On the first question, on the advertising revenue, I don't think there is any possible way we could have that discussion here today without more information before you, Madam Fry, and before any witness appeared before this committee.
That's why we are suggesting that accountability and transparency must be introduced in a much more meaningful way as it relates to the CBC and Radio-Canada's operating activities, where we can clearly understand where revenues are being derived from in terms of the programming of the services, and where the expenditures for programming are being devoted. And in the absence of that more detailed information, I don't think we can zero in on one number without understanding the cost implications, or frankly, understanding the balance sheet more clearly.
What we are suggesting in this respect is that because the CBC is publicly funded, we feel it's not unreasonable to expect that Canadians would not only not object to it, but they would embrace the concept of more accountability on their dollars and how they are spent by a crown corporation.
The CRTC has accountability obligations on the private sector that far exceed those that are imposed on the CBC or Radio-Canada now--for instance, specialty channels that are financed by advertising revenue and by subscription fees. Because it was deemed that subscriber fees were being paid to a service as a revenue stream, the CRTC originally, when licensing, required much broader disclosure requirements of those services, such that each and every one of the services that operates in Canada today files annual returns that are extensively detailed on revenue and on expenditures in a way that CBC is not even close to. And that's for services that are not enjoying or not attracting any public subsidy funding through appropriations, such as the CBC does.
All we're saying on the topic of accountability is we think it's important to have a useful discussion. People will have different views on what to do, but to have a useful discussion we have to start from a foundation that is based on fact, and we don't have those facts available to us. Until those facts are available to us, it's a little bit like having a discussion in the dark.
On the BBC subject, I'll let Susan speak to our remarks on the BBC. In essence, we're saying BBC stands out, in our view, not as the be-all and end-all, but as perhaps a place where we could learn about how public accounting and transparency of a public broadcaster could be imported in some way to apply to the CBC.