Our purpose

Canada enjoys a distinct cultural and democratic identity that brings us together and sets us apart. Generation after generation, vigilant citizens have fought against powerful interests to carve out space for Canada in the broadcasting system, to protect our culture and identity.
FRIENDS works to advance Canada’s rich culture and the healthy democracy it sustains. A strong CBC, fearless journalism, and our shared story make us who we are. We conduct leading-edge policy and opinion research on issues affecting Canadian media and related issues. This research demonstrates that millions of citizens care deeply about the future of Canadian media, journalism, and programming. This is why we work tirelessly on behalf of all Canadians to make sure that public policy reflects the will of citizens.
Canadians deserve a well-financed, fully independent CBC that informs, enlightens, and entertains all Canadians. It's time to restore CBC's public-interest ethos.
Canada must end special treatment for foreign internet broadcasters like Netflix. They must contribute their fair share to the production of Canadian news and stories.
Left to their own devices, American tech monopolies pose an existential threat to Canada. It's time for us to assert democratic sovereignty over ethically-compromised corporations like Google, Facebook, and Netflix, before they colonize our information, communication, and entertainment media completely. Canadian culture, democracy, and sovereignty hang in the balance.
- Public broadcasting is sacred. CBC leads us forward, brings us together, and makes us stronger.
- Fearless journalism preserves our democracy. That's a core tenet of Canadian culture.
- Culture is not a commodity. It is an essential public good that brings Canadians together and fortifies our democracy.
- The story never stops. Canadians are open-minded people who embrace difference. The audiovisual environment needs to reflect and contribute to the ongoing evolution of a unique and distinct Canadian identity that brings us together in a shared sense of belonging.
- Show it all. We are a bilingual, multicultural, decentralized federation with roots in Indigenous cultures and knowledge, open to the world. Our past is at once beautiful and disgraceful. Our future is what we make it. Canadians deserve to engage with content that reflects our evolving character – that challenges us to build a better country.
To engage with our culture is to engage with our fellow Canadians. That peaceful, civil engagement is what keeps our democracy alive.
