Maybe I'll start, in terms of the English markets.
Clearly, in terms of where we're going, we completely agree with you that what we need to do is develop all of our content from the very beginning so that it fits with all the potential platforms on which it can be viewed or seen, and what we want to do is be able to monetize that.
What we inside the CBC have done is completely transform our development process to make sure that from the very moment we think of a project, we think about it in terms of all of the different platforms on which Canadians might want to see it.
Obviously, where this becomes a little bit trickier is when we're dealing with independent producers. The news and what not we make ourselves, but when we're dealing with independent producers, it's another issue.
I know that the Canadian Film and Television Production Association came down to see you the other day, and they said that they thought we were a bit tough on them in terms of wanting to get these kinds of rights for other platforms over and above television.
What we actually proposed to the producers' association originally, when we first began discussing this matter, was, “Look, you know, the problem with these new platforms is that nobody actually knows what they're worth. We don't know because it's early days. So why don't we do this...”—to your monetization point—“Why don't we enter into an agreement between the CBC and the producer of the program that for all those other platforms, we will act as your distributor? We'll distribute when there's a video-on-demand offer, whether it's a mobile offer on a hand-held or a cellphone or whether it's an Internet offer for the show. We'll work with you to make sure they get good distribution. And what we'll do is split the revenues fifty-fifty and off we go. Let's do that for a short period of time until we can see how the market settles down and what these platforms are really worth.”
We thought that was a terrific offer, because what's going to drive all of the new platforms is, if you like, the great bullhorn of television, which is the dominant platform and will remain the dominant platform for the time being. But that way we could share the risk associated with going forward, and at the same time we could share the revenues.
They declined this proposition. And I think, frankly, this is unfortunate, because I think what it will do is slow our capacity as a country to develop Canadian content for those new platforms.