Radio Canada International

Radio Canada International
TypeInternational public broadcaster
Country
Canada
HeadquartersMaison Radio-Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Ownership
OwnerCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
History
Launch dateFebruary 25, 1945, 79 years ago
Former names
Voice of Canada (informal, 1945), CBC International Service (1945–1970)
Coverage
AvailabilityInternational
Links
Websiteici.radio-canada.ca/rci

Radio Canada International (RCI) is the international broadcasting service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Prior to 1970, RCI was known as the CBC International Service ("CBC IS"). The broadcasting service was also previously referred to as the Voice of Canada, broadcasting on shortwave from powerful transmitters in Sackville, New Brunswick. "In its heyday", said Radio World magazine, "Radio Canada International was one of the world's most listened-to international shortwave broadcasters".[1] However, as the result of an 80 percent budget cut, shortwave services were terminated in June 2012, and RCI became accessible exclusively via the Internet. It also reduced its services to five languages (in contrast with the 14 languages it used in 1990) and ended production of its own news service.[2]

On December 3, 2020, RCI announced that its staff was being reduced from 20 to 9 (in contrast to 200 employees in 1990)[3] and that its English and French language sections would close and be replaced by curated content from the domestic CBC and Radio-Canada services. RCI would also begin offering online services in Punjabi and Tagalog.[4] The changes went into effect on May 19, 2021.[5][6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference RW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Radio Canada International goes off-air, moving online-only after 67 years of shortwave service". J-Source. June 25, 2012. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  3. ^ "'Modernizing' RCI to death!". RCI Action Committee. December 4, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference rci2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Radio Canada International: Unveiling a fresh vision for the future". RCI. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. May 19, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  6. ^ "RCI English section: goodbye". Radio Canada International. May 14, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.