From a publication by the Canadian Media Guild
MYTH 1: CBC/Radio‐Canada costs too much
Funding for CBC/Radio-Canada is the lowest in the industrialized world. The CBC gets $29 per Canadian a year – on average; other developed countries get $87 per person a year.
For every $1 investment in CBC, the return to the Canadian economy is almost $4.
MYTH 2: CBC/Radio‐Canada is too big
CBC serves communities across our vast country, across 6 time zones, in 2 official languages, and 8 Indigenous languages with 88 radio stations and 27 television stations; 3 all‐digital services; 2 specialty television news services (ICI RDI and CBC News Network); other services, including digital music channels.
Cuts to CBC since 2008 add up to 3,600 jobs and are taking a toll on services and programming.
MYTH 3: Canadians don’t need CBC/Radio‐Canada
Most developed countries deem it necessary to have a national public broadcaster.
According to UNESCO, a national public broadcaster “speaks to everyone as a citizen; encourages access to and participation in public life; develops knowledge, broadens horizons and enables people to better understand themselves by better understanding the world and others.”
83% of Canadians say CBC is important in protecting Canada’s identity.
81% of Canadians say CBC is one of the things that helps distinguish Canada from the US.
Prime time TV schedules show CBC at 94% Canadian content, Global television at 8%, City TV at 12%, CTV2 at 8% and CTV1 at 0% between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Over 83% of Canadians who participated in a survey on CBC said they appreciate the Canadian perspective provided by CBC. 90% said they value courageous reporting from CBC.
MYTH 4: The new CBC/Radio‐Canada will be “leaner” and more “nimble” to succeed in the 21st Century
Leaner = hundreds of fewer journalists, in fewer and fewer places informing Canadians on fewer and fewer issues.
Flexible = No TV? How can you be flexible if you chop off a key component of your programming?
Typically, you hear this from those who want to see CBC’s services privatized, or powerful interests who have been challenged by reporting done by CBC/Radio‐Canada in the public interest.
MYTH 5: Television is dead so CBC/Radio‐Canada should not be doing television
According to researcher Peter Miller, the Internet has not changed the form of TV – in fact the opposite. In this “golden age of TV”, TV programs are dominating, if not changing, the Internet (not the other way around).
TV viewing trends are up in Canada.
In any case, the production of high‐quality, audio‐visual programming in the public interest is vital, no matter what screens Canadians access it on.
Eric Koch’s new book, New Beginnings, was launched on September 20. The book is available from 
CBC is my news source for radio and TV followed by the Economist and the Globe and Mail, ‘Nuff said!
Canada seems to be having similar problems to Australia where the public broadcaster (The ABC) is constantly under attack.
The main assaults come from conservative politicians who accuse the broadcaster of left wing bias.
The attacks are gleefully taken up by Rupert Murdoch’s news outlets. The suspicion is that News Corp wants to emasculate if not destroy a rival that prevents it earning even more money from its near monopoly news services.
It seems the reported great friendship and ideological group think of Canada’s Prime Minister and our own Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, extends to public broadcasting.