OTTAWA – Data released this week in response to a freedom of information request made by a University of Ottawa academic shows that female CBC presenters make 9% less than their male counterparts on average, in what the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation described as a ‘predominantly and distinctly Canadian’ wage gap.
“As Canada’s broadcaster we take our role seriously as the country’s premiere media organization for systemic sexism,” stated CBC CEO Hubert T. Lacroix adding that the corporation provides lip-service for gender equality in both official languages.
The CBC’s gender pay disparity included not only presenters but also other important roles such as editors, producers, and free tote bag designers. In an official statement the company said, “We haven’t been this proud of our treatment of women since we covered up Jian Ghomeshi’s behaviour.”
“Wages were determined by many factors,” stated CBC spokesperson Douglas Chow. “Including experience, complexity of the assignment and whether or not someone has a penis.”
In a related story, CityTV is currently in the process of buying the Canadian rights to several blockbuster American gender disparities.
