Marie-Philippe Bouchard Takes Top Seat at CBC News Canada

Marie-Philippe Bouchard, head of radio news at CBC News Canada, is excited to be “charting the path forward” as a public broadcaster in Canada. The company is still dealing with the fallout from the scandal surrounding executive bonuses given out in the wake of layoffs caused by outgoing CEO Catherine Tait.

Bouchard will start her five-year tenure as head of CBC/Radio-Canada on January 3, 2025, making history as the first francophone woman to hold the position, according to Heritage Canada, which announced the appointment on Tuesday.

Across the globe, Bouchard described “public service media” as “a precious public asset.”

According to Bouchard’s media statement, keeping up with the rapid pace of society’s changes necessitates that our public broadcaster establish trust to continue being relevant to all Canadians.

The Minister of Heritage, Pascale St-Onge, praised Bouchard, calling him “a talented, strong public broadcasting leader with a proven record of transformation.”

Before becoming president and chief executive officer of TV5 Quebec Canada, Bouchard held several managerial posts at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in digital services, music, strategy, planning, and regulatory relations.

Catherine Tait and CBC News Canada

Bouchard took over for Catherine Tait, president of the CBC since 2018, and a figure under pressure for executive compensation and the larger difficulties of rebuilding public faith in the network. Tait oversaw CBC News Canada.

Tait justified the over $18 million in performance-based compensation to staff during Monday’s meeting of the Commons Heritage committee, even though the government had to lay off 141 workers and fill 205 open jobs due to a budget deficit.

According to Catherine Tait, Parliamentary Heritage Committee members have tried to “vilify” and “discredit” her and the public broadcaster through her appearances.

When she resigned in January, she refused to accept Conservative demands that she forego a financial departure package that included bonuses.

St-Onge appointed Bouchard to a committee last May to update CBC/Radio-Canada’s mission. The broadcaster employs over 7,000 individuals representing “a multitude of backgrounds and cultures,” as stated in the organization’s most recent annual report. So far, we do not know what that review found.

As online platforms continue to grow in importance, CBC News Canada is one of several broadcasters that has seen a decline in ad revenue and a subsequent reduction in audience size.

According to its annual report for 2023–2024, the company predicts that its traditional radio and television audiences will “continue to erode as younger Canadians embrace digital technologies.”

According to St. Onge, Bouchard will “provide a steady hand” for the CBC during “a critical time of modernization.”

Source: CBC News Canada

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