by Janet Smellie
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 17/97) - CBC North hasn't heard yet how much of the $10 million the federal government is offering to the radio network will come North.

Last week, the Minister of Canadian Heritage Sheila Copps announced that the CBC would receive $10 million in additional funding for the English and French radio services, starting April 1, 1997.

Copps' announcement also included the guarantee of stabilizing funding to the corporation for a five-year period.

CBC's regional centres have been grappling with the loss of $127 million to its budgets for television and radio services.

Craig Yeo, regional manager for communications with CBC North, says it's too soon to know how much of the additional funding will end up going towards CBC North.

In a memo to CBC North's radio staff from Harold Redekopp, vice-president of English radio says "it will take some time to determine precisely how our new budgetary allocation will be distributed."

"If past practice is followed, we can expect approximately $6 million of this money to flow to English Radio," which, he adds, is a welcome relief to help offset some of the impact of the $34 million English radio is losing nationally.

In the past 28 months, CBC North has dealt with budget cuts of $1.9 million and has already laid off 30 staff. Future cuts will mean a further reduction of 28 per cent to CBC North radio and 40-per-cent cuts to television.