In this episode of The Media Odyssey, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet sit down with Paul McGrath, Senior Director of Entertainment Strategy and Audience Development at CBC, to explore how Canada’s public broadcaster is navigating the shift from linear to digital media. Paul shares the inside story of CBC’s strategic pivot toward YouTube as a major distribution and engagement platform. From launching CBC Gem to building out a portfolio of 50+ YouTube channels, McGrath explains how his team grew total watch time by 65%, with long-form content (20+ minutes) accounting for nearly half of total usage despite being only 20% of the uploads.

Key takeaways:

CBC’s test-and-learn approach to windowing content across platforms
Why fears of YouTube cannibalizing CBC Gem proved unfounded
The data-backed “flywheel strategy” that drives younger audience reach and monetization
CBC’s collaboration with YouTube and their evolving FAST and OTT revenue model

Thank you Paul McGrath for joining the pod!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfmcgrath/

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Connect with us on Linkedin:
Evan Shapiro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/
Marion Ranchet - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionranchet/

Newsletters:
Marion Ranchet - https://marionranchet.substack.com/
Evan Shapiro - https://eshap.substack.com/

(00:00) - Introduction and Myth Busting
(00:58) - Welcoming the Special Guest: Paul McGrath
(01:30) - Understanding CBC's Strategy and Operations
(03:01) - Funding Model and Streaming Focus
(03:59) - The YouTube Strategic Bet
(06:58) - Challenges and Concerns: Cannibalization
(09:47) - Implementation and Initial Steps
(11:50) - Content Strategy and Publishing
(15:30) - Analyzing the Results and Impact
(28:18) - Future Plans and Final Thoughts

TESTING & LEARNING: The CBC Case Study