Re: RCI

["David R. Alpert" <dra@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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MONTREAL (Reuter) - Radio Canada International (RCI),  
Canada's voice to the world, is slated to close March 31, 1997 
after attempts to raise sufficient rescue funds failed, a source 
at the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said Friday. 
	 The 123 staff members heard the bad news on an afternoon  
conference call with RCI executive director Terry Hargreaves and 
Michael McEwen, senior adviser to CBC president Perrin Beatty, 
the source said. 
	 Canadian travelers, soldiers posted abroad, exporters, and  
foreigners interested in Canada called for the service to be 
saved when it was put on the chopping block earlier this year. 
	 RCI was granted a 11th-hour reprieve last March, but the  
arrangement to finance a rescue package has come to an end. 
	 Canadian Press NewsAgency said the federally funded CBC and  
the government were unable to come up with the C$16 million ($12 
million) in funding necessary to keep RCI on the air. 
	 ``In the short term, new funds were made available by the  
government for one year, but unfortunately they feel it's not 
possible to extend that funding beyond this year,'' said Beatty 
in a Canadian Press report Friday. 
REUTER 6 December 1996