Latest news with #Dhanraj
Vancouver Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Conservatives call for investigation into CBC after journalist resigns over 'performative diversity, tokenism'
The Conservative party is calling for a parliamentary committee to investigate the CBC after journalist Travis Dhanraj resigned over the public broadcaster's alleged 'performative diversity, tokenism, a system designed to elevate certain voices and diminish others.' Dhanraj was the host of Canada Tonight: With Travis Dhanraj on CBC. But he resigned on Monday, involuntarily, he says, because the CBC 'has made it impossible for me to continue my work with integrity.' 'I have been systematically sidelined, retaliated against, and denied the editorial access and institutional support necessary to fulfill my public service role,' he wrote in his resignation letter. 'I stayed as long as I could, but CBC leadership left me with no reasonable path forward.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. On Wednesday, Rachel Thomas, an Alberta Conservative member of Parliament, wrote a letter to the chair of the House of Commons standing committee on Canadian heritage, saying that Dhanraj's claims have 'reignited concerns about the organization's workplace culture.' The letter calls on the chair, Ontario Liberal MP Lisa Hepfner, to recall the committee. 'It is critical that we hear testimony from Mr. Dhanraj, CBC executives and Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, Steven Guilbeault,' the letter states. CBC has denied Dhanraj's allegations. 'CBC categorically rejects the accusations made about CBC News, our staff and management,' Kerry Kelly, a CBC spokesperson, said in an email. On Wednesday, National Post reported that Dhanraj is still considered an employee by CBC, although he is on leave. 'CBC is refusing to accept his resignation,' Kathryn Marshall, Dhanraj's lawyer, told National Post , in an emailed statement. 'This refusal is indicative of their abusive work culture. However, to be clear, Travis has resigned, albeit involuntarily. We intend to commence a human rights lawsuit.' Marshall alleged earlier this week that Dhanraj had been discouraged from booking 'Conservative voices' on his show. Dhanraj had been on leave last July but returned to full-time hours last December. At that point, Marshall said, he was pressured to sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding a tweet he posted in April 2024 about former CBC president Catherine Tait declining an interview request for his show. 'Within basically the first week of his return he was immediately retaliated against by CBC for not signing the NDA,' Marshall said. 'He was, at that point, permanently removed as the host of Canada Tonight, and his salary got slashed, and it was evident at that point that he had no future or career at the CBC.' In his resignation letter, Dhanraj said the experience at CBC has 'taken a real toll — on my health, my career, and my trust in an institution I once believed I could help reform from within.' 'But the greater harm is to the public: a broadcaster that no longer lives up to its mandate, a culture that resists accountability, and a system that punishes those who dare to challenge it.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Vancouver Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Travis Dhanraj is 'still an employee although he is currently on leave,' CBC says
Despite journalist Travis Dhanraj's very public resignation from CBC, the national broadcaster says that he is an employee. He is 'still an employee although he is currently on leave,' said CBC's head of public affairs Chuck Thompson to National Post via email on Wednesday morning. Dhanraj's lawyer Kathryn Marshall told National Post that 'CBC is refusing to accept his resignation.' 'This refusal is indicative of their abusive work culture However, to be clear, Travis has resigned, albeit involuntarily. We intend to commence a human rights lawsuit,' she said in an emailed statement. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In a letter to CBC leadership on Monday, Dhanraj said he felt that he had to step down because CBC made it impossible for him to continue his work with integrity. He called out the broadcaster for its 'performative diversity, tokenism, a system designed to elevate certain voices and diminish others.' He said he was denied access to 'key newsmakers,' and described an atmosphere where barriers were in place for some, while others were empowered. 'When I questioned these imbalances, I was met with silence, resistance, and eventually, retaliation. I was fighting for balance and accused of being on a 'crusade,'' he wrote. CBC has denied Dhanraj's allegations. The broadcaster 'categorically rejects' the claims, CBC spokesperson Kerry Kelly said in an emailed statement to National Post on Monday. In February, CBC confirmed to publication Broadcast Dialogue that Dhanraj was 'on a leave,' as speculation swirled online after the time slot of the television show he hosted, Canada Tonight, was replaced with another show. On Monday, Dhanraj shared a note with his followers on social media. Click here to read a note directly from me: 'The dream that turned into a nightmare,' he wrote. He said his resignation was not just about him. It was about CBC being 'a public institution' that is 'supposed to serve' Canadians. 'It's about voices being sidelined, hard truths avoided, and the public being left in the dark about what's really happening inside their national broadcaster,' he wrote. 'I have no doubt there will be efforts to discredit me — to paint me as bitter or disgruntled. That's what happens when you challenge power.' Dhanraj's journalism career spans 20 years. He was a reporter for CBC News in Edmonton and Toronto before continuing on to CP24, Global News and CTV News. In 2021, he returned to CBC as a senior parliamentary reporter. He eventually ended up as the host for CBC's Marketplace and Canada Tonight. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
