Canadian Heritage Committee on May 29th, 2007

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I'm very interested in the discussion of the integration of platforms that you talked about, because it seems to me that one of the issues with new media is that public television, public radio, has an opportunity to become an international broadcaster in a way that private broadcast in Canada I don't think can. We've seen the success that's already taking place with radio, but what has become very clear is that because television is a different ballgame, it's very expensive programming. Much of it is being done independently. There are various rights holders, and we don't seem to have a coherent plan for getting content online. We haven't got a coherent plan to monetize the value of what's online.

What are your gut feelings about what we need to do to ensure that we are putting our product online and that there is some kind of monetary value at the end of the day to the creators of that content?

[Timothy Wilson Casgrain]

As you know, CBC and Radio-Canada are online right now. So the big challenge is how to turn that into a commercial revenue stream that is substantial. It's very small at this point in time. I think that's the challenge for all broadcasters. Rather than having to give it away, how do they turn it into a revenue stream?

At the same time, you have this rights issue. Who owns the rights to certain of the programming that's being broadcast over the Internet? That's a big discussion that's going on right now, and I hope it will get resolved shortly because it's in everybody's interest. If there's a revenue stream that can be enhanced and shared, it should be.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I'm very interested in this issue of governance, because it has come up again and again and again. I don't need to know who sat in the meeting with you, but how long was the interview? How long did you go through, as a process, in order to be acclaimed--

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

A point of order. We're talking about process, and again, Mr. Casgrain is not responsible for creating the process. It's very clear that the standing order says folks should be competent and have qualifications.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

A point of order, Mr. Chair. It's just a question.

He has referred to Standing Order 111. Mr. Casgrain was brought under Standing Order 108. Tina Keeper's motion was under 108. I have nothing against Mr. Casgrain. I think he's a fine man, and I'm hearing really interesting stuff. But my spidey sense tingles every time I try to find out something about the process. I need to know about the process and I don't think that's out of line. I think Mr. Casgrain is probably comfortable answering that and putting us to rest so that there is no concern around this table about whether or not it was a 10-minute process, a 5-minute process, or a 2-hour process.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

On how the process works, as long as we go that route. Was it a ten-minute interview? I know there was a procedure followed.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

You know, but I just need to hear him tell me that. That's all I'm asking.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I have no problem with that if we can stay with that.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

That's what I'm interested in.

On the interview process, is it an involved process? Is it a short process? Is it a long process?

[Timothy Wilson Casgrain]

It was a question and answer process, with a number of questions that I was asked to complete. It followed with an oral interview over the telephone. It went on for, I would say, the better part of 30 minutes.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

A question and then a follow-up interview by phone.

[Timothy Wilson Casgrain]

That's correct.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I'm interested in this issue of how we're going to maintain the skill sets at CBC, again, with the limited budget we have. We have lost a lot of bench strength in the last decade. What we have heard about across this country is the disappearance of capacity in the regions, not just from the programming dollars that were in the regions before but with the disappearance of editors, the people who could pitch stories, and the people who could support and develop really good programming in the regions. I'm concerned about that because what we've heard in terms of people's sense of relevance is that they want to see their region on the national scale.

From a corporate perspective, it's probably very simple to centralize production in Toronto and Montreal. If you have limited resources, you're going to move your money and talent into a centralized location. What do you see in terms of ensuring that we are starting to rebuild the bench strength of artistic and technical capacity in the various regional centres that CBC operates in?

[Timothy Wilson Casgrain]

For me, it's very early on to answer that question, but I would say there's a concerted effort, particularly at the radio level, to really get out there and enhance the regional offer. There's no doubt when you have a consolidation, as CBC has experienced, that they have had to do some centralizing in places like Montreal and Toronto. Now I think they're reaching out again. Remember, ten years after the fact your technology is much more sophisticated and the ability to reach out is far less expensive. So I'm very hopeful in that respect.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Thank you.

Mr. Scott.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Again on the governance issue, I think it is important for us. Mr. Fast referenced the question of credentials and qualifications, and I'm very impressed, frankly, for what it's worth. We're exploring new ways of doing these kinds of appointments. We're exploring them within the context of the CBC and we're exploring them as a government. I think it's a healthy thing. I don't think anyone should apologize for engaging in the political process, frankly, and for what it's worth, that's my view.

Having said that, one of the issues is the relationship between this committee and the government in terms of these appointments. We're here to talk about credentials and so on, but we're not the first blush at that. We have to know about the process so that we can understand how the decision was made.

For instance, again on process, when you were interviewed, was the Department of Heritage represented in that exercise?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Mr. Scott, I think you have a pretty good idea of how some of these things go. We have diverged a little from the way the appointments have gone previously and tried to expand on a little more openness. I feel that Mr. Casgrain is here on a process that has been followed by governments as we have gone along. I would suggest that to micromanage how the process works right now is--

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

This is a matter of policy. Frankly, he can inform us about the governance issues. We're talking about how we pick the board in the future. It's part of the mandate review. I'm just curious.

Mr. Fast was the one who pointed out that part of this is about how we assess someone's competence and credentials to do the job. I wondered about the involvement of the department, because I think they bring a particular lens to that issue. It's really policy I'm interested in, and he's here.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Okay. We can go forward with what your feeling is on the policy.

[Timothy Wilson Casgrain]

Do you mean just the general policy of appointments?

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

The question is whether the Department of Heritage was part of the process--that's all--just so that we can understand how they assess credentials. I don't challenge it. As I said, I'm very impressed.

[Timothy Wilson Casgrain]

It was an interview process that I went through.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Was the minister's department or office involved in that?

[Timothy Wilson Casgrain]

That's my understanding.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Okay.