A seasoned Quebec television executive says sheB次元官网网址檚 up for the B次元官网网址渃hallengeB次元官网网址� of keeping CBC/Radio-Canada relevant after being appointed its next president and CEO.
Marie-Philippe Bouchard says she looks forward to B次元官网网址渃harting the path forwardB次元官网网址� at CanadaB次元官网网址檚 public broadcaster, which is still grappling with controversy over executive bonuses doled out amid layoffs under outgoing boss Catherine Tait.
In announcing the appointment Tuesday, Heritage Canada said Bouchard will be the first francophone woman to head CBC/Radio-Canada when she begins a five-year term on Jan. 3, 2025.
Bouchard said she considered B次元官网网址減ublic service mediaB次元官网网址� around the world to be B次元官网网址渁 precious public asset.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淎s society changes at a fast pace, so must our public broadcaster, continuing to build trust in order to remain relevant to all Canadians,B次元官网网址� Bouchard said in a statement.
Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge touted Bouchard as B次元官网网址渁 talented, strong public broadcasting leader with a proven record of transformationB次元官网网址� in a statement.
Bouchard has been president and CEO of TV5 Qu茅bec Canada since 2016 and previously worked in various management positions at the CBC in legal services, strategic planning and regulatory affairs, digital services and music.
Bouchard replaces Tait, who has been president of the CBC since 2018 and continues to draw fire over executive bonuses and the broader challenges of restoring public trust in the broadcaster.
At a hearing of the Commons heritage committee on Monday, Tait defended spending more than $18 million in performance-based pay to staff this year, despite laying off 141 employees and eliminating 205 vacant positions amid a budget shortfall.
Tait said she believes members of the parliamentary Heritage committee have been using her appearances to B次元官网网址渧ilifyB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渄iscreditB次元官网网址� both her and the public broadcaster.
She pushed back against Conservative demands to forgo a financial exit package, including bonuses, when she steps down in January.
Bouchard was part of a committee St-Onge set up last May to modernize the mandate of CBC/Radio-Canada, which employs more than 7,000 people from B次元官网网址渁 multitude of backgrounds and cultures,B次元官网网址� according to its latest annual report.
The findings of that review have not been released yet.
Like many broadcasters, the CBC has been struggling with declining ad revenue and shrinking audiences as digital platforms increasingly dominate the media landscape.
Its 2023-2024 annual report said trends over the last decade indicate that its traditional TV and radio audiences will B次元官网网址渃ontinue to erode as younger Canadians embrace digital technologies.B次元官网网址�
St. Onge said sheB次元官网网址檚 confident Bouchard will B次元官网网址減rovide a steady handB次元官网网址� for the CBC in B次元官网网址渁 critical time of modernization.B次元官网网址�
