​Now, more than ever Canada needs the CBC.

The recent crisis with Donald J. Trump burdening Canada and the rest of the world with his damaging and irrational tariff threats and “off the top” proposals, reinforces the need for CBC/Radio Canada to provide a strong and unifying voice for this country.

Marie-Philippe Bouchard, the new CBC/Radio Canada President, has just demonstrated her skills on behalf of the national broadcaster, emphasizing that the corporation does not operate only to chronicle the politics of the nation, but must also reflect and encourage this country’s unity and rich culture. She spoke Jan. 29 on The Current with CBC radio’s Master Interviewer, Matt Galloway. This was Bouchard’s first opportunity to speak to the Canadian nation, and she did an admirable job.

As Canadian political leaders struggle to maintain  a “Team Canada” approach in the face of Trump, CBC/Radio Canada is a vital force just now.

Afterall, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is acting in the U.S. Capital like the unelected Deputy Prime Minister of our country, all the while defending her oil patch ahead of the national interest. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, although initially a strong spokesperson with his forthright language about Canada not being for sale, is taking advantage of his profile by seeking a significant majority in the provincial election now underway.

Premiers David Ivy of British Columbia, Wab Kinew of Manitoba, Andrew Furey of Newfoundland Labrador, and even Francois Legault of Quebec have been able to make their case in a balanced, yet forceful way.

As for outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he finally used plain language in his address to the nation last week as Trump stepped up his threats to impose tariffs. While his speech could be called Trudeau’s “finest hour” (words conjured up by then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during the Second World War) yet, there is no getting around the fact that Trudeau is now a lame duck. He cannot pretend he has a mandate to lead the nation out of the current crisis. That will fall to others who want his job.

Meanwhile, the new CBC/Radio Canada CEO, is very mindful of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s promise to defund the CBC (but not Radio Canada). Such a drastic step, says Bouchard, would “cripple” not only the CBC but Radio Canada as well, as the two branches of the corporation share facilities, equipment and staff. Under Bouchard, we already see the welcome presence of thoroughly bilingual Radio Canada reporters and analysts appearing on the corporation’s English language television broadcasts.

Nonetheless, the brusque devil-may-care style of former CBC president Catherine Tait, including the overly generous bonuses to CBC brass, did much to cement in the mind of Poilievre and Canadians generally that the CBC is fat and overstaffed.

Bouchard in her interview on The Current declined to say whether she would accept an end-of-year bonus in her new job. That was a missed opportunity to show she is treading a different path.

The corporation has not taken proper care with expensive symbols such as the glittering national broadcast centre in Toronto, shown repeatedly in CBC promotional footage. During Galloway’s interview with Bouchard, he noted that one of Poilievre’s favorite applause- lines in his meetings around the country comes when he says he will defund the CBC.

The CBC’s main rival, private television network CTV, has a thinner, leaner image. The CBC hurts itself with its seemingly endless stream of lower-level journalistic staff, the viewer no sooner manages to get to know and appreciate such staff, than they are rotated to new spots.
The last nine months of federal Liberal decline, the caucus revolt against Justin Trudeau, the ascendency in the public opinion polls of Poilievre’s Conservatives,  the resignation of Trudeau and the massive Presidential election victory of Donald Trump and the threats against Canada that have followed, mean that politicians, political staffers, and top level CBC journalists have been working overtime.

The CBC’s senior television and radio reporters and announcers such as Rosemary Barton, David Cochrane, Janyce McGregor, Catherine Cullen, Aaron Wherry, and Matt Galloway, have been working very long shifts and doing highly professional work.

While they no doubt command high salaries, they have earned their pay over the last year. As with many cultural/media organizations, talent is thin at the top.
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The CBC does have many detractors. Some find it too highbrow or squawky. On the other hand, the institution can claim great strength. It makes an important contribution to a battered country just now. As said previously in this space, we must be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.