The industry reaction to how the CBC will absorb a public subsidy chop, to include job cuts and CBC Radio Two advertising, was swift.

“Astral is fiercely opposed to seeing the public broadcaster start selling advertising,” the Montreal-based broadcaster said in an emailed statement Thursday that indicates it will oppose a CBC application to introduce air-time commercials on CBC Radio Two and its Quebec equivalent, Espace musique.

“CBC has to decide if it wants to continue being funded by Canadians and fulfill its mandate or if it wants to operate commercial radio stations,” Astral Media added.

The hit to indie producers from pending CBC programming cuts also spurred reaction online.

Corner Gas creator and indie producer Brent Butt took to his Twitter account to declare: “ If gov’t bought 64 fighter jets instead of 65, the CBC wouldn’t have to take that 10% hit.”

And Vancouver-based CBC Radio One host Stephen Quinn tweeted after top CBC brass told employees nationwide about job and programming cuts around the corner: “On a depressing meeting scale of 1-10, that was an 11.”

“It’s a tough day as we begin to digest the cuts to public broadcasting in Canada. And now ads on Radio 2 to create revenue,” fellow CBC Radio One host Jian Ghomeshi chimed in via his own Twitter account.

From Playback Daily