Former CBC journalist Travis Dhanraj described a “toxic culture” of bullying, tokenism, and editorial bias at the public broadcaster during testimony before a House of Commons committee.
The former host of the “Canada Tonight” program named individuals at the CBC who he says engaged in intimidation, censorship, and editorial strong-arming.
“This is not about left or right,” Dhanraj told MPs in his testimony before the House Committee on Canadian Heritage on March 10. “It’s about systemic control, tokenism, selective enforcement, and a toxic culture where intimidation went unchecked.”
Dhanraj’s testimony was part of the committee’s broader discussion on the state of journalism in Canada and the funding of the CBC, which receives over $1.4 billion per year in taxpayer funds.
“If it is to endure as a public broadcaster worthy of Canadians’ trust it must be strong enough to withstand accountability,” Dhanraj said.
The CBC is denying Dharanj’s allegations, characterizing his comments as misleading.
Removal and Resignation
Dhanraj was a general assignment reporter for CBC Edmonton and CBC Toronto in the early 2000s before leaving for positions at other networks. He returned to CBC in 2021 as a senior parliamentary reporter and later hosted “Marketplace” and “Canada Tonight.”He said he was taken off the air in 2024 after posting on social media that he had requested an interview with CBC President Catherine Tait to talk about executive bonuses given out while layoffs were occurring at the public broadcaster, a request Tait declined.
According to his testimony, CBC management said the tweet violated internal editorial policies by creating a perception of bias on his part. Dhanraj insists his post simply made the factual point that Tait didn’t want to be interviewed.
After he was taken off the air, Dhanraj said he was asked to sign a confidentiality agreement by CBC management. He said he was asked to waive certain legal rights and agree to “seek no right or remedy under the Canadian Human Rights Act.”
He said he refused to sign it and his role at the CBC was subsequently not renewed.
“That should be shocking to every member on this committee,” Dhanraj told the committee. “We should not have a public institution silencing their own employees and having them waive their rights under the Canadian Human Rights Act.”
Dhanraj announced his resignation from the CBC in July of last year with a resignation letter to executives and an email explaining his decision to colleagues.
He filed a human rights complaint against the CBC in September of last year, alleging discrimination and retaliation against him for his social media post and disagreements about editorial independence. The case is still pending.
Responding to the allegations, CBC spokesperson Chuck Thompson said a number of Dhanraj’s statements in his March 10 testimony were false and misleading.
