By Holly Klein-Swormink
On Monday, March 14, Hubert Lacroix, CBC/Radio-Canada president and CEO, spoke to Prof. Susan Harada’s graduate Journalism class about the future of public broadcasting in Canada.
Lacroix was appointed president and CEO of the CBC in November 2007 and is currently serving his second consecutive five-year term. Prior to his appointment, he was a senior partner at Canadian law firm McCarthy Tétrault and he also spent five years as an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Law at Université de Montréal.
Lacroix discussed a myriad of topics relating to public broadcasting in Canada, facilitating an open discussion about the culture shift that is occurring at CBC and other Canadian networks with the transition into the digital age. The network has had to transform its core business functions, altering everything from its business model to the way its journalists conduct their reporting.
“Radio was our flagship, we were a radio group, but when digital came it changed everything – which was a difficult shift to make,” said Lacroix. “In the past we would refresh the home page eight to 12 times per day, now we refresh the home page eight to 12 times per hour.”
Although digital communications have changed how we consume information, Lacroix stressed that doesn’t mean that the old methods of obtaining information and entertainment are gone.
“People think TV is dead, but do you realize that the average Canadian watches 27 hours of live television every week?” he asked. “That doesn’t include any content watched on digital platforms, that is simply live television – and sports is a very small percentage of that statistic.”
Although newer generations are straying from television, with 21 per cent of millennials not having access to a television set, Lacroix says that TV as a medium is alive and well. Making it competitive with the web and other online formats is crucial for the network.
Although the digital age has introduced some challenges for the network, Lacroix stressed that it has allowed the CBC to provide more accessible coverage in smaller communities, which is no small feat in a country as large as Canada. Digital technology has made it easier for local stories to have a widespread impact.
Overall, Lacroix sees the transition into the digital age as an advantage for students who are about to enter the workforce.
“Everyone is at the same starting point when it comes to digital technology because it is so new. It’s very exciting for today’s journalism students because they are starting their career with similar digital experience levels as long-time journalists.”
Wednesday, March 16, 2016 in News Releases
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