A spokesperson for Heritage Minister James Moore put down talk of further cuts at CBC, following word that the pubcaster will be included in a review of government spending.

Looking ahead to the federal budget for 2010/11, the review calls for the pubcaster to find the lowest-performing 5% of its programs and services, which, following review by Ottawa and recommendations from the Ceeb, could be cut from next year’s budget or redirected. The 5% works out to $50 million, given the CBC’s budget.

It’s bad news for the pubcaster, which cut programs and eliminated 800 full-time jobs in March. If CBC were to lose the $50 million and make further layoffs, it would translate to roughly 660 jobs, taking into consideration a CRTC report that puts the average salary of a CBC employee at $75,000.

Moore has taken heat for the move. Advocates for the Ceeb, including Friends of Canadian Broadcasting and the Canadian Media Guild, say the minister misled a parliamentary committee last week when he indicated that the pubcaster would not face further cuts.

Yet a Heritage spokesperson emphatically denies that there will be cuts, noting that all government departments must take part in the strategic review. The reviews are a new effort, started by the Tories in 2007, which require all government departments to review their spending every four years.

‘A strategic review does not necessarily mean that funding is going to be cut… all that’s been asked of CBC is to identify the bottom 5% of their programs and services that are in the lower [bracket] in terms of performance,’ says Deirdra McCracken, adding that about 21 departments have undergone the same process.

McCracken also points out that funding could be reallocated within CBC.

‘It’s not a cut… yet,’ answers CMG spokesperson Karen Wirsig. ‘Why is the public broadcaster, which is meant to be at arms’ length from the government, being treated like government departments such as Health and Defence?’

Pierre-Alain Bujold, spokesperson for the Treasury Board Secretariat, says ‘while the CBC is not a department, it is a federal organization that receives funding from the federal government. All federal organizations that receive appropriations from Parliament, including the CBC, are required to review their direct program spending.’