CBC must modernize to operate in digital environment, says Canadian Internet Society

CBC/Radio-Canada needs to update its thinking if it is to survive in the digital age, according to the Canadian Internet Society (TCIS) in its latest White Paper on shaping Canada’s digital future. Fresh on the heels of a similar study on the role of the CRTC, the 10-page report states the Crown corporation is stuck in the past. “CBC/Radio-Canada is designed to play a key role in the lives of Canadians,” the paper begins. “And yet, more than 30 years into the digital era, it continues to operate with a broadcast-era mindset that is increasingly out of step with how people engage with media today–and the result is that its relevance is rapidly dwindling.” While conceding there have been benefits of the new digital landscape, TCIS warns there are costs and emphasizes, as an example, how a few American platforms dominating the marketplace could affect cultural sovereignty. “CBC/Radio-Canada was created in the 20th century, in a media environment in which, if you controlled sufficient production and distribution resources, you could expect to reach large audiences,” the paper continues. “Things don’t work like that anymore. Today’s media landscape is global, fragmented, and participatory, and the ability to produce and distribute content no longer guarantees that anybody will trust it or pay attention to it.” TCIS makes a series of recommendations to strengthen the public broadcaster and prepare it for the modern world. First, it calls for stabilized funding with a multiyear approach, rather than the current annual allocation. This would protect against political interference and permit long-term planning, the group writes. TCIS also suggests appointment of the CEO should be left to the board of directors, as opposed to the government, commercials should disappear from all platforms and, similarly, subscription fees for digital channels Gem Premium in English and ICI TOU.TV Extra in French should be discontinued. The white paper also says that the corporation should not be eligible for private media subsidies. According to the group, the government should mandate a digital-first operating model, making digital delivery the first option, while he CRTC should be directed to look at the public broadcaster’s performance metrics, with emphasis on the digital scope. Other recommendations called for more public money for the creation of content by citizens, news-gathering should be bolstered, and CBC/Radio-Canada material to be promoted widely and reused by all who wish to access it. The broadcaster told The Wire Report it was unaware of the paper and had no comment on it at this time. ppark@thewirereport.ca

CBC must modernize to operate in digital environment, says Canadian Internet Society

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By Paul Park
|April 1, 2026

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CBC must modernize to operate in digital environment, says Canadian Internet Society

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|April 1, 2026