6 days ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Travis Dhanraj is 'still an employee although he is currently on leave,' CBC says
Article content Despite journalist Travis Dhanraj's very public resignation from CBC, the national broadcaster says that he is an employee. Article content He is 'still an employee although he is currently on leave,' said CBC's head of public affairs Chuck Thompson to National Post via email on Wednesday morning. Article content Article content Dhanraj's lawyer Kathryn Marshall told National Post that 'CBC is refusing to accept his resignation.' Article content Article content 'This refusal is indicative of their abusive work culture However, to be clear, Travis has resigned, albeit involuntarily. We intend to commence a human rights lawsuit,' she said in an emailed statement. Article content Article content In a letter to CBC leadership on Monday, Dhanraj said he felt that he had to step down because CBC made it impossible for him to continue his work with integrity. He called out the broadcaster for its 'performative diversity, tokenism, a system designed to elevate certain voices and diminish others.' Article content He said he was denied access to 'key newsmakers,' and described an atmosphere where barriers were in place for some, while others were empowered. 'When I questioned these imbalances, I was met with silence, resistance, and eventually, retaliation. I was fighting for balance and accused of being on a 'crusade,'' he wrote. Article content CBC has denied Dhanraj's allegations. Article content The broadcaster 'categorically rejects' the claims, CBC spokesperson Kerry Kelly said in an emailed statement to National Post on Monday. In February, CBC confirmed to publication Broadcast Dialogue that Dhanraj was 'on a leave,' as speculation swirled online after the time slot of the television show he hosted, Canada Tonight, was replaced with another show. Article content Article content Click here to read a note directly from me: — Travis Dhanraj (@Travisdhanraj) July 7, 2025 Article content 'The dream that turned into a nightmare,' he wrote. Article content Article content He said his resignation was not just about him. It was about CBC being 'a public institution' that is 'supposed to serve' Canadians. Article content 'It's about voices being sidelined, hard truths avoided, and the public being left in the dark about what's really happening inside their national broadcaster,' he wrote. 'I have no doubt there will be efforts to discredit me — to paint me as bitter or disgruntled. That's what happens when you challenge power.' Article content Dhanraj's journalism career spans 20 years. Article content
Toronto Sun
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
EDITORIAL: Former rising star says CBC biased
Travis Dhanraj is pictured in a handout photo. Photo by Travis Dhanraj / supplied It's one thing for Conservative MPs and Conservative supporters to claim the CBC is biased against them. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account It's quite another when a former rising star of the publicly funded broadcaster says they're right. That's what Travis Dhanraj, ex-host of the CBC's prime-time political commentary program — Canada Tonight with Travis Dhanraj — has alleged in a story broken by Postmedia's Brian Lilley. In a no-holds-barred public denunciation of the CBC, Dhanraj, a veteran journalist with 20 years of experience in private and public media, accused CBC leadership of forcing his 'involuntary resignation' by making 'it impossible for me to continue my work with integrity.' Read More Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Dhanraj's lawyer, Kathryn Marshall, told The Canadian Press that Dhanraj wanted to share a wider diversity of political opinions on his show — including having more conservative guests — but CBC management and senior staff objected. Dhanraj said when he tried to introduce more diverse political commentary into his show, he encountered 'performative diversity, tokenism, a system designed to elevate certain voices and diminish others. 'I was repeatedly denied access to key newsmakers, internal booking and editorial protocols were weaponized to create structural barriers for some while empowering others — particularly a small circle of senior Ottawa-based journalists. 'When I questioned these imbalances I was met with silence, resistance and eventually, retaliation.