Steven Guilbeault said he plans to increase local news coverage through the Crown broadcaster by hiring more staff, opening new offices and partnering with other media companies. “There could be some form of shared agreement where the content is being used and promoted on CBC’s platforms for those smaller news outlets,” Guilbeault said, adding that he would ensure the CBC received adequate funding for any new mandates. (iPolitics)

Talking point: Guilbeault’s comments—his first since taking over at Canadian Heritage—are consistent with his mandate letter. The interview hints at two strategic goals for the public broadcaster. The first is boosting local news coverage to be shared with other outlets, which could put it in direct competition with The Canadian Press, the national local-news wire service jointly owned by The Globe and Mail, Torstar and La Presse’s former parent company. The second is content-partnership agreements with smaller outlets—like one it currently has with the Winnipeg Free Press—which would give CBC News more content to sell to advertisers on its digital platforms. That suggests there may not be a mandate shift when it comes to digital advertising.