National

Heritage minister proposes banning ads from CBC news programming

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 20 Feb, 2025 10:46 AM

The outgoing federal heritage minister says she wants to bar CBC/Radio-Canada from running ads during news programming and from charging subscription fees for digital products such as CBC Gem.

In turn, the government would increase the public broadcaster's funding and make it more stable.

Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge, who released her plan for revising CBC/Radio-Canada's mandate Friday, says the public funding the broadcaster receives is about half the G7 average for national public broadcasters and she would like to bring it more in line with other countries.

Listen to my press conference on my vision for the future of CBC/Radio-Canada.👇https://t.co/wBhzgMEbPP
— Pascale St-Onge (@PascaleStOnge_) February 20, 2025

The minister also says she wants to enshrine the importance of delivering impartial news coverage in the CBC's mandate.

But St-Onge isn't likely to have time to implement her plan, with an election likely to come this spring.

St-Onge says she will not run again in that election, adding she is a new mom and wants to be present in the early years of her child’s life.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Dominic LeBlanc says he won't run for Liberal leadership as party caucus meets

The federal Liberal caucus gathered on Parliament Hill on Wednesday with speculation swirling about which of its members will put their names forward to lead the party into the next election — and with one potential contender bowing out. Just before the meeting got underway, Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc posted a statement to social media thanking supporters for their encouragement and saying he's decided not to run in the upcoming race.

Dominic LeBlanc says he won't run for Liberal leadership as party caucus meets

Mounties seize 171,000 packs of illicit cigarettes in Langford

Mounties in British Columbia say officers have seized more than $1.7 million worth of contraband tobacco after executing a search warrant at a property in Langford. West Shore RCMP say in a news release that the warrant was granted in relation to suspected trafficking of the tobacco, and was executed by officers on Dec. 30 at a residential property on Setchfield Ave.

Mounties seize 171,000 packs of illicit cigarettes in Langford

Cargo ship stuck for 2 weeks refloats

A ship that had been stuck in the St. Lawrence River northeast of Montreal since Christmas Eve was successfully refloated on Tuesday. The Canadian Coast Guard says the MV Maccoa has been escorted by tugboats to a dock at Sorel-Tracy, Que.

Cargo ship stuck for 2 weeks refloats

Trudeau travelling to Washington for former U.S. president Jimmy Carter's funeral

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office says he will attend former U.S. president Jimmy Carter's funeral in Washington, D.C. on January 9. Carter died Dec. 29 at the age of 100. He was the 39th president of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981.

Trudeau travelling to Washington for former U.S. president Jimmy Carter's funeral

Sea sponges' sneeze like people

Researchers have discovered sea sponges' ability to sneeze like people after a study off the B-C coast. University of Alberta professor Sally Leys says a study into the behaviour of a sea sponge nicknamed Belinda over four years found the animal doing slow-motion sneeze-like contractions lasting about a day.

Sea sponges' sneeze like people

Thousands at Fort McMurray picket lines

The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the main sticking point is wages and that its members haven't seen a pay increase in well over a decade. School support workers encompass staffers from custodians and administration workers to tradespeople and education assistants.