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The CBC has categorically rejected Dhanraj's allegations of systemic bias within the CBC and his allegations of a harassment campaign against him, adding it is limited in what it can say because of concerns about confidentiality. RECOMMENDED VIDEO To be clear, the CBC has many good journalists who often break stories critical of the current Liberal government and accurately cover the Conservatives. But in our view, the political culture created by CBC executives and some senior journalists clearly skews toward the Liberals, versus the Conservatives, on issues as diverse as carbon taxes, gun control, immigration, Canada's energy sector and the criminal justice system. That's hardly surprising given that during the last election the Liberals promised to increase the CBC's budget of almost $1.4 billion last year by $150 million, while the Conservatives vowed to defund it except for French-language programming. In another example, the CBC launched a weak lawsuit against the Conservatives near the end of the 2019 election claiming copyright infringement, which it predictably lost. Canada Toronto Blue Jays Sunshine Girls Canada Crime
Toronto Sun
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
LILLEY: Dhanraj still employed, CBC says, despite going public with resignation
Former TV host quit in public spat with broadcaster, which has rejected his resignation Get the latest from Brian Lilley straight to your inbox Travis Dhanraj. Photo by HANDOUT / CBC It seems that CBC thinks it is Hotel California: You can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account CBC host Travis Dhanraj resigned from the state broadcaster in a very public manner on Monday, including sending a letter of resignation to executives and an email to staff. Both documents were very critical of CBC for being a dysfunctional and toxic workplace, paying lip service to diversity but really engaging in tokenism and not accepting diversity of opinion. On Tuesday, Dhanraj's lawyer Kathryn Marshall said CBC had contacted her to say that they were 'not accepting Travis' resignation.' Seems Dhanraj was on leave when he said he was quitting and CBC's human resources department said he can't simply do that. That's a point a CBC spokesperson confirmed with me, saying Dhanraj is an employee but is on leave at the moment. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More But he already quit and quite publicly. ' I have been systematically sidelined, retaliated against and denied the editorial access and institutional support necessary to fulfil my public service role,' Dhanraj said in his resignation letter. In an email blast to all CBC staff sent out before his access to company email was cut off, Dhanraj said he didn't want to resign but was ultimately forced to do so. 'It comes after trying to navigate a workplace culture defined by retaliation, exclusion and psychological harm. A place where asking hard questions — about tokenism masquerading as diversity, problematic political coverage protocols and the erosion of editorial independence — became a career-ending move,' Dhanraj said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. CBC's response to all of this, beyond trying to pretend that Dhanraj hasn't already left the building, is to portray this as an attack on them and their reputation. 'We are saddened to see this public attack on the integrity of CBC News,' spokesperson Kerry Kelly told CBC News. I don't know how CBC can defend what their political shows have become. They pretend to be neutral arbiters of truth, but in reality CBC's Power and Politics and Rosie Barton Live regurgitate talking points directly from the Prime Minister's Office. RECOMMENDED VIDEO That was true when it was run by Justin Trudeau and it remains true now with Mark Carney in power. Try to get through an episode of Power and Politics where host David Cochrane doesn't interrupt whichever Conservative they bring on by explaining what the real Liberal point is. That doesn't happen in the other direction when a Liberal makes a false assertion about the Conservatives or their policies. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. If this were a private network, they could do what they want, but it is a publicly owned network that isn't supposed to be taking sides and claims not to take sides, but clearly does. I should be providing an example from Rosie Barton Live as well, but like most Canadians I can't be bothered to watch that show. I've seen a few clips online and it is awful and, really, we all only have so much time in a day. RECOMMENDED VIDEO In his resignation letter, which CBC is rejecting, and his email to staff, Dhanraj implores those still at CBC to fight for a better broadcaster. 'CBC doesn't need more workshops. It needs accountability. It needs reform. It needs courage,' Dhanraj wrote to what should now be his former fellow colleagues. 'To those still inside: Silence shouldn't be the price of your paycheque. The only thing that sustains broken systems is fear. And the only way things change is when people speak.' Will anyone speak up for change or reform at CBC? Given what they have done to someone they recruited to join their network, who they built a show around, who they invested heavily in and then discarded, the answer is not likely. Dhanraj said people shouldn't be silent for a paycheque, but after watching what happened to him that is likely the route most will choose. Canada Toronto Blue Jays Canada Sunshine Girls Crime
