TVA presents Radio-Canada numbers
TVA wrenches out the numbers for the cost of the new scaled-down digs for Radio-Canada: $144 million plus $21 million yearly in rent.
It’s in the nature of private enterprise to try to claw down a national broadcaster, but reading these numbers I’m like, “So?”
Brett 12:00 on 2019-05-01 Permalink
Because they lied by insisting it wasn’t going to cost taxpayers anything and then refused to reveal that the true project was way over budget. Oh, and perhaps because public funds could better be spent on improving public transport, education and health care rather than on a vanity real estate project.
Ian 12:30 on 2019-05-01 Permalink
Kate’s point stands, that’s a drop in the bucket. Consider how much money is being spent to repair Saint Kitty (for instance) and think how far 144 million really goes when you are talking about big projects. This is rehousing our national broadcaster in the second biggest city in the country and Montreal is essentially the cultural ground zero for Radio-Canada, this is no mere vanity project.
Brett 12:47 on 2019-05-01 Permalink
They still lied about the cost and obfuscated the report regarding cost overruns.
qatzelok 12:48 on 2019-05-01 Permalink
600 million in rent over 30 years, for a building that’s worth much less than that. And it’s not even being prepped for R-C.
The private partner is obviously going to be very, very rich. And this is just one of many drops in the neo-liberal bucket. We might eventually have to sell our bucket like Greece.
Kate 12:50 on 2019-05-01 Permalink
Did they lie? Or was it simply that they hadn’t been asked? Brett, look at who’s reporting this.
qatzelok, reports have said that the building’s being set up for Radio-Canada.
Also: compare what it would cost to renovate, update and maintain the Maison, by comparison. Either way, money has to be spent, and I think it’s worth it to have a national broadcaster (in both languages), wherever they’re headquartered.
Brett 12:52 on 2019-05-01 Permalink
I still think its a vanity project when you consider the NCC is wringing it’s hands over coughing up 40 million for renovaring the Prime Minister’s residence which is in an advanced stage of decrepitude unlike the old digs of Radio Canada.
Brett 12:56 on 2019-05-01 Permalink
And yes, I agree that its very possible that TVA is publishing fake news by maintaining that Radio Canada refused to deliver them the cost report. But again, why does radio canada insist that this won’t cost taxpayers anything when the reality is most certainly the opposite?
Kate 13:03 on 2019-05-01 Permalink
Brett, I don’t know how the cost balances out against either:
a) what they’re making by selling off the Maison and its grounds, or
b) what they’d have to spend anyway, whether at the Maison, or in new digs.
Either way, “not costing taxpayers anything” can mean “anything more than we would be spending anyway” but TVA is inflating the story.
I still wouldn’t call it fake news. But I would say that they’re angling an anodyne news story to imply a scandal.
Ian 14:13 on 2019-05-01 Permalink
If only there were some lost pony we could rally around.