Canadian Broadcasting Corporation facts for kids
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CBC Headquarters in Ottawa in 2019
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| Crown corporation | |
| Industry | |
| Predecessor | Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission |
| Founded | November 2, 1936 (radio) September 6, 1952 (television) |
| Headquarters | CBC Ottawa Production Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
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Area served
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National; available on terrestrial and cable systems in northern American border communities; available internationally via Internet, Sirius XM and on TV |
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Key people
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| Products | |
| Services |
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| Revenue |  CA$503.94 million(FY 2021) |
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Operating income
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 $173.24 million (FY 2021) |
| $142.09 million (FY 2021) |
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Number of employees
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7,444 (March 2018) |
| Corporation overview | |
| Minister responsible |
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| Key document |
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The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (also known as French: Société Radio-Canada), or CBC/Radio-Canada, is Canada's public broadcaster. It provides both radio and television services. It is a special type of company called a Crown corporation. This means it is owned by the government but operates independently. Its English services are known as CBC, and its French services are called Radio-Canada.
The CBC is the oldest broadcasting network in Canada that has been running continuously. It was started on November 2, 1936. The CBC runs four main radio networks: CBC Radio One and CBC Music in English, and Ici Radio-Canada Première and Ici Musique in French. It also has two main TV networks: CBC Television (English) and Ici Radio-Canada Télé (French). Beyond these, the CBC has other channels like CBC News Network and Ici RDI, which are news channels. They also have services for Canada's Arctic regions called CBC North and Radio-Canada Nord. Plus, the CBC has many online services like CBC.ca and Ici.TOU.TV.
CBC/Radio-Canada offers programs in English, French, and eight Indigenous languages on its radio. Its international web radio service, Radio Canada International (RCI), offers programs in five languages. Sometimes, due to budget cuts, the CBC has had to reduce some of its services. For example, RCI stopped its shortwave radio broadcasts in 2012.
The CBC gets money from the Canadian government. It also earns money from commercials on its television shows. Its main radio networks have been commercial-free since 1974.
Contents
The History of CBC
How Canadian Broadcasting Began
In 1929, a group called the Aird Commission suggested creating a national radio network. They were worried about the growing influence of American radio in Canada. Before the CBC, the Canadian National Railways had its own radio network called CNR Radio. This network entertained train passengers. In 1932, the government created the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (CRBC), which was the CBC's first version.
The CRBC took over the radio stations from the Canadian National Railway. These stations broadcast programs mainly in central and eastern Canada. On November 2, 1936, the CRBC became the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). The CBC was set up like the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in the UK. Leonard Brockington was the first chairman of the CBC.
For many years, the CBC was at the forefront of broadcasting in Canada. Until 1958, it not only broadcast programs but also helped set the rules for Canadian broadcasting. It started a separate French-language radio network in 1937. It also brought FM radio to Canada in 1946.
Television Arrives
Television broadcasts from the CBC began on September 6, 1952. The first TV station opened in Montreal, Quebec (CBFT). A second station opened in Toronto, Ontario (CBLT) two days later. The first private TV station to join the CBC network was CKSO in Sudbury, Ontario, in October 1953. At first, all private stations were expected to join the CBC. This changed when CTV launched in 1960.
On July 1, 1958, the CBC's television signal reached across Canada. The first Canadian TV show filmed in colour was the CBC's The Forest Rangers in 1963. Colour TV broadcasts started on July 1, 1966. By 1974, all CBC programs were in full colour. In 1978, the CBC was the first broadcaster in the world to use a satellite for TV service. This connected Canada from coast to coast to the North.
Bringing TV to Remote Areas
From 1967 to the mid-1970s, the CBC offered a "Frontier Coverage Package." This brought limited TV service to remote northern communities. Low-power TV transmitters showed four hours of black-and-white programs each day. These programs were recorded in Calgary. Then, they were flown to a community with a transmitter. After being broadcast, they were moved to another community. This often caused delays of a week or even a month.
The first of these stations started in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, in 1967. Other stations were added until 1972. By 1973, most of these stations were updated. They could then receive live colour CBC Television programs from the Anik satellite. This meant people in the North could watch TV at the same time as the rest of Canada.
Moving to Digital TV
In 2011, a big change happened for TV. The CRTC (Canada's TV and radio regulator) said that in 28 major cities, old analogue TV signals had to stop. Broadcasters had to switch to digital signals or stop broadcasting over the air. The CBC converted about half of its analogue transmitters to digital. Due to money problems, the CBC decided to shut down many of its analogue transmitters.
