the last five years. CBC responded, noting that the CRTC does not wield any powers related to “regulation or supervision of matters concerning employment equity”. The commission agreed, and dismissed the bulk of CMAC’s request. However, it acknowledged a need to consider “how programming reflects the reality of Canada’s diverse population and how the CBC/SRC’s programming decision-making process impacts on its relevance to all Canadians.” In the event that CBC does not track diversity numbers among its production staff, the CRTC wrote that it expects an explanation about this from the broadcaster, considering the information’s relevance to the CBC’s own diversity and inclusion strategies. The diversity information that CBC provides will go on the public record in time for the broadcaster’s license renewal hearing in January 2021. The CRTC said in an update to the notice of consultation that the hearing, which it had planned to hold partially in-person, has been moved to a virtual proceeding due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

CRTC asks CBC to provide info about diversity of its production staff

Brief | November 11, 2020

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CRTC asks CBC to provide info about diversity of its production staff

Brief | November 11, 2020

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