CBC’s initial plan was to add up to 25 journalists in underserved communities, with a focus on Western Canada. A later plan described by the federal government and CBC expanded that figure to up to 30 permanent journalists in 22 communities. Neither announcement establishes how many positions were ultimately filled.
How many journalists did CBC plan to hire?
In November 2024, CBC announced plans to add up to 25 journalists in more than a dozen communities underserved by broadcast news. The Canadian Press reported on January 3, 2025, that CBC intended to finalize locations and fill permanent positions in early 2025; the report attributed that hiring timeline to CBC spokesperson Chuck Thompson. The 25 was a planned maximum, not a confirmed count of completed hires. The Canadian Press
How did the plan change?
Later federal material described an expanded plan for CBC/Radio-Canada to hire up to 30 permanent journalists in 22 underserved communities. CBC’s third-quarter report also recorded an announcement of up to 30 positions. These later announcements update the original 25-position plan; they do not show that all 30 jobs were filled. Canadian Heritage CBC/Radio-Canada
Where were the proposed positions?
The federal breakdown for the later 22-community plan was six locations in British Columbia, one in the North, nine across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, three in Ontario, and one each in Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The original announcement emphasized Western Canada; the later breakdown covered communities across the country. The listed figures describe locations, not the number of journalists assigned to each one.
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What was Google’s payout, and how was CBC funded?
Google agreed to contribute $100 million annually to Canadian news organizations through the Canadian Journalism Collective under an arrangement tied to a five-year exemption from the Online News Act. The CRTC approved Google’s exemption on October 28, 2024, paving the way for the contribution. Its later status report says Google made the first annual payment in December 2024. CRTC, October 28, 2024 CRTC status report
The federal government’s open-call information listed $7 million for CBC/Radio-Canada within the $100 million arrangement. That allocation was part of the funding framework, not a stated per-journalist salary or a guarantee that CBC would spend the entire amount on the announced hires. The government said compensation amounts depended on eligible applicants and full-time-equivalent staffing engaged in original online news production. Canadian Heritage
Google announced its agreement with the Canadian Journalism Collective on June 7, 2024, subject to the regulator approving the exemption. Google Canada
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Were the journalists actually hired?
The cited announcements and reports do not verify how many of the proposed positions had been filled by October 2026. The early-2025 hiring intention and later plan of up to 30 are plans, not evidence of completed hiring. A confirmed current staffing count would require an updated CBC statement.
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