Bill Roberts is secretary general of the North American National Broadcasters Association based in Toronto.

* * *

Like me, you’ve probably been noticing the recent headlines and nodding reverently as the business-media priesthood delivers the latest gospel. And the good news this summer is ­ hey, happy days are (we think) here again! The deficit’s on the run and it might even be time to cut the taxpayers a little slack.

The federal cabinet will likely be meeting soon to discuss whether it’s indeed time for a much-anticipated personal income tax cut. Well, that’s okay by me.

But I’ve also been reminded recently that one of the public services of which I, as a citizen-taxpayer, am part-owner, is more than a little stumped at how to manage the last $28 million of its own deficit-ordered belt-tightening this year.

So I’m wondering if it’s possible to make a deal here and trade a little of our collective, potential tax cut for a bit of help to a valued and unique public service. Could this item be added to the federal cabinet’s meeting agenda?

Is there any hope, because things fiscal have loosened up since cabinet’s original demands for cuts, that this last of the cbc’s some $400 million-plus in downsizing could be forgiven?

To insist the cbc give it over would appear to be a profound example of ‘penny wise and pound foolish.’ After having lost, in effect, 30% of its operating budget, I don’t see, even now, how the Corporation can continue to play its traditional cultural and educational roles, as well as maintain itself as the necessary and vocal public presence in what’s shaping up as the new paradigm of Canadian broadcasting ­ what the Canadian Association of Broadcasters calls a ‘National Industrial Strategy for TV Programming that focuses on the world market.’

In an industry that is increasingly trans-national in its scope and business dealings, swamped by global programmers and distributors, a country’s national public broadcaster must be a whole lot more than a competing signal in a local market.

Our national public broadcaster is the flagship that not only shows Canadians to themselves but also, through international markets and sales and coproductions, helps show the face of Canada to the world.

Without the financial resources to create, promote, and market the highest-quality product in the largest available marketplace, fewer programmers will buy ­ and fewer people will see ­ our distinctly Canadian programs.

Without sufficient financial resources to belly up to the Canadian coproduction table, the cbc won’t be able to continue to make the kinds of deals with independent producers (Alliance for North of 60, Sullivan Entertainment for Wind at My Back) or with private broadcasters (CanWest Global for Traders, wic for Emily of New Moon) that are necessary to create engaging programming that attracts audiences, attention, awards, advertisers, and international buyers.

Many of these programs, along with an increasing number of productions coming out of the private sector (from Baton, ctv, Global, NetStar, and CHUMCity), combined with international working partnerships (initiated most notably by CanWest Global), have a positive impact for Canada around the world.

Together, all of these efforts work towards the consolidation of a strong, combined public-private, Canadian television industry that creates ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ and generates significant income for everyone involved ­ including, eventually, government coffers.

We can’t expect anyone else to take on the national public broadcaster’s exhaustive mandate. Yet if we keep kicking the national broadcaster while it’s down