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“CBC/Radio-Canada, along with public broadcasters around the world, are under significant competitive pressure,” Tait said.

“In order for public broadcasters to survive and to flourish, we must flourish on the services, news and programming that most connect with our public — not just as one audience, but as many audiences. This is, after all, the power of digital.”

Tait didn’t provide many additional details of the changes she hopes to see at the public broadcaster. She said she had some ideas about the direction she wanted the CBC to take, but first wanted to talk with outgoing president Hubert Lacroix and other executives.

Tait, 60, is no stranger to the CBC. She is a former president of Salter Street Films that produced a CBC mainstay, “This Hour Has 22 Minutes,” and more recently saw a company she co-founded, iThentic, partner with the CBC to create a 10-part, online series.

Her appointment was supported by industry groups like the Canadian Media Producers Association, who said Tait is “not afraid to innovate” and should keep the CBC “relevant and connected” to younger audiences. Daniel Bernhard, executive director of the advocacy group Friends of Public Broadcasting, said he was optimistic about Tait’s tenure, but needed to wait and see how she changes the CBC.

The chairman of the committee that recommended Tait and others said she was the more audacious of the names that were put forward. Tom Clark, a former journalist, said Tait talked about some innovative and achievable ideas to implement at the public broadcaster and showed an understanding of the CBC and the challenges it faces.