CEO and president Catherine Tait will appear before the Heritage committee alongside Marco Dubé, the company's chief transformation officer. Tait waits to appear at the Heritage Committee, in Ottawa, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS
The CEO of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., Catherine Tait, found herself in a heated exchange with Conservative MPs during her appearance at a parliamentary committee session on Tuesday. Prior to Tait facing a barrage of questions regarding executive bonuses, the public broadcaster released a letter it had sent to the committee chair in March, accusing Conservative MPs of spreading false accusations about the company and Tait herself.
The letter, which was also distributed to the media by a CBC executive ahead of the meeting, highlighted the damaging impact of these accusations on Tait's reputation and that of the CBC. Specifically, Conservative MPs Kevin Waugh and Rachael Thomas were singled out for their comments, accusing Tait of lying and misleading the committee regarding executive bonuses in a previous meeting.
The issue of executive bonuses has been a focal point of the committee's work as it investigates recent job cuts within CBC/Radio-Canada. During the committee meeting, tensions flared as Thomas confronted Tait over discrepancies in the timeline for deciding on executive bonuses. Tait refuted accusations of deception, leading to a heated exchange between the two.
After the meeting, Tait expressed frustration with the spread of misinformation but declined to specify the source. She clarified that no decisions had been made regarding bonuses for the upcoming fiscal year but indicated that discussions would take place in mid-June with the board of directors.
Following the meeting, Thomas criticized Tait for advocating for bonuses for herself and the executive team, suggesting that she was unwilling to consider cutting back on them. However, Tait defended the bonuses as performance pay outlined in existing contracts.
In December, CBC announced significant job cuts and budget reductions to address a projected shortfall in the following fiscal year. Tait informed MPs that new projected revenue, including funding from the federal government, would help mitigate the need for further job cuts this year.
Since December, the public broadcaster has eliminated vacant positions and laid off employees, with a greater number of managers affected compared to unionized workers. Despite these measures, Tait emphasized the ongoing challenges faced by Canadian media organizations in an increasingly digital landscape dominated by global players.
Looking ahead, Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge has initiated efforts to redefine the public broadcaster's role before the next federal election, engaging a committee of experts for assistance. Tait, whose tenure extends until January, did not rule out the possibility of receiving a bonus after her departure.
In her closing remarks to the committee, Tait reiterated the importance of the public broadcaster in informing the public, fostering trust, supporting democracy, and promoting local culture.