On July 31, 2012, the CBC turned off almost all of its 620 analogue TV transmitters. This reduced the total number of CBC TV transmitters to just 27. The CBC said this would save them $10 million each year. They also said that only a small number of Canadians lost access to CBC programs. This is because most Canadians get their TV through cable or satellite.
Copyright and Elections
The CBC has sometimes had disagreements about its copyrighted material. During the 2015 Canadian federal election, the CBC sent letters to political parties. They said the parties were using CBC news footage in their ads without permission. Some parties removed the ads.
In 2019, the CBC sued a political party for using clips from its debates in campaign material. The CBC said the clips were used out of context. The party argued that they used only a short clip and had already removed the video. A court later ruled in May 2021 that the party's use was fair. This decision helped clarify what is allowed under "fair dealing" rules for copyrighted material in Canada.
CBC Logos and Slogans
The first CBC logo, used from 1940 to 1958, showed a map of Canada with a thunderbolt. This thunderbolt symbolized broadcasting. In 1958, a new logo was adopted. It had "CBC" and "Radio-Canada" over a map of Canada.
The "Butterfly" logo was designed in 1966. It marked the network's move from black-and-white to colour TV. This was similar to the NBC peacock logo in the United States.
The fourth logo, often called "the gem" or "The Exploding Pizza," was created in 1974 by Burton Kramer. This is the most famous CBC symbol. The large shape in the middle is a "C" for Canada. The parts radiating out from the "C" represent broadcasting. The blue circle around it stands for the world. So, the logo means "Canada broadcasting to the world." This logo also marked the start of full-colour TV service.
In 1986, the "gem" logo was updated to a single colour, usually dark blue or white. In 1992, the CBC updated its logo again. This new design, created by Gottschalk + Ash, made the logo simpler and more red. The "C" in the middle became a simple red circle. This red colour also represents Canada. This current logo is the longest-used CBC logo.
CBC television has used many slogans over the years, such as "Bringing Canadians Together" (1977) and "Canada Lives Here" (2007–2014). The current slogan, since 2023, is "It's a Canada thing."
Famous CBC Personalities
Many famous Canadians have worked at the CBC. These include former Governors General Jeanne Sauvé, Adrienne Clarkson, and Michaëlle Jean. Also, René Lévesque, who later became the Premier of Quebec, worked there.
Knowlton Nash was a respected news anchor for The National from 1965 to 1992. Peter Mansbridge then took over as anchor until 2017.
A very popular show is Hockey Night in Canada, broadcast every Saturday night since 1952. Famous commentators included Foster Hewitt and Dick Irvin Jr.. Ron MacLean and Don Cherry were well-known for their "Coach's Corner" segment.
How CBC is Organized
What the CBC Does
The 1991 Broadcasting Act explains what the CBC should do. It says the CBC should offer radio and TV services that inform, enlighten, and entertain. The programs should be mostly Canadian and show Canada's different regions. They should be in both English and French, serving both language groups. The CBC should also help share Canadian culture and reflect Canada's diverse population.
The CBC is a crown corporation. This means it operates mostly on its own, separate from the government's daily decisions. It is managed by a board of directors. The president of the CBC is chosen by the Governor General of Canada based on the prime minister's advice.
How CBC is Funded
The CBC gets a large part of its money from the Canadian government. It also earns money from advertising on its TV networks and websites. Cable and satellite channels like CBC News Network also get money from subscriber fees. CBC radio services do not sell advertising, except for political ads during elections.
Many Canadians support the CBC. A poll in 2014 showed that most Canadians wanted CBC funding to stay the same or increase. Supporters say the CBC focuses on Canadian content, unlike private media. They also point out that the CBC pays for most of its own prime-time shows. Private networks often buy cheaper American shows.
In 2015, the Liberal Party promised to restore funding to the CBC that had been cut by the previous government. Since 2018, the CBC has received about $1.2 billion annually from the federal government.
CBC Services
News Services
CBC News is the biggest news organization in Canada. It provides news for CBC radio, CBC News Network, local TV newscasts, and the CBC News website. They also offer news alerts for phones and other devices.
Radio Services
CBC Radio has six different services. Three are in English: CBC Radio One, CBC Music, and CBC Radio 3. Three are in French: Ici Radio-Canada Première, Ici Musique, and Ici Musique Classique. Over time, many CBC radio stations have moved from AM to FM.
CBC Radio One and Première focus on news and information. They also play some music, variety shows, and comedy. CBC Music and Ici musique are on FM and focus on arts and music. CBC Radio 3 is only online and plays independent Canadian music.
