CBC CEO Claimed $119K in Travel Expenses in 2 Years While Saying Broadcaster Underfunded: Report

CBC president and chief executive Catherine Tait waits to appear before the Heritage committee in Ottawa on Jan. 30, 2024. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

The CBC’s top executive incurred nearly $120,000 in travel expenses while the network was financially suffering, according to documents obtained through an access to information request.

CEO Catherine Tait used $119,309 in corporation funds for trips to Europe, Tokyo, Hollywood, and more between November 2021 and November 2023, according to the documents obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter.

Some of the expenses reportedly uncovered in the financial documents include travel receipts showing:

• $12,841 for a 2022 Tokyo conference of Public Broadcasters International;
• $12,673 for a 2022 “European tour” to London, Brussels, and Geneva;
• $12,220 to Lausanne in 2021 for “discussions” with the International Olympic Committee;
• $10,334 for a 2023 Prague conference of Public Broadcasters International;
• $9,841 for a 2022 trip to Hollywood for “meetings” with production industry representatives;
• $9,648 for a 2022 trip to London for a discussion on “threats facing journalists.”

Ms. Tait also filed business expenses for travel within Canada, including a 2022 stop at the Toronto International Film Festival at a cost of $2,155, the documents showed. She visited the Yorkton Film Festival in May 2023 which cost $4,063, and attended the 2023 Juno Awards in Edmonton, which came with a $5,231 price tag.

Additional expenses incurred by Ms. Tait in 2022 included a senior executive team retreat in Gatineau, Que., that cost $6,055 and a working dinner at an Ottawa restaurant for $638, according to the documents.

CBC announced last December it would eliminate approximately 600 positions across the country and leave 200 vacancies unfilled due to a $125 million shortfall. The corporation said the financial challenges stemmed from a combination of production expenses, declining advertising revenue, and increased competition.

Ms. Tait told the Commons heritage committee on Jan. 30 that the public broadcaster “faces chronic underfunding,” and had to “stretch limited resources to meet our mandate.”

Bonuses

Ms. Tait was called to answer questions from heritage committee members on Jan. 30 about the company’s annual performance bonuses, and whether they would still be paid out.

She told the committee members “performance pay” is decided by the CBC board of directors.

Liberal MP Lisa Hepfner questioned her on the issue.

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“Wouldn’t you say that it’s fair for us to ask these questions about executive compensation when so many journalists and people who do the real work that Canadians are counting on are facing the uncertainty and the instability that you mentioned in your statement?” she asked.

Ms. Tait responded by saying the corporation needs to respect the processes and rules.

“If we run a $1.8 billion corporation and we don’t respect the processes, the rules, the directives of the board of directors, then it’s chaos,“ she said. ”We have a process in place; performance pay is pegged against targets, and it’s measured.”

Ms. Tait said $14.9 million had been paid out in “performance pay” to executives the previous year.

The Canadian Press and William Crooks contributed to this report.