Mr. Speaker, we just learned that CBC executives have told employees that programming will be slashed by $28 million.
To explain these new cuts, the executives said that they had no choice, because the CRTC killed the local programming improvement fund, the LPIF, in July. This fund helped improve local television services in small markets. As the head of the CBC said in his letter to employees, regional programming is key to helping the corporation fulfill its role as a national broadcaster.
Can the minister tell us just how much will be cut from our public broadcaster and from the local programming all Canadians are entitled to?