CBC/Radio-Canada is taking the federal information commissioner to court rather than disclose how many Canadians actually pay for its Gem streaming service.
The commissioner ruled in July that CBC must release the number of paid subscribers after University of Ottawa law professor Matt Malone challenged the broadcaster’s refusal under access-to-information laws.
CBC denied the request, citing competitive and programming exemptions. In an email, spokesperson Leon Mar said to CityNews, “We will make our case in our filing with the Federal Court and let the court decide.” In a nutshell, we have a crown corporation taking the federal government to court, spending taxpayer funds.
Malone blasted the move, saying, “The fact that the CBC is willing to go to court is a very interesting use of CBC’s precious resources. In my opinion, it’s a sad but telling attempt to dodge basic transparency.”
He added the refusal undermines CBC’s own journalists, “especially for the CBC journalists who still use the access-to-information requests as part of their journalistic work and try to get disclosure from federal institutions.”
Gem launched in 2018 with both free and paid tiers. The $5.99 monthly plan removes ads and includes access to CBC News Network. But CBC insists it won’t reveal either free or paid subscriber numbers. Are you subscribed to CBC Gem?
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I'm subscribed. Worth it to get rid of the ads, in my opinion. Odd they won't release the numbers. How could this be interpreted? What if they're (much) lower than expected (though what would the expectation be)? Could that put pressure on cutting funding for the Listen app? Wouldn't that be a CBC decision anyway? And what if they're higher than expected? What are the implications for a given number?
It’s not about the number. It’s about hiding it. The public as shareholders of the business have a right to know. Simple as that.
My suspicion is the numbers are low, very low. Image the public found out the numbers? They would be angry that they are paying for it and its a waste of tax dollars. Consequently, steps will be taking to decrease resources or shut down CBC departments.