Brand New Day for the CBC

For the last year the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage has been considering revisions to the Broadcast Act and to the CBC's mandate. Today the committee released it's recomendations which have been broadly applauded by CBC management.
 
Back in the dark days of the 2005 CBC Lockout I, along with many others, lobbied for serious changes to how the CBC operated and how it was funded. If today's recomendations were to be adopted in total not only would that battle be 95% complete but it would be the start of a new day for Canadian television, radio, film and new media.
 
Amoung the recommendations
Content

That the CBC remain predominantly and distintively Canadian

That CBC Television's prime time (M-F 7-11 pm) be exclusively Canadian

That CBC increase the number of regional programs, including regional variety, drama, news, public affairs, and documentaries produced in the region and that some of this programming be scheduled in prime time.

That the CBC devote more programming to the arts (music, books, film, dance and theatre

That improvements be made in official language minority communities.

Film

That the CBC play an increased role in the devlopment, promotion and distribution of Canadian Feature Film

 
New Media/Internet

That the CRTC enforce net neutrality

That the CBC coninue to make more programming available online.

That the CBC increase public access to it's archives

That it continue to persue new and innovative ways of connecting Canadians of all ages to their National Public Broadcaster.

That the broadcast act to include digital media and emerging technologies.

 
Financial

The CBC should be eligible for the CRTC's 'New Media Project Initiative.

Additional funding for New Media and HDTV

That any additions to the CBC's mandate be reflected in the CBC's parliamentary appropriations

That the 'one time' $60 million program development fund become a regular part of the CBC's budget

That the CBC be guaranteed access to the various existing public funding sources including the Canadian Television Fund

That in addition to the monies listed above that the CBC's annual budget be increased to $40 per capita, or roughly an additional 231 million dollars!

Advertising

That the CBC Reduce it's relative dependency on advertising revenues for television programs

The full 200 page report can be found here. I would urge everyone who cares about the CBC to write your MP and tell them to implement the full slate of recommendations as rapidly as possible (tomorrow would be nice) and while you're talking to them urge them to stop bill C-10 which would allow the Heritage and Justice ministers to decide what programs and films were and weren't made based on their own private definition of "appropriate" content!