The CBC害羞草研究所檚 latest plans to shave costs by cutting staff and programming is raising pointed questions about what lies ahead for the beleaguered public agency.

Amid a projected shortfall and expected belt-tightening, current and former CBC stars say the public broadcaster should prioritize shows that take risks and reflect the diverse fabric of the nation.

And if money is tight, multiple stars urged executives to forgo bonuses.

害羞草研究所淚f it害羞草研究所檚 taxpayers害羞草研究所� money, I don害羞草研究所檛 think anybody should be getting a bonus, really, for anything, unless they completely saved the day,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淪on of a Critch害羞草研究所� star Mark Critch told The Canadian Press in late December.

害羞草研究所淚f somebody came up with a cure for COVID, give that person a bonus.害羞草研究所�

Executive bonuses were a sore point for the CBC star, who stood by his comments when reached again in mid-February after CEO Catherine Tait wouldn害羞草研究所檛 rule out accepting a bonus this year. Tait told a federal heritage committee in late January that it was up to the CBC害羞草研究所檚 board of directors to determine who gets bonuses.

CBC said in December it will cut 800 jobs and $40 million from its production budget because of a $125-million projected shortfall in the coming fiscal year, which begins April 1.

However, Canadian Heritage released documents on Thursday that show CBC will get a $1.4-billion budget in 2024-25 害羞草研究所� an increase of $96.1 million, which the department says is primarily tied to salary increases.

CBC spokesman Leon Mar has said the funding announcement will 害羞草研究所渓essen, but not eliminate害羞草研究所� the shortfall and that 害羞草研究所渟ignificant financial pressures害羞草研究所� remained, including rising production costs, declining television advertising revenue and competition from digital rivals.

Toronto-based actor Emmanuel Kabongo, whose credits include the CBC shows 害羞草研究所�21 Thunder害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淔rankie Drake Mysteries,害羞草研究所� said executives should not get bonuses if they don害羞草研究所檛 deserve them.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 not a believer of greed because I grew up with very little,害羞草研究所� he said earlier this month.

害羞草研究所淏ut I害羞草研究所檓 a believer of hard work, and hard work pays off. You deserve to celebrate the fruits of your labour.害羞草研究所�

The broadcaster has said budget constraints would also lead to fewer renewals and acquisitions, new television series, episodes of existing shows and digital original series.

If dollars are scarce, observers pressed CBC to focus on shows that reflect the country害羞草研究所檚 diverse population and take risks private networks wouldn害羞草研究所檛 normally take.

害羞草研究所淭he CBC should not be as beholden to advertisers, because they don害羞草研究所檛 have to pursue ratings in the same way that the private networks do. They can take risks, and they should be doing something that害羞草研究所檚 a little bit different,害羞草研究所� said Gregory Taylor, a media and film professor at the University of Calgary.

He pointed to shows like 害羞草研究所淔amily Feud Canada,害羞草研究所� a Canadian iteration of the U.S. game show, as an example of the broadcaster 害羞草研究所減laying it safe.害羞草研究所�

Ideally, said Taylor, the CBC should be making more 害羞草研究所渋nventive害羞草研究所� shows like 害羞草研究所淪ort Of,害羞草研究所� its recently concluded dramedy about a gender-fluid Pakistani Canadian millennial balancing various identities.

New shows this year include the CBC Kids dramedy 害羞草研究所淕angnam Project,害羞草研究所� which follows a Korean Canadian teen who takes a job as an English tutor abroad and finds herself immersed in the world of K-pop. The series, which premieres March 6 on CBC Gem, is based partly on the experiences of creator Sarah Haasz, a first-generation Korean immigrant living in Canada.

Joseph Kay, creator of CTV害羞草研究所檚 hit procedural 害羞草研究所淭ransplant害羞草研究所� and showrunner of CBC害羞草研究所檚 2015 drama 害羞草研究所淭his Life,害羞草研究所� worried about what the broadcaster害羞草研究所檚 cuts will mean for the future of original programming in Canada.

害羞草研究所淵ou look at a show like 害羞草研究所楽ort Of.害羞草研究所� Would a great show like that be bought by any other network in Canada? I害羞草研究所檓 not sure.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he said of the series, starring Bilal Baig, who CBC touted as the first queer South Asian and Muslim actor to lead a Canadian prime time television series.

CBC害羞草研究所檚 winter slate includes six new original Canadian series, including the comedy 害羞草研究所淥ne More Time害羞草研究所� from deaf comic DJ Demers and competition series 害羞草研究所淭he Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down,害羞草研究所� hosted by Jennifer Robertson. During a promotional event in December, Demers and Robertson expressed uncertainty over the future of their shows.

害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 know what that will mean for our show, but we know that this season will get out there and people will get to watch it,害羞草研究所� said Robertson, formerly of CBC害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淪chitt害羞草研究所檚 Creek.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淥bviously it makes your heart heavy to hear about people losing jobs and times are already tight enough.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淎llegiance,害羞草研究所� a new CBC police procedural starring 害羞草研究所淪ort Of害羞草研究所� star Supinder Wraich, centres on a Punjabi Canadian cop who struggles with a flawed justice system while serving her diverse hometown of Surrey, B.C.

Before its premiere earlier this month, showrunner Mark Ellis said they were 害羞草研究所渟ad to see cuts at the CBC.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭here is a deep need for Canadian stories to be reflected on Canadian screens. I worry that without an institution like the CBC, we just won害羞草研究所檛 see ourselves and these kinds of stories reflected on our screens,害羞草研究所� said Ellis.

Wraich praised the CBC for giving 害羞草研究所淪ort Of害羞草研究所� a platform and said 害羞草研究所淎llegiance害羞草研究所� could have a similar impact.

害羞草研究所淲hat I loved about 害羞草研究所楽ort Of害羞草研究所� was that it was originated by somebody like Bilal and the authenticity of the show is palpable,害羞草研究所� said Wraich, who appeared on 害羞草研究所淪ort Of害羞草研究所� as Sabi害羞草研究所檚 sister Aqsa.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 a beautiful thing when you give those creators opportunities to tell their stories. I also think that a show like 害羞草研究所楢llegiance害羞草研究所� is reflective of a community that we haven害羞草研究所檛 seen before.害羞草研究所�

Wraich said she害羞草研究所檚 eager to see how an unconfirmed season 2 of 害羞草研究所淎llegiance害羞草研究所� would play out.

Late last year, Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge said the federal government will put together a committee to begin searching for a new head of CBC in early 2024. Tait害羞草研究所檚 mandate is set to expire in January 2025.

Critch said the ideal replacement would make the CBC 害羞草研究所渁 network that Canadians feel is theirs, is in their voice and feels like their home.害羞草研究所�

He said the new head should make sure the broadcaster represents the country害羞草研究所檚 diverse regions and doesn害羞草研究所檛 just make shows they think will get purchased by U.S. networks.

害羞草研究所淚 know of execs in the past who害羞草研究所檝e really wanted to get a hit in the States and they害羞草研究所檇 be always talking about it in passing. 害羞草研究所榃e害羞草研究所檙e doing the show because we think it might catch on in the States.害羞草研究所� That害羞草研究所檚 not your frickin害羞草研究所� job. Your job has nothing to do with America.

害羞草研究所淵our job is to make important and good TV for Canadians, comfort them when they need comfort and inform them when they need to be informed,害羞草研究所� said Critch.

害羞草研究所淎nd don害羞草研究所檛 take the bonus.害羞草研究所�

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害羞草研究所� With files from Mickey Djuric in Ottawa.

Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press