Subtract 2,000 employees, diminish regional production, cut popular radio programming, add more commercials but air programming that redefines the cbc as ‘The Canadian broadcaster’ ­ this is the solution cbc president Perrin Beatty announced as the public broadcaster’s plan to achieve the mega cost cut decreed in the Liberals’ federal budget.

At a Toronto press conference Sept. 19, fielding a pack of questions on the politics behind the new plan and the rumored rift between himself and cbc chair Guylaine Saucier, cbc president Perrin Beatty said that although the cbc would be down 2,500 employees by 1998, the basic formula ­ four core services ­ would survive and that no stations would close.

Calling the staff reductions painful but unavoidable, Beatty says which jobs will be eliminated is not yet known, although it will be a 50%/50% split between programming staff and support staff with the cbc’s head office reduced in size by two-thirds.

‘Our vice-presidents and senior management will be meeting with staff across the country over the next week to discuss individual elements of our strategy in more detail. We must move quickly. The bulk of all reductions must be implemented within the next six months,’ says Beatty.

As part of the cbc’s ‘Black Book’ plan, ad spot sales added into the likes of The National are expected to add $15 million in revenue. The extra income will join additional new dollars generated by cbc’s ‘tip to t’e’ production and post services being offered out of the broadcast centre in Toronto, another recent move designed to offset the overall budget shortfall in the neighborhood of $414 million. Professional sports will have its place, the likes of the Olympics and this year’s World Cup Hockey which drew 4.6 million viewers Sept. 14 remaining as part of the cbc sked.

To date, $227 million of the original $350 million four-year operating grant reduction have been previously determined and implemented. Of that, $89 million went from English tv.

In terms of cuts to specific program categories including drama, it’s too soon to say which programs will be hit, says Beatty. The plan to date has painted the ‘broad strokes’ and over the next couple of weeks cbc programming executives including cbc executive director arts and entertainment Phyllis Platt will sit down to hammer out the specifics.

‘We’ll have to closely consider our cost per hour of programming,’ says Beatty adding that more contracting out is definitely on the agenda in order to take advantage of the new $200 million Canadian Television and Cable Production Fund. None of the cbc’s 50% share of the financing is available for in-house production.

With the all-Cancon prime time sked coinciding with cbc’s programming budget crunch, the cost-saving realities, such as limited episode orders for some new series, left producers with a very tough sell at market time. It’s not clear how the ctcpf will play into production budgets, but it may allow the cbc ‘to increase the number of episodes,’ says Beatty.