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August 26, 2025 1:33 pm  #1


CBC Goes To Court To Stop Gem Subscriber Numbers From Getting Out

How many people in this country actually pay for the privilege of subscribing to CBC Gem, even though it's mostly free? We may never know, after the Corp. headed to court to prevent those numbers from being released.

CBC insists it will affect their ability to compete against others if the figures get out and is willing to head to the Halls of Justice to keep the numbers from getting out.

The country's Information Commissioner ordered the network to release them, after an Ottawa university professor asked to see them. But the CBC isn't giving that info out without a fight. 

CBC going to court to fight disclosure order for Gem subscriber numbers

 

August 27, 2025 8:34 am  #2


Re: CBC Goes To Court To Stop Gem Subscriber Numbers From Getting Out

This is an odd one! You’d think that since the CBC is mostly funded by tax payers, they would have a “full disclosure” policy over this type of thing. I am also surprised that they charge $5.99/ month for a premium version of Gem, it should be free as we have already paid for it. I have used Gem a couple of times, not bad, but I would not pay for it.

 

August 27, 2025 8:38 am  #3


Re: CBC Goes To Court To Stop Gem Subscriber Numbers From Getting Out

Totally agree. This is public money and therefore the information should also be public.

A lot of what the CBC offers on Gem is of their own making, so how that would be "proprietary" and need to be protected from the competition makes no sense to me. I'm wondering if the numbers are lower than what they should be and that may be why they don't want anyone to know.

     Thread Starter
 

August 27, 2025 8:45 am  #4


Re: CBC Goes To Court To Stop Gem Subscriber Numbers From Getting Out

RadioActive wrote:

Totally agree. This is public money and therefore the information should also be public.

A lot of what the CBC offers on Gem is of their own making, so how that would be "proprietary" and need to be protected from the competition makes no sense to me. I'm wondering if the numbers are lower than what they should be and that may be why they don't want anyone to know.

 
Bingo, RA!

 

August 27, 2025 9:53 am  #5


Re: CBC Goes To Court To Stop Gem Subscriber Numbers From Getting Out

For sure it's because the numbers are abysmal - which is not a knock; it's a perfectly good service, I just couldn't imagine paying for the premium version.

CBC likes to say things like Gem aren't taxpayer funded and that its only revenue is self-generated, but that ignores that it's full of content originally produced for CBC TV. Not to mention their ability to promote it on CBC TV and Radio.

 

August 28, 2025 8:25 am  #6


Re: CBC Goes To Court To Stop Gem Subscriber Numbers From Getting Out

What is the difference between the free and premium version? I only use it when I occasionally miss a Corrie episode.

 

August 28, 2025 8:48 am  #7


Re: CBC Goes To Court To Stop Gem Subscriber Numbers From Getting Out

mace wrote:

What is the difference between the free and premium version? I only use it when I occasionally miss a Corrie episode.

No commercials. And access to News Network too, I think

 

August 28, 2025 9:42 am  #8


Re: CBC Goes To Court To Stop Gem Subscriber Numbers From Getting Out

I've found Gem to be a great  streaming source and I don't pay the premium. As far as I can tell, the only commercials I've seen are when I watch the national news.  Living in the GTA I like the news at 9pm instead of waiting for the OTA 10pm version.  I'm a late comer to Murdoch Mysteries so I started streaming from season 1 in the early summer and I'm loving it. No  commercials! Other programs I've watched that I think are good are North of North and Saint Pierre.  Give them a try and you might like them.  I'm getting my money's  worth.