The CBC also used to have two shortwave radio services. One was for Northern Quebec, and the other was Radio Canada International for listeners around the world. Both were shut down in 2012 due to budget cuts.
In 2004, the CBC partnered with other companies to bring satellite radio to Canada. Sirius Canada launched in 2005. It included several CBC Radio channels, like the new CBC Radio 3.
Television Services
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The CBC runs two national TV networks: CBC Television (English) and ICI Radio-Canada Télé (French). Both networks sell advertising but show more Canadian-made programs. All CBC TV stations are owned by the CBC itself. They mostly show the same programs, except for local news and special regional shows. For example, CBC North stations in the territories have newscasts in Inuktitut and Cree.
One of the most popular shows is Hockey Night in Canada, which broadcasts NHL hockey games on Saturday nights. The French version was called La Soirée du hockey. These shows started in 1952. In 2013, another company, Rogers Media, got the rights to NHL games. However, Rogers made a deal with the CBC to keep the Hockey Night in Canada brand. They also provide the broadcasts to CBC for free.
The CBC also owns and runs three special TV channels: the news channels CBC News Network and Ici RDI, and the French-language channel Ici Explora. It also has a share in the arts channel ARTV and Documentary Channel.
The CBC offers on-demand TV programs through digital cable services. For younger viewers, there is a commercial-free block of preschool programs called CBC Kids. In French, the children's block is Zone Jeunesse.
Online Services
The CBC has two main websites: CBC.ca in English (started in 1996) and Radio-Canada.ca in French. These websites offer content that goes along with their TV and radio programs.
In 2012, the CBC launched CBC Music. This is an internet radio service with 40 music channels. In 2019, the CBC launched CBC Listen. This platform brings together all of the CBC's radio, music, and podcast content.
The CBC also offers full-length documentary films through the Documentary Channel. In 2023, the CBC announced it is planning for a future where all broadcasting might be done through internet streaming.
Other Services
CBC Merchandising sells CBC products and content. This includes things like Hockey Night in Canada merchandise.
CBC Records is a Canadian record label. It releases CBC programs, including live concerts and recordings of news and information shows.
The CBC also provides news, business, weather, and sports information for Air Canada's in-flight entertainment.
Working at the CBC
Unions and Staff
Many employees at CBC/Radio-Canada are part of unions. These unions help represent the staff. Some of the unions include the Canadian Media Guild (CMG) and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA).
Sometimes, there have been disagreements between the CBC and its staff unions. These disagreements can lead to work stoppages. For example, in 2005, many CBC employees were locked out by the CBC management. This meant they could not work. The disagreement was about hiring contract workers instead of full-time staff. During this time, CBC services continued but mostly showed repeats or news from other sources like the BBC.
The lockout ended on October 2, 2005. The CBC returned to normal operations on October 11. Some people thought the upcoming start of Hockey Night in Canada helped push for a solution.
International Broadcasts
CBC and Radio-Canada channels are available through cable and satellite TV providers across Canada. You can also get their signals for free with an antenna in many major Canadian cities. Some people in U.S. border communities can also receive CBC signals.
CBC in the United States
CBC radio and TV stations can be received in U.S. cities near the Canada–U.S. border. These include cities like Buffalo, New York and Detroit, Michigan. Some American fans even use Canadian IP addresses to stream CBC sports.
On September 11, 2001, several American broadcasters without their own news teams showed the CBC's coverage of the September 11 attacks. The quality of this coverage was highly praised. C-SPAN, an American public affairs network, has also shown CBC's coverage of important Canadian events. This includes Canadian federal elections and major events in the Parliament of Canada.
Some PBS stations in the U.S. also air certain CBC programs. Other American news networks sometimes show CBC reports, especially for Canadian events that are important internationally.
Past International Channels
From 1994 to 2000, the CBC partly owned two channels in the U.S.: Newsworld International (NWI) and Trio. NWI showed many programs from CBC Newsworld (now CBC News Network). Trio was an arts and entertainment channel. The CBC later sold its share in these channels. NWI eventually became Current TV and then Al Jazeera America.
International Radio Programs
Some CBC Radio One programs, like Q and As It Happens, are also broadcast on some public radio stations in the United States. CBC Radio One and Ici Radio-Canada Première are also available to SiriusXM subscribers in the United States.
Images for kids
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Radio Canada International transmitter site (CKCX) in Sackville, New Brunswick in 2009. The site was closed in 2012.
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A QSL card from 1956 promoting CBC Radio-Canada's international service
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See also
In Spanish: CBC/Radio-Canada para niños
- CBC Museum
- List of assets owned by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
- Media in Canada
