The CBC91裸聊视频檚 latest plans to shave costs by cutting staff and programming is raising pointed questions about what lies ahead for the beleaguered public agency.

Amid a projected shortfall and expected belt-tightening, current and former CBC stars say the public broadcaster should prioritize shows that take risks and reflect the diverse fabric of the nation.

And if money is tight, multiple stars urged executives to forgo bonuses.

91裸聊视频淚f it91裸聊视频檚 taxpayers91裸聊视频� money, I don91裸聊视频檛 think anybody should be getting a bonus, really, for anything, unless they completely saved the day,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淪on of a Critch91裸聊视频� star Mark Critch told The Canadian Press in late December.

91裸聊视频淚f somebody came up with a cure for COVID, give that person a bonus.91裸聊视频�

Executive bonuses were a sore point for the CBC star, who stood by his comments when reached again in mid-February after CEO Catherine Tait wouldn91裸聊视频檛 rule out accepting a bonus this year. Tait told a federal heritage committee in late January that it was up to the CBC91裸聊视频檚 board of directors to determine who gets bonuses.

CBC said in December it will cut 800 jobs and $40 million from its production budget because of a $125-million projected shortfall in the coming fiscal year, which begins April 1.

However, Canadian Heritage released documents on Thursday that show CBC will get a $1.4-billion budget in 2024-25 91裸聊视频� an increase of $96.1 million, which the department says is primarily tied to salary increases.

CBC spokesman Leon Mar has said the funding announcement will 91裸聊视频渓essen, but not eliminate91裸聊视频� the shortfall and that 91裸聊视频渟ignificant financial pressures91裸聊视频� remained, including rising production costs, declining television advertising revenue and competition from digital rivals.

Toronto-based actor Emmanuel Kabongo, whose credits include the CBC shows 91裸聊视频�21 Thunder91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淔rankie Drake Mysteries,91裸聊视频� said executives should not get bonuses if they don91裸聊视频檛 deserve them.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 not a believer of greed because I grew up with very little,91裸聊视频� he said earlier this month.

91裸聊视频淏ut I91裸聊视频檓 a believer of hard work, and hard work pays off. You deserve to celebrate the fruits of your labour.91裸聊视频�

The broadcaster has said budget constraints would also lead to fewer renewals and acquisitions, new television series, episodes of existing shows and digital original series.

If dollars are scarce, observers pressed CBC to focus on shows that reflect the country91裸聊视频檚 diverse population and take risks private networks wouldn91裸聊视频檛 normally take.

91裸聊视频淭he CBC should not be as beholden to advertisers, because they don91裸聊视频檛 have to pursue ratings in the same way that the private networks do. They can take risks, and they should be doing something that91裸聊视频檚 a little bit different,91裸聊视频� said Gregory Taylor, a media and film professor at the University of Calgary.

He pointed to shows like 91裸聊视频淔amily Feud Canada,91裸聊视频� a Canadian iteration of the U.S. game show, as an example of the broadcaster 91裸聊视频減laying it safe.91裸聊视频�

Ideally, said Taylor, the CBC should be making more 91裸聊视频渋nventive91裸聊视频� shows like 91裸聊视频淪ort Of,91裸聊视频� its recently concluded dramedy about a gender-fluid Pakistani Canadian millennial balancing various identities.

New shows this year include the CBC Kids dramedy 91裸聊视频淕angnam Project,91裸聊视频� which follows a Korean Canadian teen who takes a job as an English tutor abroad and finds herself immersed in the world of K-pop. The series, which premieres March 6 on CBC Gem, is based partly on the experiences of creator Sarah Haasz, a first-generation Korean immigrant living in Canada.

Joseph Kay, creator of CTV91裸聊视频檚 hit procedural 91裸聊视频淭ransplant91裸聊视频� and showrunner of CBC91裸聊视频檚 2015 drama 91裸聊视频淭his Life,91裸聊视频� worried about what the broadcaster91裸聊视频檚 cuts will mean for the future of original programming in Canada.

91裸聊视频淵ou look at a show like 91裸聊视频楽ort Of.91裸聊视频� Would a great show like that be bought by any other network in Canada? I91裸聊视频檓 not sure.91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� he said of the series, starring Bilal Baig, who CBC touted as the first queer South Asian and Muslim actor to lead a Canadian prime time television series.

CBC91裸聊视频檚 winter slate includes six new original Canadian series, including the comedy 91裸聊视频淥ne More Time91裸聊视频� from deaf comic DJ Demers and competition series 91裸聊视频淭he Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down,91裸聊视频� hosted by Jennifer Robertson. During a promotional event in December, Demers and Robertson expressed uncertainty over the future of their shows.

91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 know what that will mean for our show, but we know that this season will get out there and people will get to watch it,91裸聊视频� said Robertson, formerly of CBC91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淪chitt91裸聊视频檚 Creek.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淥bviously it makes your heart heavy to hear about people losing jobs and times are already tight enough.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淎llegiance,91裸聊视频� a new CBC police procedural starring 91裸聊视频淪ort Of91裸聊视频� star Supinder Wraich, centres on a Punjabi Canadian cop who struggles with a flawed justice system while serving her diverse hometown of Surrey, B.C.

Before its premiere earlier this month, showrunner Mark Ellis said they were 91裸聊视频渟ad to see cuts at the CBC.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭here is a deep need for Canadian stories to be reflected on Canadian screens. I worry that without an institution like the CBC, we just won91裸聊视频檛 see ourselves and these kinds of stories reflected on our screens,91裸聊视频� said Ellis.

Wraich praised the CBC for giving 91裸聊视频淪ort Of91裸聊视频� a platform and said 91裸聊视频淎llegiance91裸聊视频� could have a similar impact.

91裸聊视频淲hat I loved about 91裸聊视频楽ort Of91裸聊视频� was that it was originated by somebody like Bilal and the authenticity of the show is palpable,91裸聊视频� said Wraich, who appeared on 91裸聊视频淪ort Of91裸聊视频� as Sabi91裸聊视频檚 sister Aqsa.

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 a beautiful thing when you give those creators opportunities to tell their stories. I also think that a show like 91裸聊视频楢llegiance91裸聊视频� is reflective of a community that we haven91裸聊视频檛 seen before.91裸聊视频�

Wraich said she91裸聊视频檚 eager to see how an unconfirmed season 2 of 91裸聊视频淎llegiance91裸聊视频� would play out.

Late last year, Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge said the federal government will put together a committee to begin searching for a new head of CBC in early 2024. Tait91裸聊视频檚 mandate is set to expire in January 2025.

Critch said the ideal replacement would make the CBC 91裸聊视频渁 network that Canadians feel is theirs, is in their voice and feels like their home.91裸聊视频�

He said the new head should make sure the broadcaster represents the country91裸聊视频檚 diverse regions and doesn91裸聊视频檛 just make shows they think will get purchased by U.S. networks.

91裸聊视频淚 know of execs in the past who91裸聊视频檝e really wanted to get a hit in the States and they91裸聊视频檇 be always talking about it in passing. 91裸聊视频榃e91裸聊视频檙e doing the show because we think it might catch on in the States.91裸聊视频� That91裸聊视频檚 not your frickin91裸聊视频� job. Your job has nothing to do with America.

91裸聊视频淵our job is to make important and good TV for Canadians, comfort them when they need comfort and inform them when they need to be informed,91裸聊视频� said Critch.

91裸聊视频淎nd don91裸聊视频檛 take the bonus.91裸聊视频�

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91裸聊视频� With files from Mickey Djuric in Ottawa.

Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press