Liberals discontinue temporary funding supports for CBC

Government funding for the CBC is set to fall by $192 million during the 2026-27 fiscal year, as Ottawa opted not to continue provisional funding boosts for Canada’s public broadcaster. Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali (Brampton—Chinguacousy Park, Ont.) released the government’s annual main estimates on Feb. 26, which outline planned expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year. The funding includes a combination of statutory resources, as prescribed in legislation, and budgetary measures, which are at the discretion of the government. This year’s estimates include $1.38 billion in funding for the CBC, all of which was categorized as budgetary spending, representing a marked decrease from the $1.58 billion allotted to the broadcaster during the 2025-26 fiscal year. Most of the cuts will impact the broadcaster’s operational budget. Last year’s main estimates earmarked $1.43 billion for the CBC, which included a continuation of a $42 million injection originally announced in 2024-25. The broadcaster later received an additional $150 million during the 2025 federal budget (funding that was later included in supplementary estimates for 2025-26). However, the latest round of estimates didn’t include either the $150 million nor $42 million top-ups — and there’s no indication that the CBC should expect the funding moving forward. “ will not be repeated in 2026–2027,” said Leon Mar, a CBC spokesperson, in a statement to The Wire Report. “We do not know if will be repeated in the future; but…, the government has signalled its intention to examine the funding model for the public broadcaster.” “In the meantime, as always, we will work with the parliamentary allocation we are given, together with our revenue from other sources, to continue serving Canadians.” Mar would not comment on the potential impact of the reduction. Meanwhile, Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller’s (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs, Que.) said it "cannot speculate on future budgetary decisions for 2027-2027." "However, per our platform, we are working to bring CBC/Radio Canada’s long-term funding levels in line with the average funding of other national public broadcasters over time," read a statement from Hermine Landry, Miller's spokesperson. Last month, Miller defended recent funding boosts from opposition criticisms during a Feb. 10 appearance before the House finance committee. “As a beacon in that sometimes vomitorium, you need an independent broadcaster that has the resources, often supported by the state, without the influence of the state,” Miller told committee members. Miller later called the CBC an important element of “the fourth pillar of democracy.” “Those who conduct research in this area aren't surprised to see that CBC/Radio-Canada, compared to its peers, ranks below the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) and G7 average,” he added in French. “Not funding this broadcaster or suggesting that we cut its funding would, I believe, undermine public confidence in this immensely important broadcaster, not only in terms of the reliability of news, but also in terms of democracy.” In 2022, public funding for CBC/Radio-Canada totalled $32 per capita, which is far below countries like the U.K. ($96 per capita) and France ($70 per capita), according to a study commissioned by the CBC. A government report introduced last year by then-heritage minister Pascale St-Onge called for a reformed funding model for the broadcaster, among other changes, as part of a large-scale mandate review. While Prime Minister Mark Carney’s (Nepean, Ont.) government has endorsed some proposals included in St-Onge’s vision, opposition MPs and media stakeholders are still waiting for the CBC’s mandate to be modernized. This year’s main estimates featured the lowest annual funding total for the CBC since the 2023-24 fiscal year. However, subsequent investments could be announced later this year, including during this fall’s federal budget, as the government traditionally provides three routine updates to the estimates. Despite the reduction, the government’s total budgetary spending is set to increase by $15.9 billion in 2026-27, compared to last year’s main estimates, for a total of $502.8 billion. The associated bill for the main estimates, known as an appropriation act, must be approved by the House of Commons in a vote customarily considered a confidence matter. This means, should the estimates be defeated by parliamentarians, the government will be forced to call another federal election. In recent years, annual government funding for the CBC has been as follows: - 2026-27: $1,383,252,311 - 2025-26: $1,425,237,411 (later rose to $1,575,237,411) - 2024-25: $1,383,237,411 (later rose to $1,425,237,411) - 2023-24: $1,287,169,435 (no subsequent expenditures) - 2022-23: $1,266,123,241 (later rose to $1,287,123,241) - 2021-22: $1,229,423,241 (later rose to $1,250,423,241) - 2020-21: $1,210,797,846 (later rose to $1,247,497,846) dlegree@thewirereport.ca Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Hermine Landry, spokesperson for Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller.

Liberals discontinue temporary funding supports for CBC

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By Davis Legree
|March 2, 2026

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