REVIEW

MESSAGES

SERVICES

MD&A

FINANCIALS

GOVERNANCE

• Message from
  the Chair
• Message from the President and CEO

This is my first message to you in the Corporation’s Annual Report as Chair of CBC/Radio-Canada’s Board of Directors. I was appointed for a five-year term on June 21, 2012, after serving as a Board member for nearly five years.

When I’m asked what I think the Board’s priorities should be over the next few years, the main theme that comes to mind is the Corporation’s responsibility to represent and make heard a broad spectrum of voices and opinions. It is, after all, our promise to create public spaces where you can better understand and relate to the world, your country, your province, your city, your community and your neighbours.

DIVERSITY OF VOICES

Reflecting a variety of opinions

It is one of the Board’s objectives to ensure that your public broadcaster reflects this country’s various perspectives on a wide range of issues. Via its television, radio and digital platforms, CBC/Radio-Canada provides Canadians with forums where they can gather to obtain information and form their own opinions, along with a safe place for them to share their ideas. This is an essential aspect of our offer and we’re always looking for ways to improve on it.

Reflecting the regions

The Board of Directors supports management’s view that an enhanced regional presence is essential if we want to reach Canadians where they live and bring them programming tailored to their needs. In choosing to hold the Annual Public Meeting in St. John’s rather than Ottawa on September 25, 2012, at the same time as its regional Board meeting, the Board demonstrated its interest in the regional centres, their employees and the role they play in reflecting local realities across the network. During their stay in St. John’s, Board members also seized the opportunity to meet with community leaders, as well as tour the set of the hit series Republic of Doyle and speak with the broadcast artists behind it. In short, holding the Annual Public Meeting in St. John’s was another way to connect with regional audiences.

GOOD GOVERNANCE

It goes without saying that good governance and transparency are at the core of the Board’s mandate and will remain our focus in the future.

Progress in governance

For the Board, effective management of the Corporation requires ongoing investment in innovative content production and delivery methods. The media environment is rapidly changing and the public broadcaster must continue to lead the way in emerging platforms and technologies. Staying focused on innovation will allow us to further our commitment to Canadians, while continuing to meet their needs and expectations.

In this context, sound, efficient management of our assets becomes all the more necessary to help us maximize our investments in solutions for the future. The clean audit opinion that the Auditor General gave CBC/Radio-Canada in its Special Examination Report has strengthened our resolve to continue on this path.

Progress in transparency

Under its commitment to access to information and proactive disclosure, the Corporation has released approximately 18,000 pages of information this year alone, including more than 3,900 pages pertaining to our Board.

And we’re being rewarded for this pro-active transparency. In her recent special report to Parliament, the Information Commissioner awarded the Corporation with a grade of “A”, a significant improvement from the “F” we received in 2011. This is an excellent result and is something of which we should be proud.

Partnerships for effective business

Partnerships have played a key role in the implementation of Strategy 2015, and in times of financial constraint it’s an essential part of helping us to deliver more content where, when and how audiences want it. It was a partnership between CBC/Radio-Canada, VIA Rail, Community Foundations of Canada and other key organizations that led to the nationwide CANADA 150 – 2017 STARTS NOW conference series devoted to Canada’s Sesquicentennial celebrations. The conferences were designed to spark concrete ideas for the upcoming festivities by connecting Canadians and engaging them in a conversation about the country’s cultural and democratic life. The CANADA 150 – 2017 STARTS NOW website will give details on further developments as the initiative unfolds.

In other respects, a ground breaking partnership recently signed with VIA Rail lets passengers watch a variety of Canadian programming on demand using a new digital onboard entertainment service. They’ll be getting a closer look at issues they might not otherwise hear about. Lastly, partnerships with other broadcasters provide a platform for CBC/Radio-Canada to present major sporting events, like the upcoming Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, while also ensuring sound management of our financial resources.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

In 2012–2013, the Board welcomed four new directors, each for a five-year term. Terrence Anthony Leier (Regina) was appointed on May 31, 2012; Marni Larkin (Winnipeg) on June 21, 2012; Maureen McCaw (Edmonton) on December 13, 2012; and Vivian Bercovici (Toronto) on March 7, 2013. We also said goodbye to Timothy W. Casgrain, former Chair of the Board, as well as directors Linda Black, Edna Turpin and John Fitzgerald Young. I’d like to thank them all for their important contribution to the public broadcaster during their time spent on our Board. You can find a complete list of Board members and their biographies on our corporate website.

On October 4, 2012, Hubert T. Lacroix was appointed to a second five-year term as President and CEO. This renewal is a guarantee of stability for the Corporation, and it will allow us to begin reflecting on what comes next after the 2015: Everyone, Every way five-year plan.

In closing, I’d like to extend my thanks to all Board members for their ongoing commitment to public broadcasting.

Rémi Racine
Chair, Board of Directors