Despite an aggressive campaign against Canada’s public broadcaster and mountains of freedom-of-information data demanded by self-described right-wing news network Sun TV, CBC president Hubert Lacroix says he doesn’t believe there’s a conspiracy between its Canadian owners, Sun Media, and the Harper conservatives in Ottawa.

“We had the idea of sending them a bill … we’ve given them a lot of content,” Lacroix joked Thursday at a meeting with the editorial board of the Toronto Star.

He presented a survey detailing the extent of Sun Media’s negative coverage of the CBC since September 2009. It spiked dramatically in December 2010, when Sun TV started operating.

VIDEO: Hubert Lacroix meets with Star editorial board

Asked whether the negative campaign had damaged the public broadcaster, Lacroix said, “No … but when they come at us with so-called facts that are completely false … we will do whatever we can to make sure people know the truth.”

Lacroix, who amplified his oft-stated case for stable funding for the CBC through 2015 (the federal government is expected to bring down its annual budget in March), said he has no reason to suspect a conspiracy, despite “the number of Conservative Party people who have key positions in Sun Media.”

Despite reports of antipathy for the CBC in federal government circles, Lacroix said he has a good relationship with Heritage Minister James Moore. “I like him. He is always well prepared. We have conversations of substance.”

Lacroix said he is not looking for more money from Ottawa — $1.1 billion of the broadcaster’s $1.7 billion annual budget comes from taxpayers, the remainder from advertising revenue and program sales — but he would like the assurance of stable funding.

That, he said, would facilitate long-term programming investments, the reinforcement of a “crumbling infrastructure,” the expansion of regional services and digital broadcasting initiatives.

He cited a recent Deloitte economic value study commissioned by CBC that indicates the public broadcaster generates $3.7 in Canada’s economy for every $1 invested in the corporation.

If CBC is required to comply with the 10 per cent cut rumoured to be Ottawa’s major thrust in the upcoming budget, “it will affect every decision we make in all layers through 2015,” said Lacroix, who is in his fifth year as CBC chief.

“With $100 million less, it’s going to feel a lot like what we just went through — a $171 million hit and 800 jobs lost. We must protect the mandate. If programs and other initiatives can be supported for the next three years, they will remain on the table.”

If not, programs already in the works may be delayed and investment on future productions withheld, he said.

Admitting that CBC’s deemed refusal rate on freedom of information requests has improved dramatically — down to less than 10 per cent from 80 per cent in 2007 — he adamantly declined to answer questions about the salaries of CBC stars or details of financial deals with producers.

“We are more transparent in every area than our competition, but programming, creative and journalism activities are out of bounds — as they are for Canada’s private networks — for marketing and competitive reasons,” Lacroix said.

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“That’s in compliance with our mandate, and it protects CBC’s arm’s-length relationship with the federal government.”

Lacroix defended CBC’s all-Canadian indie pop music network Radio 2 despite four years of conspicuously low ratings — around a 3 per cent share of total hours tuned by listeners of all ages. It had formerly had a classical music and spoken word format with equally low ratings.

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