Sad Times For The CBC

"Those of us who have had a quick look at it [CBC documents provided to a Senate investigatory committee] would really question ... its accuracy. Some of this stuff looks like fiction."
"I don't think we're getting the full picture. I don't think this is actually the answer to the question. I think there's a whole bunch more being paid to certain people in the CBC that may be outside of their salary."
Liberal Senator Terry Mercer

"I believe that people are making bonuses that are larger than what their salaries are indicating.:"
"If they try to manipulate things enough ... they can maybe come to those numbers, but I find them strange as well."
Conservative Senator Don Plett

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Providing 184 pages of salary ranges for staff working at Canada's official state broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, a public agency that Canadians either love or detest, and usually in reaction to its perceived political biases, doesn't appear to have satisfied the quest of the Senate's transportation and communication committee's curiosity about the salary range of CBC employees.

Th documents list a maximum salary scale for top television (senior news reporter) correspondent Peter Mansbridge of $80,500. High-profile radio show host Jian Ghomeshi and television host Amanda Lang were given salary scales of between $60,844.32 and $77,390.42. The precise additions of 32 and 42 cents aside, there seems to be somewhat of a credibility gap; either that or those well-known personalities are a smokin' steal in their payscale for the CBC.

A direct enquiry to Mr. Mansbridge resulted in his commenting that he would not comment, because "it's personal information", which seems strange indeed, since the"personal information" of other high-profile public figures paid out of government coffers is never seen by the CBC to be beyond their purview to communicate to the public. But what do we know? A CBC spokeswoman commented that individual salaries are protected under the Privacy Act.

Which seems strange indeed; Ontario's sunshine legislation mandated that salaries of public servants be made public and those who are curious can indeed find out what public servants in the province earn; if they're working for Ontario Hydro, quite a lot. Same for TV Ontario. So what's the mystery and why the mystery? Canadians have a lot invested in the CBC; roughly $1.1-billion on an annual basis, but for the coming fiscal year somewhat reduced, forcing the CBC to review its mandate and to plan on cut-backs

"In the competitive environment in which we operate that information [individual salaries] is not public", according to France Belisle speaking for the CBC. Top TV anchors' salaries remain a guarded industry secret, then. While it's estimated that Mr. Mansbridge, CTV's Lisa Laflamme and Global's Dawna Friesen earn roughly $300,000 -- who really knows? it could be considerably more. The Senate committee wanted to interrogate Mr. Mansbridge directly but that was nixed by CBC president Hubert Lacroix.

While the CBC had "the utmost respect for the work of Parliament", and was dedicated to working with the committee on its review of the programming and operating challenges facing the CBC, the salaries of its employees are off limits, and nor will the CBC allow any of their trusted employees to go before the esteemed members of the Senate committee.

However, there is pain and mourning at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, where a drop in its 2014-2015 federal funding amounting to a decrease to $913-million has caused the corporation to cut 657 jobs. Satisfied, you culture-haters?