CBC host resigns, saying he could not continue at public broadcaster 'with integrity'

Travis Dhanraj accused the public broadcaster of 'performative diversity, tokenism, a system designed to elevate certain voices and diminish others' 

“I am stepping down not by choice, but because the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has made it impossible for me to continue my work with integrity,” he wrote.

 

“After years of service — most recently as the host of Canada Tonight: With Travis Dhanraj — I have been systematically sidelined, retaliated against, and denied the editorial access and institutional support necessary to fulfill my public service role.”

 

Dhanraj has spent 20 years in broadcasting, with stints at Global and Bell Media.

“When I joined CBC, I did so with a clear understanding of its mandate and a belief in its importance to Canadian democracy,” he wrote.

 

“I was told I would be ‘a bold voice in journalism.’ I took that role seriously. I worked to elevate underrepresented stories, expand political balance, and uphold the journalistic values Canadians expect from their public broadcaster.”

But, according to Dhanraj, “what happens behind the scenes at CBC too often contradicts what’s shown to the public.”

He accused the public broadcaster of “performative diversity, tokenism, a system designed to elevate certain voices and diminish others.”

Dhanraj’s lawyer, Kathryn Marshall, said Monday that the CBC didn’t want him booking “Conservative voices” on his show.

“It turned out, to Travis’ surprise, there was a strong editorial direction that he was supposed to promote,” Marshall said.

Dhanraj is of Caribbean heritage.

“CBC, when they hired him, thought that they were getting someone who would espouse a certain world view,” Marshall said. “I think they looked at him and they looked at the colour of his skin and they made some assumptions.”

Marshall is weighing making a complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Commission about her client’s treatment at the CBC.