Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I'm replacing Mr. Angus here today, and so I come perhaps as less as an expert in this issue than as an ordinary Canadian holding an elected position.
I found your presentations both really interesting and touching. When I was asked to come here today, I realized that I have gone from being a strong supporter of the CBC to being a strong supporter of the idea of the CBC. And I find myself, like Mr. Wilhelm-Boyles, listening less and less and watching less and less of the CBC. I don't find that it does reflect Canada or its regions, and it certainly doesn't appear to me to be serving the special needs of Canada.
Considering the increased number of channels and the accessibility we have to everything happening, to globalized forms of media, I have a couple of questions.
First, there were a number of recommendations I heard made today and that I read about in some of the briefs to eliminate patronage appointments, to make CBC less dependent on advertising, and to ensure stable funding. Would that be enough to put us back in the right direction to have a CBC that really does respond to that mandate, or are we missing something else to get us back there? That's my first question.