CBC's news should be assessed by outside experts for fairness, senators say in report

Senate committee on transport and communications chair Sen. David Wells, left, delivers his opening remarks as deputy chair Sen. Donna Dasko and Sen. Rene Cormier look on during a news conference in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA — CBC/Radio-Canada’s news and current affairs content should be periodically analyzed by outside experts “in order to assess its fairness and balance,” a new Senate committee report says.

Senators were asked at a press conference Wednesday whether CBC’s coverage is in need of a course correction, or if the recommendation is meant as a preventative measure.

“It could be considered both,” said Conservative Sen. David Wells, who chairs the committee.

“If there’s commentary about the bias of CBC or any news outlet, and that’s a public comment and something that we’ve all heard, then this can not only act as a course correction but our recommendations are forward-looking.

“The intent of that is to ensure that Canadians are well served by an unbiased, federally funded media.”

Sen. Donna Dasko, a member of the Independent Senators Group, said the recommendation will help determine whether there is bias in CBC’s news output.

She said she doesn’t think the measure would undermine trust in the public broadcaster.

“I think it is going to be an important way to answer those kinds of comments that are made,” she said.

Conservative critics have long claimed that the CBC is biased. During the last federal election, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre campaigned on defunding the public broadcaster.

The Senate’s transport and communications committee released the report, called “Local News Matters,” after hearing from more than 60 witnesses.

The report also calls for programming aimed at local audiences to be added to CBC/Radio-Canada’s mandate and for the government to provide stable, multi-year funding for local programming.

In the last federal budget, the Liberal government included a $150 million funding increase for CBC/Radio-Canada.

Under the Trudeau government, then-heritage minister Pascale St-Onge released a plan to modernize the mandate of the public broadcaster that would bar it from running ads during news.

While the Carney government has said its plans for CBC/Radio-Canada include looking at getting Canada into the Eurovision international song contest, it has not moved to update the broadcaster’s mandate.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2026.

Anja Karadeglija