CBC/Radio-Canada says it wants to expand its audience by pitching itself to Canadians who "under-value" its services — or don’t watch, listen to or read its offerings at all.
In its new five-year strategic plan, released Tuesday evening, the public broadcaster says it can’t "afford to rely solely on existing users and fans as confirmation of its value to the public."
The strategy calls on CBC/Radio-Canada to build up its audience by reaching out to children and youth, newcomers and "non-users or dissatisfied users."
That last category poses the biggest challenge, the plan says, "in large part" because this audience believes it is "under-served and forgotten" by the CBC. The plan document doesn’t explain who makes up this audience.
Prioritizing those three audience segments, the plan says, will require a "redirection of efforts and resources" and the termination of some current activities. It says the broadcaster plans a "return to the regions" and an effort to address dissatisfied users "with different programming and editorial output."
"Not every content and format has to be suitable for everyone, but everyone should find something that suits them," the plan adds.
CBC/Radio-Canada "needs a fast pivot and focus on audience segments important to ensure a sustainable media and cultural ecosystem for all Canadians," the plan document says.
The plan document lists the challenges and strategic context facing the public broadcaster.
Use of its services "among key demographics is low or declining, especially among youth and newcomers," it says.
The document notes a rise in social and political polarization and threats to national sovereignty, as trust in media and public institutions declines.
"Disinformation and misinformation is spreading and being weaponized by AI," while "public institutions" run the risk of "defunding … in a time of social stress and crisis," the document adds.
The plan document notes younger audiences and new Canadians are less engaged with traditional platforms as media consumption shifts to digital.
It adds that generative AI "presents opportunities for increased efficiency while raising the risks of misinformation and disinformation."
The document also cites some potential opportunities for the public broadcaster, citing partnerships with other public media outlets, expansion of international news coverage and efforts to make CBC/Radio-Canada's archives more widely accessible.
The plan says the public broadcaster also plans to hire journalists to cover 15 to 20 communities where it currently has little or no presence, and to invest in Northern Canada.
CBC/Radio-Canada also plans to expand its network of content creators and influencers "to diversify viewpoints and perspectives and increase contributions for digital platforms," the document says.
The plan proposes offering more content on third-party platforms like YouTube and TikTok aimed at reaching younger audiences and newcomers, and expanding the number of CBC/Radio-Canada ad-supported streaming television channels.
It also adds "tackling misinformation and disinformation with new digital tools shared with other media" to the broadcaster's to-do list.
The federal Liberals promised in the spring election campaign — during which the opposition Conservatives vowed to de-fund the broadcaster — to task the CBC with combating misinformation.
The Liberals proposed changes to the public broadcaster’s mandate to make it responsible for issuing life-saving information during emergencies and strengthen local news coverage.
The Liberals' platform also promised an initial $150 million increase in the broadcaster's annual funding, and to make its federal funding statutory — which would make it harder for future governments to eliminate it.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin
