Mr. Chair, that's a perfect segue into my questions: the whole issue of new media.
I sense from your comments that what you're talking about, if you boil it down, is a clear delineation between the roles of the public broadcaster and the private broadcasters.
You've just talked about new media. In your recommendations you addressed the challenges of new media and said that the new media are challenging some of the traditional business models that have been applied in the past. I want to quote from your recommendations. You say, “In light of this reality”--being the new media--“the appropriateness and relevance of various tax subsidies and credits as well as Canadian content requirements for private broadcasters should be reviewed”.
Mr. Manera, a few months ago you also wrote an article in the Ottawa Citizen. You were much more blunt, and I'd like to quote from that as well. You state that “The federal government should cancel all tax subsidies and credits now going to private broadcasters.... It makes no sense for taxpayers to subsidize for-profit broadcasters.” You go on to say that this would require a relaxation of Canadian content requirements for private broadcasters, “who should be free to offer whatever mix of programming best suits their commercial objectives”.
You're quite blunt there. You're saying to get rid of the subsidies, get rid of the Canadian content requirements for the private broadcasters, and focus more on CBC's mandate, make sure it's funded properly, and move forward from there.
Am I characterizing that correctly?