- CBC News will create 11 new local bureaus and add 33 journalists across Canada, increasing CBC’s footprint from 66 to 77 bureaus and stations.
- This new expansion is in addition to the 30 journalists hired for 22 locations last summer.
- CBC’s local news podcast slate will also expand to 15 locations with the launch of Kelowna and Quebec City in February.
CBC today announced another significant expansion of local news coverage under the proximity pillar of CBC/Radio-Canada’s new five-year strategic plan. This year, CBC News will add 33 local journalists and create 11 new bureaus in communities underserved by CBC, increasing its footprint from 66 to 77 local stations and bureaus to deliver more trusted news and information across Canada. This is in addition to last year’s CBC News local service expansion of 30 journalists hired in 22 communities across Canada.
CBC News’ continued expansion strengthens the proximity pillar of CBC/Radio Canada’s Here for Canada strategy, which aims to increase the national public broadcaster’s presence, relevance, trust and relationship with communities across the country, by telling the stories that matter and elevating those stories to national audiences.
“We see this historic investment in local journalism as another meaningful opportunity to connect more Canadians with each other and the important, untold stories of their communities,” said Brodie Fenlon, General Manager and Editor in Chief, CBC News.
“As we establish our new bureaus, we are committed to preserving and improving on the diversity of trusted news sources that local communities can rely on,” said Barbara Williams, Executive Vice-President, CBC. “We look forward to championing the work of other news organizations in these communities and will seek opportunities to support and partner with them in the best way possible to contribute to a healthier media ecosystem for Canadians.”
Job postings for the new journalist roles across the country will be published in the coming weeks. Twenty-two of the new roles will be stationed in the 11 new locations.
The 11 new bureaus include three locations in Saskatchewan, two each in the Yukon, Manitoba and Quebec, and one location each in B.C. and Ontario, as follows from west to east:
- Richmond, B.C.
- Haines Junction, Yukon
- Dawson City, Yukon
- Swift Current, Sask.
- Yorkton, Sask.
- Moose Jaw, Sask.
- Selkirk/Interlake Region, Man.
- Flin Flon, Man.
- Peel Region in Ontario
- Sept-Îles/North and Lower North Shore in Quebec
- Châteauguay/Montérégie in Quebec
In order to showcase this new local journalism, CBC has launched 44 additional regional web pages on CBCNews.ca available at CBC.ca/local.
CBC News’ local podcast slate also continues to grow, offering audiences an additional platform to stay connected to what’s happening in their community. The 13 current local podcasts span from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland and Labrador, and include the New Brunswick podcast launching next week - all offering listeners relevant news about where they live, made by people who also live there. New “This Is” podcasts will launch in Kelowna and Quebec City in February, bringing the total number of CBC News local podcasts to 15.
Learn more about CBC News’ local expansion in this video.
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About CBC/Radio Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages: Dehcho Dene Yati, Dënesųłıné (Chipewyan), Eastern Cree, Gwich’in, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, Sahtu Got'ine Godi, and Tłı̨chǫ (Tlicho). We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
